The National 4i Project builds young entrepreneurs to the global market

A special training program for the District Liaison Officers of the National Program for Developing 1,000 Young Entrepreneurs (4I Project) was held at the Colombo Foundation Institute under the patronage of the Secretary to the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Mrs Thilaka Jayasundara, over three days from June 24, 25 and 26. This training program was conducted for 40 selected officers, including Additional District Secretaries and Assistant District Secretaries, representing all 25 districts of the island.

The 4I project, implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development in collaboration with the National Productivity Secretariat, aims to empower 1,000 young small and medium-scale entrepreneurs by improving their knowledge, skills and attitudes to access the global market successfully. The 4I project will also identify and address the barriers and challenges that selected entrepreneurs face in accessing the export market, thereby increasing their production capacity.

The pilot project was first implemented in the Gampaha District in 2023, empowering 100 selected young entrepreneurs. Based on the success of the pilot project, the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development plans to empower an additional 1,000 young entrepreneurs through this initiative.

The Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development expects to implement this 4I project under the direct supervision and coordination of these selected District Liaison Officers, and special training was provided to the District Liaison Officers on strategic planning to build strong leadership for young entrepreneurs. These Liaison Officers were also able to gain field observation experience during this training program, in the factories of entrepreneurs empowered by the pilot project.