Mentoring for resilience: A Bhutan-Nepal dialogue on bioeconomy and circular economies

Organisers: ICIMOD, Industrial Enterprise Development Institute (IEDI) and Knowledge, Growth and Sustainability (KGS) Inc

About the workshop

The Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP) of ICIMOD, along with Industrial Enterprise Development Institute (IEDI) and Knowledge, Growth and Sustainability (KGS) Inc is organising a two-day flagship mentoring and networking event that brings together government-led incubators, seasoned mentors, entrepreneurs, and potential investors on a common platform to strengthen and scale bioeconomy-based enterprises in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region.  This event will serve as a platform to invite investors and financial actors to directly engage with a curated pipeline of nature-based enterprises, understand their business potential, and explore partnership opportunities.

The event will provide Bhutanese participants with a live view of Nepal’s emerging mentorship and entrepreneurial ecosystem, where public and private sector collaboration has fostered promising bio-based ventures. Bhutan’s National Biodiversity Centre (NBC), alongside the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI), will gain insights into how such a system could be effectively adapted and scaled within Bhutan.

Objectives

The key objectives of the workshop are to:

• Highlight the role of mentorship in making businesses green, inclusive, and resilient by strengthening network and ecosystem linkages

• Enable cross learning through targeted mentorship and product launch programs to successful mentorship and enterprise development practices in Nepal

• Promote long-term collaboration between BCCI, ICIMOD, and relevant stakeholders to support Bhutanese businesses in adopting sustainable and circular economic practices

• Build capacity of BCCI members to effectively serve as business mentors in partnership with Briddhi – Kathmandu‑based private‑sector‑led mentorship and business‑support initiative – in Nepal

• Receive support from NBC for IEDI and KGS to establish Access to Benefit Sharing mechanism with the enterprises.

• Official launch of the bioprospecting-based products of Nepal

Expected outcomes

• Mentorship ecosystem development in Bhutan is initiated, with BCCI and Briddhi laying the foundation for long-term collaboration, agreement signed between BCCI and Briddhi once the trust is established.

• Cross-border learning is strengthened, as Bhutan shares Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) practices while Nepal showcases its mentorship models. Key activities will be designed to replicate these, strengthening ABS mechanisms in Nepal and mentorship mechanisms in Bhutan.

• BCCI’s capacity to deliver mentorship is enhanced, supported by Briddhi’s technical backstopping and probono mentorship advocacy and mentorship plan developed.

• A pipeline of investment-ready bio-based enterprises emerges, advancing FCDO’s goals for scalable, private-sector-led development in the HKH region and journey of such business documented.

Background

Within HI-REAP, bioeconomy is identified as a key Nature based Solution (NbS) to foster sustainable development and resilience in mountain communities. Bioeconomy refers to the promotion of businesses that rely on biological resources, aiming to improve the livelihoods of the custodians of these resources while fostering enterprises grounded in the principle of embedded ABS mechanisms. It encourages startups and small businesses to sustainably utilise forest and natural resources, adding value not only to their own ventures but also to the wider community. ICIMOD plans to develop a pipeline of such bio-based businesses and support their growth, incentivising resource custodians to recognise the benefits of conserving and protecting these vital ecosystems.

The visit will strengthen the regional mentorship ecosystem by building connections with Briddhi, which supports Nepali enterprises through capacity building and expert guidance to drive innovation and growth. This institution was launched under the Startup Nation 2030 in 2024, and since then, ICIMOD has been collaborating on mentorship ecosystem development to strengthen startups and small businesses in Nepal. This is a group of FNCCI leaders and experienced business personalities who came together to give back to the business community by supporting emerging enterprises.

Inspired by Briddhi’s success in scaling Nepali enterprises through mentorship and capacity building, we aim to replicate a similar ecosystem in Bhutan via BCCI. While Bhutan’s business environment is still developing, we are collaborating with Briddhi to provide interim mentorship and ecosystem support. Through this event, Nepali partners will learn from Bhutan’s Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) implementation mechanisms and enabling policies. Meanwhile, Bhutanese participants will showcase their products and share insights on their enterprise development processes, supported by strong government backing from the NBC and Bhutanese government.