With the ultimate objective of assisting the potential entrepreneurs/investors to set up their own enterprises, the business skills development has been designed to cover the following:

• Setting up an enterprise: Rules, procedures and formalities, whom to contact for what, nature and extent of assistance available from various institutions
• Business Opportunity Identification: How to identify business opportunities, how to screen them, how to firm up a business idea for further exploration.
• Market Assessment: How to assess the market potential, guidance in carrying out field work for market assessment for the proposed product/service
• Entrepreneurial Competencies
• Business Plan: Skills in preparing a Business Plan and assistance in finalizing it
• Essentials of managing an enterprise
• Inputs on how to implement a project/enterprise

Subsequent to the preparation & empowerment step, a vigorous follow-up mechanism to provide business counseling and mentoring with the ultimate objective of facilitating project implementation. Developed entrepreneurs/investors are helped in finalizing their business ideas and in obtaining necessary information and preparing their business plans/investment profiles as per UNIDO methodology. A very crucial component is provided to entrepreneurs, enabling them sourcing technology tie-ups which could also lead to the development of full-fledged partnerships; which is carried out through the UNIDO-ITPO/IPU Network. In addition to that administrative support on legal and licensing issues are facilitated through the respective government entities. 

It may be noted that the nature and extent of business counseling and mentoring services depend on the needs of respective entrepreneurs/investors. The counseling & technology tie-up step is a lengthy relationship between the counselor and the entrepreneur/investor. It may generally include the following activities:

• Business opportunity identification, analysis and finalization
• Market research – Collection, analysis and compilation of relevant data
• Identification and sourcing information on appropriate technology, machinery/equipment, and raw materials etc.
• Facilitating technology tie ups which could lead to the establishment of joint venture collaborations
• Business plan preparation
• Completing legal documentation and seeking necessary registrations/licenses/clearances
• Finalizing project implementation plan

The service linked next to the business counseling is facilitating project linkage to the financial scheme. Appropriate financial linkages are identified based on the project requirements and entrepreneurs’ investment capacity.

Entrepreneurs/Investors are advised and guided to completing the required formalities for seeking loan support from the relevant financial institutions. At this stage need based advice and support is also provided by the financial counselors. The business counselor acts as a link between the entrepreneur, the financial counselor and the financial institution in order to facilitate the process and ensure project’s linkage with the financial scheme.

Incubation takes two forms either virtual or in-wall. Virtual incubation there need not be established at a specific incubator but rather establish their businesses in any location and would revert to us on a need basis. As for in-wall incubated entrepreneurs these are directed towards those businesses that require constant follow-up and longer periods in reaching breaking even.

With all the essential resources for the project tied up the entrepreneur is guided through the project implementation plan, formulated during the counseling phase (Step 2). Essential linkages are facilitated with institutions dealing in services related to entrepreneurs needs. A lot of capacity building is provided throughout the program in terms of technical, marketing access and linkages; continuous follow-up with institutions delivering administrative services. Day to day follow-up with entrepreneurs on different issues is provided to sustain their smooth growth. Need based guidance and support is extended for procurement, installation and commissioning of the project machinery and equipment as well as for procuring the raw materials and other utilities. Business counselors in association with the financial counselors closely monitor the project implementation process and guide the project to become operational.

Tailor made business advisory as well as training interventions are brought in to ensure project survival at crucial stages of initial operation and to facilitate growth in the subsequent period of project operation.

The Enterprise Growth program through EDIP is intended to bring about tangible results in the quickest possible time frame to enterprises which have growth potential, but are faced with problems related to competitiveness and productivity. The focus of the program is on assessing the problems faced by the existing enterprises and finding solutions for enhancing their competitiveness through enterprise upgrading.

• Develop a common understanding among all the parties involved (cluster actors/enterprises) and identify the challenges faced by the enterprise.
• Carrying out diagnostic studies for the selected enterprises with a view to identify the critical problems they face and to propose remedial actions. The diagnosis covers each aspect of the operation of the enterprise, including management, energy utilization, environment, market, quality, technology and equipment. This in turn should lead to the preparation of a preliminary enterprise-upgrading plan.
• Provide direct assistance and support to implement the upgrading plans for the selected enterprises. (In some cases, the plans are implemented with local inputs alone).
• Those upgrading plans, which require foreign inputs in terms of technology, strategic alliances, joint venture, market access, etc. are promoted through UNIDO ITPO network in order to identify foreign partners and technology suppliers.

Services offered can be but not limited to the following:

Technical Support/Administrative

• Access to information and data / Developing growth business plans
• Business Counseling, Co-entrepreneurship & Angels Program
• Technology upgrading: Raw materials sourcing, sourcing of technology
• Quality management & upgrading to ensure adherence to international markets
• Networking with foreign investors and technology providers
• Franchising tool kit aimed at developing the successful business into a franchise concept
• Legal support

Access to new Markets: through Franchising, Clusters, export consortia and subcontracting exchanges

Financial Support: Medium to large financing, Seed capital and Equity & Venture Capital Funds

Facilitating access to Infrastructure namely; Sector specific Incubators, Technology Parks, Research & development facilities