KATHMANDU, May 27: The Fifth National Social Entrepreneurship Summit concluded in Kathmandu on Tuesday with participants issuing a nine-point “Call to Action,” urging the government and stakeholders to strengthen legal recognition, financing, and institutional support for social enterprises.
According to a press release issued by the organisers, the declaration calls for an enabling environment for social entrepreneurship through a dedicated legal framework, targeted financing mechanisms, policy reforms, and stronger institutional coordination.
The closing ceremony, held in Kathmandu, saw the unveiling of the call to action by Arjun Bhattarai, President of the NGO Federation of Nepal and Nepal Development Initiative (NEDI), on behalf of the participants.
Held over two days under the theme “Defining and Bridging Policy Gaps with Ground Reality,” the summit noted that Nepal’s social entrepreneurship sector continues to grow despite the absence of a dedicated legal framework, specialised financing systems, and formal institutional recognition.
Participants said social enterprises are contributing to job creation, women and youth empowerment, and progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but continue to face structural and financial constraints.
'We want to start a movement of social entrepreneurship'
Among the key recommendations, the summit called for a dedicated legal framework to clearly define and recognise social enterprises as distinct from traditional businesses and cooperatives.
It also urged the government to operationalise the National Social Entrepreneurship Fund, encourage banks and microfinance institutions to introduce impact-based lending products, and allocate a portion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to support the sector.
The declaration further stressed bridging the gap between policy and implementation through a structured feedback mechanism involving social entrepreneurs from all seven provinces, including Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim, in monitoring and evaluation processes.
It also highlighted the need to integrate climate resilience into national development priorities, with support for climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, waste management, and disaster risk reduction initiatives.
Recognising the role of technology, the summit called for stronger support for digital innovation and artificial intelligence in social enterprises to improve service delivery and expand opportunities in rural and marginalised communities, while ensuring digital transformation does not widen inequality.
The participants also urged the government to integrate social entrepreneurship into the education system through curricula, innovation labs, incubation centres, and entrepreneurship programmes.
They called on the private sector to adopt responsible business practices, including Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards and Business and Human Rights (BHR) principles, and to strengthen collaboration with social enterprises through investment and supply chains.
The declaration also demanded equitable access to financing, mentorship, digital connectivity, and incubation services across all seven provinces, particularly targeting remote and rural areas.
It further called for clear implementation timelines, improved data collection, impact measurement systems, transparent reporting, and annual multi-stakeholder reviews to ensure accountability.
Organised by the Nepal Development Initiative (NEDI), the summit brought together social entrepreneurs, policymakers, investors, development partners, civil society representatives, academics, and youth leaders from across the country.
Participants concluded that social entrepreneurship should be recognised as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, job creation, and Nepal’s progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
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