LightCastle Signs Agreement with iDE to Facilitate Enterprise Accelerator and Mentorship Program for Youth Entrepreneurs

LightCastle Partners has recently signed a contract with International Development Enterprises (iDE) for the Uddokta project. LightCastle will support iDE by conducting a Training of Trainer (ToT) and Training on Enterprise Accelerator and Mentorship Program for Youth Entrepreneurs.

LightCastle Partners will help iDE in improving the business and finance management and ensuring access to finance for high-performing micro-small-medium-enterprises (MSMEs) and Village Development Organizations (VDOs).

With youth employment and Income Generating Activities (IGA) as the overall objective, LightCastle Partners will facilitate a high-quality well-guided Training of Trainers (ToT) on the Enterprise Accelerator and Mentorship Program to build the capacity of iDE/project staff for implementing interventions in the field.

About the Uddokta Project

Uddokta – empowering entrepreneurs – is a three-year (2020-2022) project funded by Chevron and the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh and implemented by iDE. Under Chevron’s Bangladesh Partnership Initiative (BPI) and the Embassy of Switzerland’s COVID-19 Relief Emergency Grant, Uddokta seeks to improve income and livelihoods, and promote the inclusive and non-discriminative society and employment opportunities of the poor and disadvantaged people through enterprise development and strengthening market systems in the Sylhet Division (Northeast of Bangladesh). Uddokta is being implemented in 4 districts in the Sylhet division:

• Sylhet
• Moulvibazar
• Habiganj
• Sunamganj

About iDE

iDE is an international NGO with over 38 years of experience in designing and delivering market-based anti-poverty programs in 11 countries. They are a world leader in making markets work for the poor as well as the longest established market development specialist NGO in Bangladesh. iDE believes that markets can be a powerful force for improving smallholder prosperity by creating income and livelihood opportunities for poor rural households. iDE Bangladesh currently has eight projects in agricultural markets, water, sanitation and hygiene, and access to finance with a focus on women’s economic empowerment and climate-smart technologies.