Orange Corners Bangladesh is a multi-year entrepreneurship development and financing facility dedicated to equipping youth and early-stage entrepreneurs with the resources necessary to build sustainable, investment-ready businesses. A global public-private initiative by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the programme operates through a structured framework of ideation support, incubation, acceleration, technical assistance, and funding, with the aim to foster entrepreneurial innovation, strengthen local ecosystems, and enable businesses to drive meaningful social and environmental impact.
Orange Corners Bangladesh
Orange Corners Bangladesh
Stages
Stages
Pre-Incubation
We empower young aspiring entrepreneurs and those with ideation-stage initiatives by providing capacity-building programs, information sessions, interactive workshops, inspiring founder stories, and ideation challenges with grant awards.
Who is it for
- Youth aspiring to become entrepreneurs
- Any Bangladeshi, between 18 – 35 years, who wants to build a business or whose initiative is currently in ideation / prototype stage
- Stage: Nascent entrepreneurs, Ideation & Prototype Stage
- Participants applying for ideation challenges must also focus on SDGs
- We encourage women participation
What we offer
- Ideation challenges: A dynamic SDG-themed competition designed to tackle local challenges while equipping participants with the skills to build impactful social businesses. Through immersive two-day bootcamps led by experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts, participants refine their business concepts before presenting them to a panel of judges. The top three winners receive awards of up to BDT 1,00,000.
- Founder Stories and PowHer Events
- Campus Coordinator Programme
- Information Sessions
Stages
Incubation
Our Incubation programme is designed for young Bangladeshi entrepreneurs (18 - 35 years) with initiatives tackling the Sustainable Development Goals. Through hands-on capacity building sessions, mentorship, and funding, we help entrepreneurs strengthen their business foundations and prepare for their next stage of growth.
Who is it for
- Businesses that are in post-market roll-out stage
- Businesses that address one or more of the SDGs
- At least one founder must be Bangladeshi, aged between 18–35, and based in Bangladesh.
- Priority will be given to businesses led by women or those with women in senior leadership roles.
- Incubation is sector-agnostic
What we offer
- Capacity Building: Intensive training sessions, masterclasses, and foundational skills building to strengthen entrepreneurial capacity.
- Personalised Coaching and Mentorship: Entrepreneurs receive one-on-one coaching and personalised follow-up at regular intervals to guide them through their growth and challenges. Entrepreneurs also get access to industry experts and seasoned founders for customised mentorship.
- Exclusive Resources: Access to Entrepreneur toolkit and other resources to support growth outside of and beyond the incubation.
- Events and networking: Access to exclusive networking events to facilitate connections with other entrepreneurs, key ecosystem players and potential investors.
- Co-working space: Complimentary access to co-working spaces in Impact Hub Dhaka Mirpur (2 seats per company).
- Funding: Selected participants will receive a grant of up to €5,000.
Stages
Acceleration
The Acceleration Programme supports graduates of the Orange Corners Bangladesh Incubation Programme to enhance their operational foundations. Through targeted business development support, advanced capacity-building sessions, and impact management guidance, the acceleration programme helps early-stage enterprises strengthen internal systems, optimize operations, and align for future funding opportunities such as the Orange Corners Innovation Fund.
Who is it for
- Any business that has successfully graduated from the Orange Corners Bangladesh Incubation Programme
What we offer
- Business Development Support (Finance, internal audit, and compliance; Administration and procurement; Human resources and/or IT)
- Capacity-building Sessions
- Impact Measurement and Management Support
- Co-working Space at Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (Mohakhali)
- Networking Opportunities
- Access to the Orange Corners Global Alumni Network
- For interested participants, customized support is also provided to help them meet eligibility criteria for Orange Corners Innovation Fund
Stages
Orange Corners Innovation Fund
The Orange Corners Innovation Fund (OCIF) is an investment-readiness and financing facility designed to strengthen early-stage, impact-driven businesses. By extending tailored financing—including grants and concessional loans—alongside tailored technical assistance, OCIF supports entrepreneurs in building the operational, financial, and strategic foundations needed for scalable growth. Additionally, OCIF contributes to the broader investment ecosystem by creating a pipeline of trusted, de-risked and investment-ready businesses.
Who is it for
- Businesses that are legally registered as Private Limited Companies in Bangladesh
- Possess at least 2 years of operational traction (must be able to provide 2 years of audited financial statements)
- Businesses must be able to demonstrate profitability, positive cash flow from operations, strong liquidity, and healthy revenue trends
- Businesses that address one or more of the SDGs
- Priority will be given first to graduates of the Orange Corners Incubation programme, followed by businesses supported by other Dutch-funded programmes in Bangladesh, and then to external applicants.
- Priority will be given to businesses led by women or those with women in senior leadership roles.
What we offer
- Access to Funding: Eligible participants may receive up to €50,000 in blended financing (grants and soft loans), disbursed in tranches tied to performance milestones and due diligence requirements. Funding is designed to unlock additional capital and accelerate business growth.
- Tailored Technical Assistance: Eligible participants will receive 6 months of customized mentorship and advisory support from matched technical and sectoral experts.
- Comprehensive Capacity Building: Businesses will receive curated training sessions, masterclasses, and workshops covering essential topics such as fundraising, financial management, product development, and legal compliance—designed to meet the needs of growing, impact-driven businesses.
- Business Development Support: Structural support and milestone tracking to strengthen financial sustainability and long-term viability.
- Impact Measurement and Management: Customized support to help establish and implement impact measurement and management practices to ensure achievement of growth and impact goals.
- Networking Opportunities: Access to Orange Corners global alumni and mentor network, industry experts, investors; opportunities to showcase at demo days and investor meetings.