Entrepreneurs present ideas to secure grants

PESHAWAR: The contenders on Saturday gave presentations about their business ideas to secure grants to establish their own small businesses under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Impact Challenge initiative.

Around 130 male and female youth gave detailed representations in which 50 youth would be selected for a month training and would be provided grants of up to Rs2 million to start their own businesses.

The previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had launched the initiative to promote youth entrepreneurship and help them start own small businesses to enable them to earn a decent living.

The previous KP government had allocated Rs500 million for the initiative, which would be given as grants to successful applicants to start their own businesses.

The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) is providing technical support to the selected youth whose ideas were approved after completing the necessary process. Under the programme, around 350 new small businesses would be supported. Around 1,100 youth have applied for the scheme.

A total of 43 beneficiaries, out of the 100 aspirants, had already given Rs500, 000 to Rs20, 00,000 cheques in April last. Youth aged 18 to 30 years are eligible to apply for the grants.

Khushnodia Bibi, who has done masters in Sociology and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed), said that she wanted to open a private school in her Ghari Kapura village in native Mardan district. She has applied for provision of Rs2 million grant for the purpose.

“I taught various subjects in schools and colleges for four years and now want to open my own school to impart and promote quality education in my village,” she added.