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Over the years, Give a Day has proven to be an important space for fostering connections, sharing insights, and strengthening collaboration between ESOs, investors, local NGOs, and more. By 2024, Give a Day had engaged 1,397 participants from more than 300 organisations across 31 events in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Battambang. With 95% of participants expressing their willingness to participate again, the initiative continues to play an essential role in deepening trust-based relationships within the ecosystem.
The discussion at Give a Day 27 focused on recent shifts in funding that have had a significant impact on local ESOs that rely on external financial support. These organisations, which have played a crucial role in supporting start-ups and SMEs, now face increasing uncertainty in sustaining their operations. Participants shared their insights and experiences on how funding shifts have affected their organisations, highlighting the need for adaptive strategies to mitigate the risks associated with funding dependency.
The event featured a keynote address by Michael Tan, CEO of Aquarii BD Cambodia, who highlighted the increasing pressures facing ESOs as funding sources become more constrained, but also the opportunity for transformation to reshape the ecosystem. Michael also emphasised that organisations can create a sustainable operating framework by adopting innovative approaches that deliver higher quality, more relevant services to entrepreneurs, while staying true to their core mission of supporting Cambodia's entrepreneurial ecosystem and development. This was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Ms Sreynang Hun of Khmer Enterprise, where panelists explored challenges, opportunities and actionable strategies for diversifying funding and strengthening financial resilience. Panelists included Ms Peng Lody, National Project Coordinator at UNIDO, Mr Chim Tithamatak, Director of Entrepreneurship Education at Impact Hub Phnom Penh, and Mr San Thai, Operations and Programme Manager at Enterprise Vision Academy.
As the first event in the 2025 series, Give a Day 27 set the stage for continued dialogue and collaboration to strengthen Cambodia's entrepreneurial ecosystem. As the financial landscape continues to evolve, the platform remains committed to facilitating meaningful discussions, fostering partnerships, and equipping ESOs with the tools needed to overcome challenges and build a more sustainable support network for entrepreneurs.
The Give a Day event is co-financed by Khmer Enterprise, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and co-implemented by Khmer Enterprise and Swisscontact through the Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investments (3Ei) initiative.
You can read more about the event at Cambodia Investment Review: Give a Day 27 Highlights Urgency for Strategic Adaptation in Cambodia’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem