Building on the momentum of earlier Give a Day sessions, this edition underscored the importance of long-term, systemic approaches to strengthen the entrepreneurial landscape. The roadmap, co-developed by Khmer Enterprise and Swisscontact Cambodia with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and Khmer Enterprise (KE), emerged from a three-year consultative process engaging public institutions, development partners, investors, entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs), and entrepreneurs nationwide. It identifies six strategic domains—Support, Finance, Market, Culture, Human Capital, and Policy—and introduces 19 actionable, time-bound recommendations for ecosystem actors to align, reduce duplication, and drive collective impact.
Since its inception, Give a Day has evolved into an action-driven platform for building trust, strengthening partnerships, and fostering collaboration among Cambodia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem actors. The 31st edition brought together 78 participants representing government, private sector, investors, ESOs, and development partners.
At its core, the roadmap addresses persistent structural challenges that entrepreneurs face, including fragmented support systems, limited access to finance, skills gaps, and regulatory inefficiencies. It also points to emerging opportunities in digital adoption, diaspora engagement, and regional market integration. As part of its development, 147 support programs across the entrepreneurial journey were mapped, drawing on desk research, literature reviews, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and surveys to pinpoint critical gaps and direct targeted actions.
The event featured a dedicated presentation on the roadmap’s journey, vision and the impact pathway. This session, led by Ms. Sreynang Hun, Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Specialist at Khmer Enterprise, and Mr. Pritesh Chalise, Knowledge Management and MRM Manager at Swisscontact Cambodia, set the stage for the discussions that followed by highlighting how the roadmap can serve as a shared compass for ecosystem alignment.
The event’s highlight was the panel discussion titled “Driving Systemic Change: Shaping Cambodia’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem,” moderated by Ms. Sokhuy Lay of Swisscontact Cambodia’s 3Ei project. Panelists included Mr. PagnaPich Pork (Khmer Enterprise), Ms. San Sar (Oxfam Cambodia), and Ms. SreyOeun Chem (Smart Axiata). The discussion focused on overcoming fragmentation and short-termism in the ecosystem, with panelists praising the roadmap as a tool to align efforts, pool resources, and guide long-term collaboration.
Speakers stressed the importance of trust-building, shared goals, and practical initiatives such as Khmer Enterprise’s Highschool-preneur and Unipreneur programs. Funding and market access were highlighted as top priorities, with calls for a national platform to strengthen investment readiness and expand export potential. The discussion concluded with a strong consensus: systemic change requires commitment, coordination, and a collective push toward sustainable impact.
Through the event, 84% of participants reported improved knowledge of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, while 98% found Give a Day to be an effective platform for networking and collaboration. Many participants noted that the roadmap launch, and panel discussions deepened their understanding of Cambodia’s entrepreneurial challenges and opportunities, while also creating valuable connections for future initiatives.
Give a Day 31 reinforced the platform’s role as a convening space for knowledge-sharing, cross-sector learning, and ecosystem-level coordination on themes that matter for inclusive and sustainable growth. The launch of the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Roadmap set a new benchmark, transforming Give a Day from a platform for dialogue into one that actively shapes long-term strategy for Cambodia’s entrepreneurial future.
Give a Day is co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and Khmer Enterprise (KE), and co-implemented by Khmer Enterprise (KE) and Swisscontact through the Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investments (3Ei) initiative.
The event was covered by the following media: