Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investments (3Ei)

The overall goal of the 3Ei is for the private sector to actively contribute to the Cambodia's socio-economic development and attaining the goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The achievement of this overall goal will be driven by two outcomes: enhanced coordination, and collaboration within the entrepreneurial ecosystem; and increased business performance and investments in the ecosystem.
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Phnom Penh
11.5563738
104.9282099
Project duration
2023 - 2027
Financed by
  • Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC
  • Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)
  • Khmer Enterprise

The Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investments (3Ei) is a five-year initiative (2023 – 2027) implemented by Khmer Enterprise and Swisscontact and co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and Ministry of Economy and Finance (Khmer Enterprise). The initiative works closely with the entrepreneurial ecosystem actors in Cambodia to strengthen Cambodia's socio-economic development. The overall goal of the 3Ei is for the private sector to actively contribute to the Cambodia's socio-economic development and attaining the goals of the SDGs. 

The Project

The approach of the 3EI project sets up the four intervention areas in a way that the first three help to blend finance for the impact investors and help decrease the capital. This should then see an increase in investments in impact start-up and growth enterprises.

  • Enhance Connections and Collaborations Among System’s Actors

Under this Intervention Area, the 3EI initiative aims to scale up the Give a Day, Ecosystem Builders Network (EBN) and CAMESCO and institutionalize the three collaboration platforms.

  • Strengthen Mentorship in Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Under this Intervention Area, the 3EI initiative aims to collaborate with the Entrepreneurs In Residence (EIRs) from the Swiss EP program and bring the EIRs to Cambodia as per the demand of the Ecoystem Support Organisations (ESOs). The initiative will also help ESOs for applying a gender lens to their organization, program, and ecosystem through the Gender Lens Incubation and Acceleration (GLIA) toolkit and “Promote Cambodia Gender Smart Entrepreneurial and Investment Ecosystem”.

  • Establish Cambodia Blended Finance Services Facility

Under this Intervention Area, the 3Ei initiative aims to address the financial and non-financial barriers faced by early and growth enterprises and start-ups through the Cambodia Blended Finance Service Facility.

  • Strengthen data to foster investments

Under this Intervention Area, the 3Ei initiative aims to track start-up performance as well as identify gaps and opportunities to improve supporting structure. It urges an urgent need to track start-up benchmark index to allocate resources (funding programs) in the right direction. Additionally, the initiative will also develop an investment index to reduce perceived risk of Cambodia market and potentially attract new investors. Furthermore, the SNA report conducted by Impact Hub Phnom Penh and Swisscontact in 2019, recommended a detailed, regular update of data on a periodic basis. Under the 3EI initiative, the sample size of the study will be expanded to generate a picture over time of how the ecosystem is evolving. 

Project Goals

The achievement of this overall goal will be driven by two outcomes.

  1. Enhanced coordination, and collaboration within the entrepreneurial ecosystem; and
  2. Increased business performance and investments in the ecosystem.

Expected Results

News

Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
26.05.2023
Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investments (3Ei) initiative launched to boost impact investing in Cambodia.
The Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investment (3Ei), an initiative of Khmer Enterprise and Swisscontact, is officially launched in Phnom Penh on May 26th, 2023.  
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
02.05.2023
Give a Day 13“Exploring Growth and Expansion Opportunities for Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs)”
The third Give a Day of 2023, and the 13th edition in the series was successfully organized by Khmer Enterprise and Swisscontact on 28th April 2023, on the topic “Exploring Growth and Expansion Opportunities for Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs)”. 
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
29.03.2023
Give a Day 12: Challenges and Opportunities of Investing in Cambodian Startups
The second Give a Day of 2023, and the 12th one in the series was successfully organized by Khmer Enterprise and Swisscontact on 17th March 2023. The topic for the 12th Give A Day was Challenges and Opportunities of Investing in Cambodian Startups.