Sri Lanka selects 500 SMEs for 1,000 entrepreneurs programme

The Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development has started selecting 500 eligible small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from 19 districts across Sri Lanka for the second phase of the National Program to Develop 1,000 Entrepreneurs.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe announced the opportunity in a Facebook post today (August 18), inviting eligible entrepreneurs to apply for the programme.

The initiative is being carried out by the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development together with the National Productivity Secretariat under Phase Two of the programme.

Selected entrepreneurs will receive support based on the needs of their businesses, including consultancy, training, mentoring, productivity improvement and business development assistance.

According to information published for the programme, the consultancy support will focus on business process re-engineering and is expected to help enterprises increase production capacity, improve financial discipline and control, identify opportunities in local and foreign markets, improve employee efficiency and morale, reduce employee turnover, create a safer workplace and share successful business experiences.

Businesses seeking to participate are expected to have been operating for at least three years, employ more than 10 people, operate as a manufacturing enterprise and fall within the small or medium-scale business category.

Applications can be submitted online or through the relevant District Secretariat. Application forms are also available through the official websites of the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development and the National Productivity Secretariat.

The Facebook announcement states that applications will close on August 31, 2026.

However, the programme notice accompanying the announcement states that applications should be submitted before Monday, August 24, 2026, through registered post, at the relevant District Secretariat before 3:00 PM, or by scanning the QR code provided in the notice.

Further information can be obtained from the National Productivity Secretariat, the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development or its Public Enterprises Division.

The programme is coordinated and organised by the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development and the National Productivity Secretariat.