LAHORE: The National Expansion Plan of National Incubation Centres Programme, a collaborative effort of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), has opened applications for the 6th cycle of its startup incubation programme across Pakistan.
As per the details shared by the PITB here on Thursday, in partnership with the public universities, as many as 13 tech incubation centres have been set up across the country where start-ups are provided with free-of-cost workspace, mentorship, networking opportunities, monthly stipend, business support and legal guidance for six months.
The incubation programme is tailored to the needs of early-stage start-ups and runs on a zero-equity model. Applications are open for Gujarat, Jamshoro, Karachi, Kohat, Lahore, Muzaffarabad, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Sukkur, Swat and Taxila.
It may be noted that the programme has successfully incubated 690 start-ups to date, which have generated a cumulative over Rs 1,100 million in revenue and created more than 12,000 jobs overall.
Meanwhile, the e-Rozgaar Training Programme, a collaborative initiative of the PITB and the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, has received over 17,000 applications from youth across Punjab for its next batch. The initiative is aimed at providing dignified online employment opportunities to young individuals. Out of these applications, 63 percent were from male applicants, while 37 percent were from female applicants.
Commenting on the programme, PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf said that its objective is to democratise entrepreneurship, boost business activity across the country, grow the IT industry and promote economic growth in Pakistan.
On e-Rozgaar Centres, He said that currently, 45 centres are operational in 36 districts of Punjab. “We have successfully trained over 60,000 students, who have collectively earned over Rs 8 billion through online work. The participation of women in the program is encouraging, with a representation of 57 percent,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024