Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU) has called for submissions to students-led business plans for seed funding of up to NRs 500,000 under its “AFU Business Incubation Support Program.”
This initiative aims to foster entrepreneurship by helping students integrate academic knowledge into real enterprises that tackle challenges in the food system and natural resource management.
The fund is open to undergraduate and post-graduate students of different streams in AFU colleges. Students can apply in groups of 3 to 5 members, consisting of at least one female member. The proposal must be submitted by Sept 21 to the university’s Directorate of Research and Extension (DoREX), which must integrate the business concept and commercialization and market potential of the business concept, among others.
Selected teams will attend a four-day bootcamp focused on business development, market analysis, entrepreneurial capacity building, and presentation skills. Additionally, industrial experts, established entrepreneurs, academicians, bank representatives, and tax experts will be providing mentorship. Based on their feedback, the team will refine their plans before submitting the final plan.
Approved enterprises will receive refundable seed capital, depending on their development stage and market readiness.
AFP has set aside NRs 20 million for the scheme. Earlier, the Directorate organized “Business Innovation Bootcamp, 2025,” out of which seven selected student groups have been awarded a total of Rs. 1.1 million as the first installment of their approved funding of NRs 2.3 million.
Details regarding this program can be found here.
