Nabil Bank Limited has opened applications for the seventh cohort of its Nabil School of Social Entrepreneurship (Nabil SSE) Fellowship Program, along with new cohorts of its Nabil SSE Certificate Course, as the bank expands its entrepreneurship development initiative aimed at supporting enterprise creation and employment.

Applications for both programmes opened on September 15, 2026, with the deadline set for October 12, 2026. The programme is open to Nepali citizens aged 18 and above who have either already started a business or have an innovative entrepreneurial idea. Participants are required to maintain a minimum 90 percent attendance throughout the programme.

Nabil Bank said it is particularly encouraging applications from women, youth and individuals from poor, disadvantaged, underserved and marginalised communities seeking to establish sustainable businesses and contribute to employment and community development.

1,580 entrepreneurs trained since 2021

Nabil SSE was established in 2021 as Nabil Bank’s flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. Over its first five years, the programme has evolved into a nationwide entrepreneurship development platform, according to the bank.

Across its Fellowship Programme and Certificate Course, Nabil SSE has trained 1,580 participants, supported the establishment of 318 enterprises and reported 19,303 direct and indirect employment and livelihood opportunities, the bank said. The Fellowship Programme has so far trained 113 fellows across six completed cohorts, with 93 fellow-led enterprises established.

Similarly, the Certificate Course has trained 1,467 participants and contributed to the establishment of 225 enterprises, according to the bank. The figures indicate the programme’s emphasis is moving beyond entrepreneurship training towards enterprise creation and economic participation.

Focus shifts from ideas to viable enterprises

Nabil Bank Chief Executive Officer Manoj Kumar Gyawali said the initiative is focused not only on supporting businesses but also on developing the capabilities of people who can create sustainable economic opportunities within their communities.

'As we open the Seventh Fellowship Cohort and new Certificate Course cohorts, our objective is to identify committed entrepreneurs, strengthen their capacity, and connect them with the knowledge, networks, and ecosystem required to build sustainable enterprises and contribute to Nepal's inclusive economic development,' Gyawali said.

The programmes combine practical entrepreneurship education with mentorship, peer learning, field exposure, academic partnerships and access to the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Five- to six-month fellowship

The Nabil SSE Fellowship Programme is implemented in collaboration with the School of Management, Tribhuvan University (SOMTU). The intensive five- to six-month programme is designed for individuals with promising enterprise ideas, early-stage businesses or existing enterprises.

Participants receive practical training, mentorship and peer-learning opportunities, while also getting exposure to field-based learning and enterprise testing. The programme is intended to help selected entrepreneurs develop, strengthen and expand enterprises with social and economic impact.

Certificate course targets aspiring and existing entrepreneurs

The Nabil SSE Certificate Course offers a shorter, practice-oriented entrepreneurship programme through academic institutions. The approximately three-month course is targeted at aspiring entrepreneurs, students, early-stage founders and operators of micro and small enterprises.

According to Nabil Bank, the course helps participants identify business opportunities, evaluate and test business ideas, develop viable business models and strengthen existing enterprises.

Applications open through 10 academic partners

For the current application cycle, Nabil Bank has opened applications for Certificate Course cohorts through 10 academic implementing partners. The participating institutions are Mahendra Morang Aadarsh Multiple Campus (10th Cohort), Birgunj Public College (9th Cohort), Monastic Secondary English Boarding School (5th Cohort), Campion College (10th Cohort), Budhanilkantha School (4th Cohort), Dibyajyoti Multiple Campus (6th Cohort), Kshitiz International (9th Cohort), Kohalpur Model College (5th Cohort), Surkhet Model College (5th Cohort), and Sudurpaschimanchal Academy (7th Cohort).

Applicants can access programme details and apply through Nabil Bank’s official Nabil SSE page link - https://www.nabilbank.com/content/nabil-school-of-social-entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship as an economic development tool

As Nabil SSE expands, entrepreneurship development remains closely linked to enterprise creation, employment generation, and local economic activity.

By combining training with mentorship, enterprise testing and institutional networks, the programme is designed to address one of the key challenges faced by aspiring entrepreneurs: moving from a business idea to a commercially viable and sustainable enterprise.

Nabil Bank said its wider CSR activities focus on financial literacy, entrepreneurship development, health, education, disaster risk reduction and management, and climate change.

For Nabil SSE, the emphasis is increasingly on building entrepreneurial capacity that can translate into new enterprises, jobs and economic opportunities, according to the bank.