USAID-Supported Incubator to Boost Small Business Development in
Kyrgyzstan
The lack of financial resources, business know-how, and the costliness of adequate space are but some of the formidable obstacles to small business development in Kyrgyzstan. To assist entrepreneurs overcome these hurdles, USAID, through Eurasia Foundation, provided a grant to establish a business incubator in Tokmok City. The incubator was developed by the Congress of Women of the Kyrgyz Republic NGO, which also received financial support from
other donors including the Department for International Development, the World Bank, and the German Embassy. The Tokmok City Administration donated the site.
The Tokmok Business Incubator, officially opened on December 1, 2005, currently houses and supports six clients with a total of 19 employees. The incubator has already held a series of seminars on accessing credit that were attended by more than 200 entrepreneurs. Additionally, some 300 people received consultations on a range of business-related issues, and 15 small businesses received assistance with preparing business plans for funding, eight of which received loans totaling nearly $90,000. The incubator’s Internet Center provides entrepreneurs access to internet services and training.
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| President of the Congress of Women NGO Zamira Akbagysheva, U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, and Vice Mayor of Tokmok City Sergey Stupnikov open the Tokmok Business Incubator |
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