Grant / Co-Investment
Featured
National
Ignite - National Technology Fund
Equity-free co-investment / matching grant up to specified scheme limits
Non-equity co-investment grant alongside venture capital and institutional investors to accelerate Pakistani tech startups into global markets.
Eligibility:
Legally incorporated in Pakistan, registered with relevant regulatory authorities, post-seed stage with committed external/matching investor funding.
Status: Rolling / Open for active investment rounds
Concessionary Loan
Featured
National
Prime Minister's Youth Programme / State Bank of Pakistan
Concessionary loans up to PKR 7.5 Million (Tier 1 interest-free; Tier 2 & 3 subsidised markup)
Business and agriculture financing for young entrepreneurs across Tier 1 (up to PKR 0.5M at 0% markup), Tier 2 (up to PKR 1.5M at 5% markup), and Tier 3 (up to PKR 7.5M at 7% markup).
Eligibility:
Pakistani citizens aged 21-45 years (minimum 18 years for IT/E-Commerce businesses) with CNIC and viable business proposal.
Status: Open for online applications via designated commercial banks
Concessionary Loan
Featured
Punjab
Government of Punjab / Bank of Punjab (BOP) / PSIC
Loans from PKR 100,000 up to PKR 10 Million at subsidized markup rates
Subsidised credit for startups and existing micro, small, and medium enterprises to stimulate economic recovery and job creation in Punjab.
Eligibility:
Eligible startups and existing businesses across Punjab; applicants aged 20 to 50 years with valid Punjab domicile.
Status: Open online via Punjab Rozgar Portal
Concessionary Loan
Featured
National
State Bank of Pakistan; participating banks
Concessionary financing up to PKR 5 Million at fixed end-user rate of up to 5% per annum with 60% risk coverage by SBP
Concessionary business financing and credit risk coverage for women entrepreneurs across Pakistan to establish and expand enterprises.
Eligibility:
Women entrepreneurs across Pakistan holding at least 50% ownership or majority control in a registered or operating enterprise.
Status: Available through all commercial banks across Pakistan
Award / Prize
Featured
National
UNIDO; Global Environment Facility (GEF); Ministry of Climate Change
Acceleration grants, prize money up to USD 20,000+, and international exposure to climate investors
Cleantech innovation and climate solutions; acceleration grants, global competition awards, investor readiness, and mentoring for Pakistani climate innovators.
Eligibility:
Pakistani green/clean tech startups with working prototypes in renewable energy, energy efficiency, water, waste management, or green buildings.
Status: Annual competitive cohort cycles
Concessionary Loan
National
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Institutional credit lines and subsidized commercial SME on-lending
Development-finance programmes improving SME credit lines, digital inclusion, trade finance, and rural enterprise lending through Pakistani financial institutions.
Eligibility:
Usually implemented through participating commercial banks, SBP, and accredited microfinance institutions.
Status: Multi-year sovereign and non-sovereign facilities
Grant / Co-Investment
National
Ignite - National Technology Fund
High-impact R&D innovation grant
High-risk/high-gain ICT R&D addressing national challenges in smart cities, agriculture, health, energy, and digital governance.
Eligibility:
Consortium with at least two partner institutions (industry-academia partnership) addressing defined thematic challenges.
Status: Call-based thematic challenges
Concessionary Loan
Punjab
Government of Punjab; Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC)
Revolving interest-free credit line on digital card
Interest-free revolving SME credit card facility for vendors, traders, and small shopkeepers to meet inventory and operational cash flows.
Eligibility:
Small entrepreneurs and registered shopkeepers/vendors in Punjab meeting scheme criteria.
Status: Registration open via Punjab portal
Concessionary Loan
Punjab
Government of Punjab; Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC) / Akhuwat
100% Interest-free micro-loans
Interest-free micro-enterprise financing for new businesses, micro-enterprises, and young entrepreneurs to foster self-employment in Punjab.
Eligibility:
Punjab resident small enterprises and entrepreneurs with viable business plans and valid Punjab domicile/CNIC.
Status: Open via PSIC partner branches in Punjab
Grant / Co-Investment
International
European Union / Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs
Monthly EU financial allowance / living grant for the duration of stay (1 to 6 months)
Cross-border entrepreneurship exchange, on-the-job mentoring, and monthly travel/living stipend with experienced host entrepreneurs in Europe and participating global destinations.
Eligibility:
New entrepreneurs (committed to start a business or having started within the past 3 years) with a concrete business plan and valid passport.
Status: Continuous / Rolling applications year-round
Concessionary Loan
National
Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF)
Microcredit financing, asset transfers, and interest-free livelihood support
Microfinance and livelihood/enterprise financing for underserved communities, rural entrepreneurs, and micro-enterprises across marginalized districts.
Eligibility:
Micro-entrepreneurs and community organizations vetted through PPAF partner organizations (POs).
Status: Ongoing through nationwide partner organizations
Grant / Co-Investment
National
Ignite - National Technology Fund
Project-based grant funding for prototype maturation and commercialization
Technology maturation beyond proof of concept into commercially viable products, prototypes, and applied research solutions.
Eligibility:
Consortium with at least two entities including accredited Pakistani universities/HEIs and industry commercialization partners.
Status: Call-based / Periodic Cycles
Technical Assistance
National
Ignite - National Technology Fund / Ministry of IT & Telecom
Subsidized cloud credits, architecture mentorship, and cloud deployment vouchers
Cloud adoption, optimisation and scaling for early-stage and growth-stage tech startups with premier cloud credits and technical architecture advisory.
Eligibility:
Pakistani tech startups at early/growth stage incorporated and operating in Pakistan.
Status: Open for rolling applications
Government of Punjab / Industries, Commerce & Investment Department / PSIC
Credit guarantee coverage on commercial bank loans
Credit guarantees for SMEs lacking collateral to secure commercial credit lines and expansion loans from partner banks.
Eligibility:
Punjab SMEs meeting scheme criteria applying for bank credit facilities without sufficient tangible collateral.
Status: Ongoing through participating bank branches
Grant / Co-Investment
Punjab
Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC) / World Bank / Environment Protection Department Punjab
Matching grants and green technology subsidies
Resource-efficiency and cleaner-production technology grants/financing for industrial units to adopt green practices and wastewater treatment.
Eligibility:
Eligible SMEs in specified Punjab industrial sectors (textiles, tanneries, plastics, re-rolling mills, chemicals).
Status: Call-based windows under PGDP
Concessionary Loan
Punjab
Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC)
Interest-free small business startup credit
Interest-free credit for craftsmen, skilled tradespersons, and technical TVET graduates to launch independent self-employment ventures.
Eligibility:
Skilled, semi-skilled, and home-based artisans and certified TVET graduates in Punjab.
Status: Open application cycles via PSIC
Concessionary Loan
Punjab
Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC)
100% Interest-free micro-financing
Interest-free finance to establish, strengthen, and modernize traditional arts, handicrafts, and cottage crafts across Punjab districts.
Eligibility:
Artisans, cottage-industry workers, and traditional handicraft makers domiciled in Punjab.
Status: Open through PSIC regional offices
Concessionary Loan
Punjab
Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC) / Women Business Incubation Centers (WBIC)
Interest-free seed/expansion loans
Revolving interest-free finance for women entrepreneurs who have graduated from WBIC incubation centers to establish independent commercial units.
Eligibility:
Graduated WBIC incubatees in Punjab with verified graduation certificates.
Status: Open for WBIC graduates
Government of Punjab / Industries, Commerce & Investment Department
Subsidized markup differential paid by Punjab Government
Markup support to reduce financing costs for priority industrial SME sectors investing in technology, capacity addition, and modern machinery.
Eligibility:
Eligible SME industries in Punjab registered with PSIC or Industries Department investing in qualifying modernization projects.
Status: Open for qualifying industrial enterprises
Concessionary Loan
National
World Bank / Government of Pakistan / Pakistan Microfinance Investment Company (PMIC)
Concessionary microcredit lines and disaster-resilience financing
Access to microcredit and resilience of the microfinance sector post-climate shocks, supporting climate-affected micro-borrowers and MSMEs.
Eligibility:
Implemented through Pakistan Microfinance Investment Company (PMIC) and accredited microfinance institutions/banks.
Status: Active program via PMIC partner MFIs
Concessionary Loan
National
State Bank of Pakistan; participating commercial banks
Clean loans up to PKR 10 Million without requiring traditional real-estate collateral
Collateral-free term loans and working-capital/running finance for collateral-deficient SMEs through risk-coverage and refinancing.
Eligibility:
New borrowers of participating commercial banks, micro and small enterprises lacking traditional collateral.
Status: Continuous via participating partner banks
Technical Assistance
National
UNDP Pakistan; International Labour Organization (ILO)
Technical assistance, compliance advisory, and capacity-building workshops
Capacity building, technical training, and private-sector engagement on responsible business conduct, ESG compliance, human rights due diligence, and sustainability standards.
Eligibility:
Businesses, trade associations, and private-sector enterprises in Pakistan committing to BHR principles.
Status: Programmatic cycles
UNDP Pakistan
Financial award, trophy recognition, and policy visibility
Recognition and support platform celebrating women leaders, female climate innovators, and grassroots organizations driving climate adaptation and green enterprise in Pakistan.
Eligibility:
Women-led climate initiatives, grassroots civil society organizations, and female eco-entrepreneurs operating in Pakistan.
Status: Annual award call
Grant / Co-Investment
National
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Technical assistance grants and demonstration project co-funding
Nature-based enterprise development, biodiversity-positive sustainable ventures, and eco-friendly settlement solutions.
Eligibility:
Eligibility is defined in the respective call for proposals / project guidelines for designated intervention areas.
Status: Call-for-proposals basis
Technical Assistance
National
State Bank of Pakistan; Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi); Asian Development Bank
Preferential access to credit lines and financial advisory for women entrepreneurs
National framework and commitment by financial institutions to increase funding, financial products, and technical assistance to women-led MSMEs.
Eligibility:
Not a direct grant. Pakistani women-led MSMEs access targeted credit lines and mentoring through participating partner financial institutions.
Status: Institutional framework active across participating institutions
Concessionary Loan
National
World Bank Group
Multi-tier credit facilities and risk sharing
Access-to-finance, financial inclusion, digital economy enablement, and credit guarantee facilities for Pakistani MSMEs.
Eligibility:
Usually implemented through Government of Pakistan, SBP, and financial intermediaries.
Status: Ongoing multi-year country partnership programs
