Unlocking financial access for Vietnamese entrepreneurs

The concept is being supported by Youth Business International (YBI) and funded by Futuremakers, a Standard Chartered Vietnam initiative.

The launch ceremony aimed to provide information about the programme, attract interest, and encourage the participation of individuals and organisations supporting the innovative startup ecosystem, while creating new networking and cooperation opportunities.

In the opening remarks, Nguyen Thuy Hanh, CEO of Standard Chartered Vietnam, said Futuremakers has been implemented since 2019, a global initiative aimed at addressing inequality by promoting economic inclusion for disadvantaged young people. In Vietnam, there are numerous projects under Futuremakers.

Together with YBI and SVF, Standard Chartered Vietnam launched ‘Co4Growth,’ supporting over 500 women-owned businesses. In the next phase, this aims to create and sustain 1,400 jobs by 2030, prioritising two key groups: disadvantaged young women aged 18-35 and micro-enterprises with a maximum of 10 employees and annual revenue of less than $10,000.

"With a budget of $40,500 for "The accelerator master - the money game'’ programme, we hope the project will continue to provide valuable, practical knowledge to help businesses confidently develop sound financial strategies and plans that meet market demands," Hanh said.

"The accelerator master the money game", implemented by SVF, is specially designed to provide comprehensive support to 400 disadvantaged entrepreneurs, aged 18-35, including owners, founders and co-founders of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), startups, and informal businesses, prioritising businesses led by women or people with disabilities and committed to sustainable development.

Through a six-month acceleration cohort, there will be five cohorts within three years, with an estimated 80 participants for each cohort. The programme provides young entrepreneurs with comprehensive training and support, from essential business knowledge and skills through training sessions; accompanying businesses in building a solid strategy and financial plan to meet investor requirements; to directly connecting businesses with investors.

In which, investors will participate as “Coaches” to accompany potential businesses from the early stages when participating in the programme to set tasks and test the business's capacity with the support of financial and non-financial resources from the programme.

Mandy Nguyen, COO of SVF, emphasised, “We believe that the success of a business comes not only from strong financial resources but also from the firm belief of the founders and team in the path they have chosen. That is why ‘The Accelerator Master - The Money programme was created – to create conditions for young businesses, especially those led by women, to be financially stable and develop confidence while encouraging cooperation with partners and the community to reach further. We particularly support projects with a vision of developing a balance between commercial value and value for society, community, and the environment."

To expand the scale and quality of the programme, SVF representatives also shared some cooperation opportunities and encouraged domestic and foreign experts, businesses, and organisations to join hands to contribute to the overall success of the acceleration programme.

"Vietnam’s young entrepreneurs have immense potential to drive sustainable economic growth and innovation, yet many face significant challenges in accessing the financial resources they need to succeed. Through our programme, SVF will provide tailored support, skills development, and investment readiness, empowering young entrepreneurs to thrive and make a lasting impact in their communities,” said Anita Tiessen, YBI’s CEO.

Also at the launch ceremony, a panel discussion titled "Together with Co4Growth to enhance comprehensive financial access" took place. Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Uyen, Southeast Asia Investment director at Circulate Capital, emphasised: “Investors and startups/businesses must connect at the right time when both meet each other’s criteria. In particular, businesses must have broad connections to find diverse sources of capital. Networking is crucial, as connections help build capacity for businesses and help them resolve challenges.”

Furthermore, Vo Phuong Quynh, executive director at Zone Startups Vietnam, said, "Sharing is also important in improving programme effectiveness. When businesses are willing to share their weaknesses and difficulties, they will find the right support."

Quynh highlighted three core elements investors focus on when considering a business: “People – Product – Market Size,” with people being the most important factor.

Echoing this view, Uyen added, “Management capacity is extremely important, and entrepreneurs must be sufficiently agile and adaptable as the market is constantly changing.”

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