Helping forest-friendly MSMEs become more market-ready, finance-ready, and better connected to buyers, financiers, and forest communities
Forest Ecopreneurs Cambodia 2026 is a practical business support and market access program for 10 selected forest-friendly MSMEs in Cambodia. The program is designed for businesses that are ready to strengthen their foundations, improve their products, reach better markets, and explore stronger partnerships across rural and forest-linked value chains.
Building on the 2024 and 2025 cohorts, this year’s program takes the next step with deeper support in business readiness, product improvement, market and finance access, and partnership-building with forest communities.
About Forest Ecopreneurs 2026
Many forest-friendly products in Cambodia have real potential, but businesses often struggle to move from small-scale production to stable market demand.
MSMEs may have promising products and strong missions, but still need stronger operations, financial management, product quality, packaging, compliance, buyer information, and market connections. Forest communities and rural producers also hold valuable products and local knowledge, but successful partnerships require consistency, quality, production capacity, clear sourcing arrangements, and trust.
Forest Ecopreneurs Cambodia 2026 addresses these gaps through tailored business support, practical tools, market and finance guidance, relevant introductions, and partnership-readiness activities with forest communities.
The program primarily supports product-based businesses working in forest-linked or nature-based value chains.
Our Approach
Pillar 1: Tailored Business Support
Ten selected MSMEs will receive business diagnostics, a two-day bootcamp, one-on-one advisory and mentoring support, and practical guidance shaped around their actual needs. Support may focus on operations, financial management, revenue stability, product quality, branding, packaging, pricing, compliance, certification, and growth planning.
After Phase 1, six MSMEs will be selected for deeper scale-up support, including an R&D stipend of up to USD 3,000 per selected business, technical assistance, and communications support.
Pillar 2: Market and Finance Access Pathways
The program will help MSMEs better understand what buyers, sales channels, and financiers require before working with a business. Through practical workshops, market-access resources, B2B matchmaking, and relevant introductions, selected MSMEs will be better prepared to approach potential buyers, financiers, and ecosystem partners.
Pillar 3: Partnership Readiness with Forest Communities
The program will pilot a practical approach to strengthen market linkages between MSMEs and forest communities. Through a field visit and a two-day partnership-readiness workshop, MSMEs, community producers, and relevant intermediaries will explore sourcing realities, production capacity, product quality, market expectations, and possible partnership opportunities.
The goal is not to force quick agreements. The goal is to build readiness and mutual understanding so future partnerships have a stronger foundation.
What You’ll Gain
Phase 1: Strengthening Business and Market Readiness (July–November 2026)
Ten selected MSMEs will join the full Phase 1 support journey.
You will receive:
- A comprehensive business diagnostic to identify your strengths, gaps, risks, and growth opportunities
- A two-day in-person bootcamp focused on strategic business planning and scaling readiness
- Tailored one-on-one advisory and mentoring support, with at least 150 hours delivered across the cohort
- Practical workshops on product compliance, MSME financing options, business registration, product branding, and quality
- A practical business growth plan with a roadmap, sales and marketing strategy, and financial projections
- Market-access activities, including B2B matchmaking and relevant introductions, where there is a strong fit
- A field visit and partnership-readiness workshop with select forest communities relevant to pre-selected products
Phase 2: Deeper Support for Scale-Up (December 2026–May 2027)
After Phase 1, six MSMEs will be selected for deeper support based on their progress, traction, readiness, and growth needs.
The six businesses will receive:
- An R&D stipend of up to USD 3,000 per selected business, which may be used for machinery, staff upskilling, hiring key staff to increase production capacity, or acquiring necessary certifications.
- Product quality and product development support
- Branding, packaging, and pricing support
- Compliance and certification advisory
- Communications and visibility technical assistance, such as product catalogs, product sheets, digital assets, or other relevant marketing materials
Building Stronger Market Connections
Beyond supporting individual businesses, Forest Ecopreneurs Cambodia 2026 aims to strengthen the connections that help rural and forest-linked value chains grow.
By improving business readiness and creating opportunities for MSMEs, forest communities, buyers, financiers, and other partners to engage with one another, the program seeks to build stronger foundations for future market partnerships and more sustainable local livelihoods.
You’re a Great Fit for This Program If…
- You run a product-based MSME working in a forest-linked or nature-based value chain and contributing to sustainable development. Your business may work with non-timber forest products, honey, handicrafts, bamboo or wood alternatives, tree nuts, forest fruits and vegetables, sustainable agriculture products, eco-friendly products, natural products, responsible sourcing, or related products. Your work should support forest protection, biodiversity conservation, responsible sourcing, sustainable livelihoods, or the sustainable use of natural resources.
- Your business is already operating. You should have existing products, ongoing business activities, some customers, and a track record of early sales or revenue. You do not need to be large or highly profitable yet, but you should already be beyond the idea stage.
- Your business is legally registered in Cambodia, or you are in the process of completing registration with a clear timeline.
- You have clear growth opportunities and practical needs that the program can support. These may include improving product quality, strengthening operations, entering new sales channels, improving branding or packaging, preparing for financing, or acquiring certifications.
- You can commit fully to the program. You should be ready to join key in-person activities in Phnom Penh, advisory sessions, workshops, the field visit, and relevant follow-up activities.
- You are open to feedback and ready to take action. You should be willing to share the information mentors and experts need to support your business effectively and follow through on agreed next steps.
If you feel you meet only some of the criteria but are eager to join, we encourage you to apply! Send us a message, and a team member can help you through your application.
Program Timeline
Application Open
08 June 2026
Application Deadline
30 June 2026
Application Review and Finalist Interviews
Ongoing until 08 July 2026
In-Person Bootcamp
16-17 July 2026
Phase 1 Support Journey
July – November 2026
Phase 2 Support for Six Selected MSMEs
December 2026 – May 2027
Want to get involved?
Apply
Are you ready to strengthen your business, improve your market readiness, and explore new opportunities? Apply by 30 June 2026.
Refer
Know a forest-friendly MSME that could be a strong fit? Refer them to us, and we will reach out with more information.
Connect
Are you a buyer, financier, NGO, public-sector actor, technical expert, or ecosystem partner interested in supporting forest-friendly MSMEs? Get in touch with us to explore collaboration.
Want to get involved?
Apply
Are you ready to strengthen your business, improve your market readiness, and explore new opportunities? Apply by 30 June 2026.
All your questions, answered
This year’s program takes a deeper and more market-focused approach. Ten MSMEs will join Phase 1, which includes business diagnostics, strategic planning, tailored advisory support, practical workshops, market-access activities, and forest-community engagement. After Phase 1, six businesses will advance to Phase 2 and receive deeper technical and communications support, as well as an R&D stipend of up to USD 3,000.
Forest-friendly MSMEs are businesses that contribute to forest protection, biodiversity conservation, responsible sourcing, sustainable livelihoods, or the sustainable use of natural resources. The program primarily supports product-based businesses working in forest-linked or nature-based value chains. Examples may include non-timber forest products, honey, handicrafts, bamboo or wood alternatives, tree nuts, forest fruits and vegetables, sustainable agriculture products, eco-friendly products, natural products, or other products linked to forests and rural communities.
No. Your business can be based anywhere in Cambodia. However, your products or sourcing model should have a meaningful connection to forests, biodiversity, rural communities, sustainable agriculture, or nature-based value chains. You should also be ready to join key in-person and field activities.
No. Previous participants are encouraged to apply, but the program is also open to other forest-friendly MSMEs in Cambodia that meet the eligibility criteria.
After Phase 1, six MSMEs will be selected for deeper support. These businesses will receive an R&D stipend of up to USD 3,000 to support relevant scale-up needs, such as machinery, staff upskilling, or acquisition of necessary certifications. Selection for Phase 2 will depend on each business’s progress, traction, readiness, and identified growth needs.
The business diagnostic will help identify each MSME’s strengths, gaps, risks, and growth opportunities. It may look at areas such as business model, products, customers, sales channels, operations, financial management, pricing, product quality, packaging, branding, registration, compliance, market readiness, and finance readiness. The diagnostic will help shape advisory support for each business, enabling the program to focus on the areas where support is most needed.
The program will include a field visit and a partnership-readiness workshop with forest communities, MSMEs, and relevant intermediaries. These activities will help MSMEs better understand community-level production, sourcing realities, product quality, production capacity, community governance, and potential partnership opportunities. The goal is to pilot an initiative that project implementers can replicate as they explore better ways to increase market access for MSMEs.
No sales, investment, financing, or sourcing opportunity is guaranteed. The program will help selected MSMEs strengthen their readiness and support relevant introductions where there is a strong fit. Any opportunity will depend on business fit, product quality, pricing, buyer or financier requirements, timing, and mutual agreement.
Yes. There is no participation fee. Selected businesses are expected to commit time, share relevant business information, join key activities, and actively work on agreed next steps.
Selected MSMEs should be ready to participate actively from July to November 2026. This includes the bootcamp, advisory sessions, practical workshops, field visit, partnership readiness activities, and key follow-up conversations. Businesses selected for Phase 2 should also be ready to continue working with the program from December 2026 to May 2027. The program will be most useful for businesses that can engage fully and follow through on practical support.
Do you have more questions?
Interested in applying, referring a forest-friendly MSME, or exploring partnership opportunities? Contact our team. Thang Chermeng, Program Manager chermeng.thang@impacthub.net | Telegram: (+855) 69 676 650
Our Partners
Forest Ecopreneurs Cambodia 2026 is implemented by Impact Hub Phnom Penh under the Sustaining an Abundance of Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) Initiative, implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme and supported by the Korea Forest Service.
The program also receives co-funding support from the Leopold Bachmann Foundation.
