SPARK 2024 upskills 100 aspiring young entrepreneurs

The 2024 edition of the SPARK Skilled Youth Entrepreneurship competition has concluded its first round with 100 young competitors undergoing advanced training in business foundation skills and business plan development. 
SPARK is an annual, skill-focused launchpad for Sri Lanka’s next generation of business leaders, transforming their approach to entrepreneurship with a combination of practical skills and real-world business acumen, in ‘school’ and ‘open’ categories.

SPARK is organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce with support from the International Labour Organisation, South Asia Leadership in Entrepreneurship project and funded by the US Department of State. 
Commenting on the growing popularity of SPARK, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Senior Assistant Secretary General Manori Dissanayake said, “This year’s 100 contestants were selected from a diverse pool of applicants across the two categories, ranging from 15 to 30 years of age, 33 percent females, representing all nine provinces across the country. The evaluation of the first round of the competition is now complete and we will soon be announcing the top 30 candidates qualifying for the second round, which includes an intensive boot camp and business pitching process conducted by renowned business mentors.” 

SquareHub Founder Kanishka Weeramunda, who serves on the 2024 mentor panel, reflected, “This year’s submissions are in exciting and diverse sectors such as tech, eco, food innovation, healthcare and arts and crafts. I look forward to working closely with the top 30 competitors during the bootcamp and mentoring sessions to finetune their business propositions. We can expect some exciting business pitches leading to the finale.”