GIVE is a transnational collaborative networking hub between researchers, professionals, experts, entrepreneurs, and investors to foster an Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (IEE) by providing equitable access to knowledge, skills and resources for entrepreneurs in war-affected and underdeveloped areas of Sri Lanka.

Unlike traditional top-down development models, GIVE builds and nurtures a digital network-powered IEE where disempowered and disadvantaged entrepreneurs discuss and mediate solutions with stakeholders on an equal footing within a participatory communication system.

The availability of resources, knowledge and skills (capital) and the level of his/her capacity to act (power) determines what one aspires to and can achieve. Through the participation network, GIVE plays the mediation role of agency construction between the availability of resources, knowledge and skills (capital) and the level of his/her capacity to act (power). Thus, GIVE addresses the existing disparities and enduring impediments that lower the success rates of underserved entrepreneurs by providing them equal and equitable access to knowledge, resources and opportunities to attain entrepreneurial achievements, generate wealth and bolster their local economies.

The TANSAM Centre of Excellence, a section 8 company and 100% subsidiary of Tamilnadu Industrial Development Corporation, Govt. of Tamilnadu, India, becomes one of the key partners in implementing the GIVE project and upholding its excellence.

The landing page of the GIVE platform has now been developed. It can be viewed at https://www.give.community/.  Other functions are being developed.  A demonstration of GIVE is also available at the private YouTube link below: Gate for Innovation Venture and Entrepreneurship (GIVE).

The Theory of Change Behind GIVE

The entrepreneurial ecosystem is essential for attaining entrepreneurial achievement as it facilitates entrepreneurs to realise opportunities, obtain resources , attain legitimacy, and accomplish other desired goals. To handle every step, from conception and launch to development and scaling, an ecosystem should establish a flow of skills, knowledge, and resources. According to Brown and Mason (2014), an entrepreneurial ecosystem is a network of players engaging formally and informally within a territory.

However, in an entrepreneurial ecosystem, these key elements are not equally available to all entrepreneurs due to various political, social and economic reasons, mostly among disadvantaged or war-affected communities. Thus, the need to create an Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (IEE) is emphasised so that resources, knowledge, skills and opportunities for entrepreneurial achievement are equitably available to those in such underserved communities. An IEE removes barriers to ensure entrepreneurs have fair access to the resources and tools to launch, grow, and expand new startups to facilitate local economic development. An IEE, as Gines and Sampson define, “works intentionally to engage the disengaged and underresourced entrepreneurs to provide equitable opportunity for all entrepreneurs”.

While access to resources, knowledge and opportunities is required to achieve entrepreneurial achievements, the contribution of the network system in realising this access is underlined. Informal contacts and greater networking can positively correlate with the entrepreneurial ecosystem and achievement.

The extent to which a person attains entrepreneurial achievement and thus succeeds in empowerment depends on the availability of resources, knowledge, skills, access to opportunities and the level of his/her capacity to act (power).  This is because the availability of resources, knowledge and skills (ecosystem) creates opportunities for entrepreneurs, which in turn enhances their capacity to act (power) and determine their entrepreneurial achievement (opportunity recognition, opportunity exploitation, innovation and value creation). This means the ability to act (power) produced by knowledge, resources and skills (ecosystem) determines what one aspires and can achieve in his/her entrepreneurial endeavours- this agency construction to create opportunities is mediated by networking, and the networks are thought to represent the coherence of ecosystem players.  Networks distribute knowledge and resources among different actors.

Progress of entrepreneurs from disadvantaged communities is often slow or insufficient due to the lack of/inequitable access to knowledge, resources and skills (ecosystem), limiting their access to opportunities and thus restraining their capacity to act towards entrepreneurial achievements.  This highlights the importance of creating an IEE powered by digital networks to address this issue by providing equitable access to knowledge, resources and skills to create opportunities and enhance their capacity to act for improved performance and progress in their entrepreneurial ventures. Against this backdrop, the discussion hypothesises that distributing resources, knowledge and skills equitably (IEE) among disadvantaged entrepreneurs through digital networks (agency) provides them fair access to opportunities to increase their capacity to act (power) to search for things necessary for their needs, identify areas of their interest, develop their skills and secure capital to attain their entrepreneurial achievements.