Darussalam Enterprise (DARe) will be implementing the entrepreneurship market access programme i-Usahawan beyond the energy sector with more than 40 contracts already shortlisted for local youth.
i-Usahawan was introduced in 2018 to help wholly-local youth-owned businesses earn their first contract and gain experience servicing government agencies, government-linked companies (GLCs), and statutory bodies in the energy sector.
The expansion of the programme into the non-energy sector was first called for by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam at last year’s National Youth Day, as part of efforts to expand the country’s youth entrepreneurship ecosystem.
i-Usahawan contracts for energy-based organisations will continue to be overseen by the Energy Department at the Prime Minister’s Office, while contracts outside this sector will be facilitated by DARe under the purview of the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MoFE).
DARe has engaged government agencies, GLCs, statutory bodies as well as established private companies as clients to provide contracts to young entrepreneurs.
Seven organisations have agreed to provide over 40 contracts, with DARe expecting the figure to grow in the coming months.
The current list of participating clients are: DARe, Armada Properties, Jerudong International School, Peak Performance, Muara Maritime Services, Makan Ceria, and the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports.
Eligibility and features of i-Usahawan non-energy
The eligibility criteria for i-Usahawan non-energy are similar to the energy version.
The specific eligibility criteria and programme features for non-energy include:
- Businesses must be fully owned by Brunei citizens or permanent residents (who are not citizens of any foreign country), aged between 18 to 35-years-old.
- Business is registered under Registry of Companies and Business Names (ROCBN) with no prior contract with government agencies, GLCs, and statutory bodies in the past five years.
- Prior contracts are defined as business engagements longer than one year; one-off services will not count as prior contracts as long as there is no written contract or agreement involved.
- Entrepreneurs who have secured contracts under i-Usahawan can bid for other i-Usahawan contracts within the first three years of their first award date.
- Contracts under i-Usahawan are at least a year long.
- Business encouraged to incorporate as sendirian berhad (private limited) upon award of contract.
Registration and more information
DARe’s website offers a section on i-Usahawan non-energy, including a vendor registration link.
Registration must be done through DARe’s online supplier directory called DARe LINKS, where entrepreneurs will be able to access the business opportunities and accompanying information from the participating clients.
Those interested can also visit DARe’s booth at the ongoing Mid-Year Conference and Exhibition 2022 (MYCE) on June 15 (Energy Week) and 28 (Economy Week) from 9am to 5pm.
DARe is also inviting more business opportunities to be listed under the i-Usahawan programme; prospective clients can contact darelinks@dare.gov.bn.
As of September 2021, 24 entrepreneurs have earned 19 contracts worth $29 million under the energy sector of i-Usahawan.
