“Verelk” Syunik is a Capacity + Capital + Capabilities hybrid entrepreneurship program initiated and organized by the Youth Office of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) in collaboration with Revolve Consulting and with the effort of AYF Armenia.

The program’s Syunik chapter was launched on October 12 th , 2021. Verelk Syunik is leveraging the lessons learned on the pilot led in Artsakh earlier this year and aims to provide aspiring young entrepreneurs in Syunik with the required knowledge, guidance, and seed investment to turn their business ideas into reality and have a direct contribution to the socio-economic development of their respective local communities.

35 participants from different communities of Syunik joined the program. The participants attended 6 courses in one month, led by professionals and trainers in their respective fields, and received fundamental skillset on the following topics:

● Idea Generation
● Marketing
● Financial planning
● Business Module Canva
● Public Speaking
● Pitch deck

Throughout the above-mentioned capacity-building phase, the participants developed and matured their ideas towards viable business concepts.

After completing this first phase of the program, 12 participants (9 microbusiness projects) have been selected to participate in the second phase of “Verelk” Syunik, which consist of a business boot camp that will provide capital in the form of seed investments, which will take place in Kapan from January 12th to 16th, 2022. During the Bootcamp, the 12 participants will have the opportunity to present their business proposals as a result of 4-days of intensive workshops to a carefully selected jury and the most comprehensive and viable business projects will receive appropriate funding. The jury will consist of leading entrepreneurs and experienced business representatives.

During Phase III – Capabilities reinforcement – the winning projects of the Bootcamp will enter a monitoring phase that will carefully accompany the aspiring entrepreneurs in their new exciting journey as grassroots change-makers.

The mission of the VERELK program is to empower, strengthen and support the youth in vulnerable post-war communities to bring their business ideas to life and thus, contribute to their local community. On a national level, VERELK intends to act as a vector and practical knowledge weapon to fight against post-war economic and demographic consequences in Artsakh and Syunik.