Nabil, NiB-GA forge partnership

Kathmandu, Nov. 27

Nabil Bank and Nepal in Business – Growth Advisors (NiB-GA) have entered into a strategic partnership to provide enhanced support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nepal.

Manoj Kumar Gyawali, CEO of Nabil Bank, and Ratish Basnyat, Team Leader of the NiB-GA Programme, signed the agreement on Thursday.

Under this programme, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), through NiB-GA, will award and manage £4.5 million (about Rs. 846 million) in grants to 40 SMEs operating within NiB’s key sectors and geographical focus areas.

The grants aim to help participating enterprises scale their operations, improve efficiency, and strengthen their export readiness, Nabil Bank informed in a statement.

Speaking at the signing event, Gyawali said that this initiative will help boost the confidence of SME entrepreneurs in the current context. “As the project is designed to work closely with both entrepreneurs and policymakers to support the growth and development of SMEs, Nabil Bank can facilitate partner organisations with SME loans and channel financing,” he said.

Similarly, NiB-GA Team Leader Basnyat expressed his appreciation to the bank for providing grant-management services that ensure systematic and transparent fund disbursement to partner organisations in line with project requirements. According to him, this model could be beneficial for other projects of a similar nature and could even be adopted by the government to support efficient capital expenditure.

As part of this collaboration, Nabil Bank will serve as the financial partner responsible for managing the disbursement of grants. The bank will ensure secure, transparent, and efficient financial-management systems for all partner organisations, reinforcing accountability and smooth programme implementation.

The NiB-GA Programme aims to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of SMEs by fostering sustainable and productive employment through targeted grants and technical assistance. The NiB is a five-year initiative funded by the UK International Development and implemented by DAI Global UK.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 28 November 2025.