Regional Plan9, a network of incubators for tech startups has been launched in 9 cities of the province Punjab.
On Monday the board said in a statement, the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has launched Regional Plan9. As per the plan, PITB will launch at least 9 incubation centers in Lahore, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Multan, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, and Sargodha in partnership with public sector universities. Of these centers, the ones in Lahore, Bahawalpur, and Sargodha will start functioning in April.
Particularizing on the board’s plan, the statement said “Regional Plan9 aims to inculcate a technology-driven entrepreneurial mindset across the province that will be the key to expanding and strengthening the startup ecosystem.”
Moreover, several services will be provided to the selected tech startups, including free office space, monthly stipends, networking opportunities, mentoring, and training.
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“Each service is tailored and targeted to enable, support, and sustain the startups to transform their idea into a functional product/service,” the statement said by adding that the programme was based on a zero-equity model. Regional Plan9 centers will offer the following services to the inducted startups:
- Free office space
- Monthly stipend
- Networking opportunities
- Mentorship
- Trainings and workshops
It further added, “By harnessing the collective power of technology and entrepreneurship, the project is geared towards empowerment through provision of equitable access to entrepreneurial opportunities across Punjab,”
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For the selection process, Regional Plan9 will hold “The Launchpad” to “induct startups using eligibility criteria and a judicious process that involves input by domain experts”.
Experts from the industry, academicians, and mentors will be part of the event on a date that has not been announced yet. The centers situated in Lahore, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, and Lahore will commence operations in the month of April, as per the PITB statement.
