During May–June 2026, a multi-stage training and participant selection process aimed at developing greenhouse entrepreneurship was carried out in the Kapan community. As part of this effort, the UNDP “Sustainable Communities” programme is implementing the “Nexus Kapan 2: Expansion of the Greenhouse Entrepreneurship Cluster” project, which aims to strengthen the greenhouse cluster established in the Kapan community and reinforce economic linkages between rural settlements and urban markets.
The first phase of the project took place on 19–20 May, when a two-day intensive theoretical training on greenhouse crop production was delivered to 45 applicants. The training covered greenhouse establishment and management, modern greenhouse structures, soil and substrate preparation, seedling production, irrigation and fertilization systems, plant protection, disease and pest prevention, harvesting, post-harvest handling, and efficient greenhouse management practices.
Following the training, project experts conducted individual visits to all participants’ farms to assess the feasibility of greenhouse installation, land and water supply conditions, as well as each participant’s motivation, preparedness, and commitment to long-term participation in the project.
Based on the overall assessment results, 27 participants were selected to attend a two-day entrepreneurship and business development training held on 22–23 June. The training equipped participants with the practical knowledge and skills needed to develop greenhouse farming as a sustainable and profitable business. Sessions covered the fundamentals of agribusiness, business model development, market analysis, marketing strategies, pricing, financial planning, risk management, and effective business pitching techniques. With the support of project experts, each participant developed a tailored business model, prepared preliminary financial calculations, and refined their business proposal.
On 30 June, participants presented their business ideas during a Pitching event before an expert evaluation committee. The proposals were assessed based on their economic feasibility, technical viability, financial sustainability, market potential, innovation, as well as the participants’ entrepreneurial mindset and readiness to successfully implement their business ideas.
The evaluation results will be finalized in the coming weeks, after which the project’s final beneficiaries will be selected. The selected participants will receive modern greenhouses, along with technical, advisory, and mentoring support. Through the project, beneficiary families will be able to establish competitive greenhouse enterprises, increase agricultural productivity, create sustainable sources of income, strengthen their socio-economic resilience, and contribute to the development of agricultural entrepreneurship in the Kapan community.
The “Nexus Kapan 2” project was implemented by the UNDP “Sustainable Communities” programme with financial support from the Russian Federation.
