Supporting Innovation, Inclusion, and Workforce Excellence.
Supporting Innovation, Inclusion, and Workforce Excellence.
The Skills for Employment Excellence and Impact (SEE Impact) Award 2025, launched by the Swiss Investment Fund for Emerging Markets (SIFEM) through its Technical Assistance Facility, recognizes and co-finances impactful, innovative, and scalable projects that enhance workforce skills, employability, and employment quality.
The 2025 edition of the Award featured three Award tiers: Pioneer, Catalyst, and Game Changer, with each receiving grant co-financing of up to USD 50,000, USD 100’000, and USD 150’000, respectively. A total of 34 applications from 14 funds and 3 financial institutions in SIFEM’s portfolio were received. The diversity of submissions, spanning sectors from agriculture and manufacturing to business process outsourcing and clean energy underscores the strong momentum behind impactful employment initiatives among portfolio companies of SIFEM-investee funds and financial institutions.
Each applicant company benefited from expert coaching and the opportunity to present their projects in-person in Zurich, Switzerland. The winners were selected based on a rigorous evaluation process led by a three-member jury panel. Winners will receive grant co-financing to realize their winning proposal, as well as a dedicated video documentation of their project implementation.
After a competitive process and inspiring presentations from all finalists, the SEE Impact Award 2025 has announced the following winners:
Eminence Ways, a pioneering cybersecurity firm based in Nepal, was recognized for its “CyberReady Nepal” initiative. Addressing the acute shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals in Nepal, the project delivers intensive, hands-on training, international certifications, and real-world project experience. Its innovative “Train-the-Trainer” model seeks to ensure sustainability by creating a continuous pipeline of talent. The program aims for 70% job placement or promotion among trainees within six months and a 35% improvement in skills assessment scores, positioning Nepal as a competitive hub for international cybersecurity projects. Strategic financial partnerships with national financial institutions such as Global IME Bank Limited—a SIFEM partner financial institution in Nepal since 2024, have supported the company’s expansion and operational resilience over the years.
Sid’s Farm, an Indian dairy company, was honoured for its project to upskill rural youth and women as paravets, equipping them to detect and prevent mastitis—a major challenge in the dairy sector. Through a blend of classroom and field-based learning, digital tools, and standardized protocols, the initiative aims to reduce mastitis incidence from 60% to below 30%, boost diagnostic kit usage, and improve household incomes for smallholder farmers. The project’s scalable, community-led model sets a new standard for animal healthcare and rural economic resilience. Sid’s Farm is a portfolio company of Omnivore, an India-based VC firm. SIFEM committed USD 15 million in 2022 to Omnivore’s third fund, The Omnivore Agritech & Climate Sustainability Fund.
Sterlite Electric Limited (SEL), a manufacturer of capital goods and provider of system integration solutions, specializing in the power transmission and distribution industry, received the Game Changer Award for “Project Pragati.” This initiative targets graduates from under-resourced colleges, especially women, transgender individuals, and persons with disabilities, offering a one-year program that combines classroom learning, mentorship, and on-the-job training. The project demonstrated a 30% absorption rate of apprentices into full-time roles during its pilot phase and aims to train over 100 apprentices annually, with a strong focus on inclusion and community engagement. Project Pragati provides a blueprint for building industrial talent pipelines from marginalized groups, driving both operational excellence and social upliftment. SEL is a portfolio company of South Asia Growth Fund III, a GEF Capital Partners’ (South Asia) managed fund to which SIFEM committed USD 20m in 2023.
The SEE Impact Award 2025 Ceremony, held in Zurich on November 5, 2025, brought together partners, jury members, and finalists from across the globe. The event concluded with winners honoured with Award trophies and speeches that underscored the Award’s core themes:
As the SEE Impact Award 2025 winners begin implementing their projects, SIFEM’s Technical Assistance Facility will continue to document and share their journeys to inspire others across emerging markets, demonstrating that advancing social and financial outcomes are mutually reinforcing.
For more information about the SEE Impact Award and future application cycles, visit the Award website or contact the organizing team at taf@sifem.ch.
Supporting entrepreneurship, inclusion, and climate resilience across Eastern Europe.
Supporting entrepreneurship, inclusion, and climate resilience across Eastern Europe.
