SENPak launches at SIA Summit 2.0 in Islamabad
Pakistan’s first social enterprise network was launched at a summit organised with the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme.
SIA Summit 2.0 took place in Islamabad on 28 April 2026, with more than 300 participants: policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, development partners, academics and youth leaders. Its theme was building a women-led social enterprise ecosystem in Pakistan.
The summit was organised by SIA with the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, and launched SENPak, Pakistan’s first social enterprise network, connecting social entrepreneurs and investors nationwide.
What happened on the day
According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, keynotes and panel discussions covered financial inclusion, digital empowerment, policy reform and market access, with a focus on education, healthcare, livelihoods and climate resilience. Women-led enterprises from across the country were strongly represented.
Alongside the talks, a Women’s Innovation Marketplace gave women-led social enterprises space to show and sell their work. A Collaborative Projects Lab brought participants together to draw up practical roadmaps for women’s economic participation, and interactive sessions matched people looking for partners, mentors and investment. The day closed with a commitment and award ceremony.
SIA’s CEO spoke about social entrepreneurship as a route to economic progress for women. The Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme attended as chief guest and reaffirmed the government’s support for young people and women through entrepreneurship, skills development and inclusive policies.
Why a network
Social entrepreneurs in Pakistan often work far apart, in different sectors and provinces, and many meet their peers only at events like this one. SENPak was launched as a national digital platform to keep them connected after the summit ends: for collaboration, for sharing what works, and for building the wider ecosystem with investors and partners.
Where the summit came from
Summit 2.0 built on SIA Summit 1.0 in 2025, which brought together more than 500 participants, and on SIA’s Letter of Intent with the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, signed in Islamabad in November 2024.
Why the theme was women-led enterprise
SIA designs its programmes first for women, youth and the communities others can’t reach, and the summit put that choice at the centre. The Women Entrepreneurship Development Program, whose first phase trained 500 women in Balochistan, is one example. The marketplace and the projects lab gave women founders something many events do not: buyers and collaborators in the same room.
Getting involved now
If you run a social enterprise, register your interest on the SENPak page. If you represent a company, a donor or a government department, the Partner With Us page lists ways to work with SIA.
Update, October 2026: SIA’s Strategic Plan 2026–2031 (July 2026) aims to grow SENPak into a verified association of 1,500 members by 2031, with chapters in every province, member services, a jobs and procurement board and an annual State of Social Enterprise in Pakistan report. SIA graduates stay connected to the SENPak community through Alumni for Life, and registration of interest is open for SIA Summit 3.0 on the SIA Summit page.
