The 2026 International Social Entrepreneurship Summit was held in Astana
The International Summit of Social Entrepreneurs 2026 was held in Astana on the theme “Social Investment for a Sustainable Future”. The event brought together representatives of government agencies, business, international organizations, the expert community and social entrepreneurs.
The organizers of the Summit were the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Akimat of Astana, the Social Innovation Hub and the Association of Social Innovators of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Speaking at the Summit, Vice Minister of National Economy Yerlan Sagnayev noted the importance of exchanging experiences and discussing specific proposals for the further development of social entrepreneurship. He stated that the government continues to work to create a favorable environment for business.
Today, 1,776 entities are registered in the Register of Social Entrepreneurs. Their number has doubled in the past year.
As part of state support, social entrepreneurs have been participating in the "Isker Aimak" program since August 31st, with no industry restrictions. They are eligible for a 50% subsidy of the nominal interest rate on loans of up to 200 million tenge for up to three years. Social entrepreneurs are also provided with grants of up to 5 million tenge, subsidized premises, and non-financial support measures.
Digital tools were given special attention at the Summit. In particular, a Register of Mandatory Requirements in Entrepreneurship, powered by artificial intelligence, was presented. The service systematizes legal requirements for businesses and allows entrepreneurs to obtain up-to-date information on their activities from a single source.
"The service is already available on the digital AI platform for business and will soon be launched on the eGov Business portal. This is especially important for social entrepreneurs. "As a rule, you don't have a dedicated lawyer on staff, so the time previously spent studying regulatory requirements can now be spent directly on project development and solving social problems," noted Yerlan Sagnayev.
To further improve support measures, the Ministry of National Economy has established a working group on social entrepreneurship development. It includes representatives from government agencies, the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, relevant organizations, and the expert community. The group's main areas of work include improving law enforcement practices, developing unified approaches to inclusion in the Register, and preparing proposals for amendments to the Entrepreneurship Code and support instruments.
The Summit's international session focused on international experience, social investment, and opportunities for international partnership. Representatives from the UN, UNDP, the World Bank, the EBRD, the Canadian and Japanese embassies, TIKA, Catalyst Now, the Impact Hub Network, the Senior Expert Service, and other organizations participated.
As part of the Information Fair, social entrepreneurs were presented with financial, educational, and consulting support tools. The event was attended by the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, the Damu Fund, the EBRD, QazInnovations, SES, Astana Hub, Kazakh Export JSC, and other organizations.
One of the key events of the Summit was the Best Social Entrepreneur 2026 Awards ceremony. The winners were Dauren Bekgozhayev (ITMLab) in innovation, Gulbakhyt Balmagambetova (Neurolink) in inclusion, Andrey Zelevskiy (Plastic Waste Recycling) in ecology, and Alexey Kiryukhov (VALEO for All) in education. Irina Kim (ISTINA Dance and Sports Academy) received a special nomination, "For Significant Social Impact."
In addition, 10 social entrepreneurs received letters of gratitude from the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan for their contributions to the development of social entrepreneurship and the implementation of socially significant initiatives.