As an incubator, you face many strategic choices and challenges such as - setting up an investment fund, creating a succession plan, scale up of your programs including expansion to newer geographies etc. At the same time, incubators also face many operating challenges which affect your day to day operations. Some of them include, how to build a better pipeline of incubatees, how to select potential winners, how to put together an effective mentoring program, how to build a network of investors to invest in its incubatees, etc. The growth guidance program delivers personalised, customised and co-created solutions to address these challenges.

We expect that you will need to commit one hour per fortnight for three months, with the possibility of additional sessions if needed. We advise that you set aside 2-3 preparatory work before each session. As part of the program, we ask that you provide midpoint and final feedback to help us enhance the experience. Additionally, we’d love to hear how the guidance has impacted your incubator over time. In the spirit of collaboration, and while maintaining confidentiality and privacy, Pollinate will share key learnings with our broader network, ensuring that other members can benefit from shared experiences and insights.

GGP guidance areas can vary, but historically, we have been able to provide guidance around the following thematic areas: Sustainability strategy and business modeling, Fundraising and donor engagement, Incubation curriculum design and program operations, Team structure and leadership development including enhancing their people and culture, Governance and finance, as well as setting up operating systems and processes.

The Growth Guidance Program is led by Paul Basil, Special Advisor to Pollinate Impact. Paul will offer guidance, as incubation and supporting early stage entrepreneurs have been Paul’s life mission and passion. Paul is the founder of www.villgro.org, one of India’s most prominent impact incubators that was founded in 2001 and has served as the CEO of Villgro for two decades. Paul was able to successfully replicate the Villgro model into Africa and the Philippines. In addition, Paul is a Co-founder & Partner at www.menterra.com, an impact investment fund that invests in early stage, impact enterprises. He has contributed to building the social enterprise ecosystem in India through Unconvention, India’s leading conference on innovation and social entrepreneurship across many cities in India , Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at IIT-Madras that focuses on research and education and establishing the India Chapter of the Aspen Network for Development Entrepreneurs. Paul also serves on the governing board of the Kerala Start-Up Mission and is a member of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Social Tech Startup Steering Committee; and has served on the executive committee of ISBA, a member-driven network of incubators in India. 

Paul was awarded the Ashoka Fellowship in 2002 for his outstanding social entrepreneurship in setting up Villgro. His two decades of work in the incubation space comes with a considerable track record and credibility. He is well-connected with incubators and incubator support organizations across the world. As a guide, he understands the nuances of incubation, having been a practitioner for many years, and, as a result, is able to empathize with member incubators around their challenges, understands their needs while creating effective partnerships and collaborations for their benefit.  

Participants have shown increased knowledge in the area for which guidance was sought, along with positive shifts in attitudes, greater insights, and strengthened connections both during and after the program. One of the most impactful outcomes of the program is that incubators have started implementing ideas and suggestions generated during the solutioning phase of prior cohorts. For example, an incubator successfully secured buy-in from their board to kick start the transition from a CEO-led to a board-led organization. Similarly, another member enhanced their social media presence, showcasing their specialization in climate-focused incubation.

No, guidance is offered to each participant on a personalised basis. 

Pollinate Impact is committed to ensuring safe and secure spaces to its member incubators. Hence, we will ensure confidentiality of the issues that are discussed. However we will share anonymised reports with stakeholders of Pollinate Impact.

The Growth Guidance Program is exclusively for incubators who are members of the Pollinate Impact Network and interested in tailored 1-on-1 guidance to address their unique challenges and opportunities. We’re looking for incubators that are mission-driven, ready to grow, and open to guidance. You must be the CEO, Founder, Co-founder or CXO of an early and mid-stage incubator that has been in operation for ten (10) years or less and be involved in the day to day operations of the incubator. You should have a strategic initiative for your organization that you want guidance on. 

Yes, together with the CXO representative of your incubator, we encourage other members to join relevant sessions as needed, but not more than 3 others. 

We aim to make the Growth Guidance Programme accessible and affordable, and we seek your contribution. This contribution is linked to your budget. Incubators with a budget of <$100k will contribute $100, those with budgets between $100-$500k will contribute $500, and those with a budget >$500k will contribute $800.

You need to submit the application form and include details of the top three challenges you’re currently facing, where guidance would be most helpful. You can also include additional information that would help provide better context. Applications can be submitted online through this form. 

The deadline for the Application is 20th August, 2025. Spots are limited so make sure to apply early!

Incubators will be selected on the basis of the criteria that has been outlined. The Growth Guidance Program is exclusively for incubators who are members of the Pollinate Impact Network, ready to grow, and open to guidance. The incubator should be an early and mid-stage incubator that has been in operation for ten (10) years or less. You must be the CEO, Founder, Co-founder or CXO of the incubator and be involved in the day to day operations of the incubator. You should have a strategic initiative for your organization that you want guidance on. Given that we have only 10 slots and over 45 members, we will prioritise applications that can be meaningfully addressed within the three-month duration of the Growth Guidance Program. After submission, we may reach out for additional clarifications if needed.

No need! We just expect your complete transparency and openness in the application process! If there is any clarification required in your application, we will request for a short discussion.