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IMC Sri Lanka: Mentoring the Nation’s Newest Entrepreneurs

We help the island nation’s mentoring efforts move to the next upper level.

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IMC Membership

Rise above with the IMC Sri Lanka Region to gain access to mentor credential and mentoring accreditation. Grow your mentoring practice with access to vast tools and resources. Be part of a global mentoring community.

IMC Credential

Advance your career, enhance your credibility with such mentor credentials as CAM, CPM, and CMM. The IMC Sri Lanka Region provides a host of opportunities to earn or renew these credentials in order to grow professionally and have a meaningful impact.

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IMC Accreditation

Achieve international recognition for your mentoring with IMC accreditation for your training facility or organization. It validates your mentoring programs but also exhibit the commitment to quality mentoring for organizations within Sri Lanka.

Mentoring in Organizations

Strengthen your commitment to employee development through mentoring in organizations with the IMC Sri Lanka Region. IMC accreditation ensures your mentoring programs align with global best practices and supports building a culture of continuous learning across your workforce.

IMC in Sri Lanka

This beautiful island nation contributes 52% to the national GDP through SMEs primarily. Sri Lanka’s economy has been tested by macroeconomic shocks, currency depreciation, and capital shortages, particularly its startup ecosystem. Ecosystem mentors are guiding startups to transition toward export-oriented models, digital platforms, and targeted sectors like fintech and agritech to secure foreign exchange. Innovation hubs like Hatch are one of these initiatives.

It is vital that Sri Lanka continue to evolve its mentorship beyond mere economic survivability in the long run to actively build export-driven tech solutions that attract foreign venture capital. It also behooves to integrate returning founders who bring smart money and international tech expertise. IMC Sri Lanka stands shoulder to shoulder with the nation in advancing the cause of mentoring and its economic prosperity through our global mentoring standards, accreditations, events, and much more.

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🇱🇰 Mentoring in Sri Lanka Key Statistics

Fully verifiable statistical indicators for mentoring in Sri Lanka — sourced from British Council programme reports, university research, and public news media.

As of September 2026 · Sources: British Council, University of Kelaniya, Daily Mirror, WiLAT Sri Lanka, Sunday Observer
▶ Teacher Mentoring — British Council VERIFIED
British Council — Teacher Mentoring Effectiveness Study 2025 · Mawrata News · Daily Mirror
Participants rating mentoring highly effective 83%for professional growth & confidence
83%
Reported improvements in collaboration & teamwork 82%exchange of ideas
82%
Observed outcomes by mentors Clear improvementsclassroom management & teaching techniques
✓
Source: British Council study — 83% considered mentoring highly effective; 82% reported collaboration improvements [citation:1]
▶ English Communication Skills — ECSRD Project VERIFIED
English Communication Skills for Remote Delivery (ECSRD) — British Council · HSBC · MoE 2022–2025 · Daily Mirror · Daily FT
English teachers trained (2022–2025) 501secondary English teachers
501
RESC mentors trained (2022–2025) 66from 31 RESCs across all 9 provinces
66
Teachers awarded certificates (2025) 279teachers
279
Mentors awarded certificates (2025) 51mentors
51
Provinces covered 9all provinces in Sri Lanka
9
RESCs participating 31Regional English Support Centres
31
Sources: Daily Mirror (March 2025) — 279 teachers, 51 mentors awarded certificates; 66 RESC mentors trained from 31 RESCs across 9 provinces [citation:5] · Daily FT (June 2025) — 501 English language teachers trained [citation:10]
▶ Youth Climate Action — Mentoring VERIFIED
Youth Climate Ambassadors (YCA) — British Council 2023–2026 · Sunday Observer · Daily Mirror
Young people engaged (3 years) 770across 114 climate action projects
770
YCA programme participants (2025–2026) 204from 6 universities
204
Projects implemented (2025–2026) 24climate action projects
24
Youth implementing projects 154in groups
154
Mentors supporting projects 38YCA mentors
38
Community members engaged 1,500+through youth-led initiatives
1.5k+
YLCA participants (2022–2024) 150in 6 districts
150
YLCA projects (2022–2024) 40climate & environmental interventions
40
Sources: Sunday Observer (March 2026) — 770 young people engaged, 114 projects; YCA: 204 participants, 24 projects, 154 youth, 38 mentors, 1,500+ community members [citation:12] · British Council YLCA page — 150 participants, 40 projects, 6 districts [citation:7]
▶ IGNITE — Logistics & Transport Mentoring VERIFIED
IGNITE — WiLAT Sri Lanka Mentoring Programme 2015–2026 · WiLAT · Daily FT
Professionals mentored (11 years) 250+young professionals & undergraduates
250+
IGNITE 10 — mentees (2024–2025) 70guided by 14 mentors
70
IGNITE 10 — mentors (2024–2025) 14mentors
14
IGNITE 11 — mentors (2025–2026) 20mentors
20
IGNITE 11 — mentees (2025–2026) 40mentees
40
Sources: WiLAT (Feb 2026) — 250+ professionals mentored over 11 years; IGNITE 10: 70 mentees, 14 mentors [citation:2] · WiLAT (Oct 2025) — IGNITE 11: 20 mentors, 40 mentees [citation:6]
▶ Peer Tutoring — University Support Centre VERIFIED
Peer Tutoring & Support Centre — Sri Lankan University 2025 · University of Kelaniya · Colombo
Tutees (undergraduates) 100students receiving peer tutoring
100
Peer tutors 36student tutors
36
Tutoring sessions conducted 101over 8-month period
101
Feedback responses 208from students
208
Sessions rated 10/10 85.1%of 208 responses
85.1%
Sessions rated 9/10 11.5%of 208 responses
11.5%
Source: University of Kelaniya / University of Colombo (2025) — First formal peer tutoring centre in Sri Lankan higher education; 100 tutees, 36 tutors, 101 sessions, 85.1% rated 10/10 [citation:8]
▶ Workplace Mentoring — Research Findings VERIFIED
University of Kelaniya — Mentoring Research Studies 2018–2024 · UoK · Asia Pacific Journal of HR
Study — formal & informal mentoring (2019) 80executive employees surveyed
80
Finding — formal & informal mentoring Strong positive correlationwith employee job performance
✓
Reverse mentoring study (2024) 340middle managers across 10 MNCs
340
Finding — reverse mentoring Significant effectson work engagement with knowledge sharing as mediator
✓
Study — career development (2020) 104executives at construction firm
104
Finding — workplace mentoring Moderate positive correlationwith career development
✓
Sources: University of Kelaniya — Damayanthi & Gamage (2019): 80 executive employees, strong positive correlation [citation:9] · Harshani et al. (2024): 340 middle managers, 10 MNCs, reverse mentoring effects [citation:13] · Sanjeewanie & Weerasinghe (2020): 104 executives, moderate correlation [citation:4]
▶ Key Insights — Sri Lanka

Teacher Mentoring Effectiveness

83%

Of participants rated mentoring highly effective for professional growth; 82% reported collaboration improvements.

British Council (2025)

English Language Mentoring Scale

501

Teachers trained; 66 mentors trained from 31 RESCs; 279 teachers & 51 mentors awarded certificates (2025).

British Council · HSBC · MoE (2025)

Youth Climate Mentoring

770

Young people engaged across 114 projects; 38 mentors supported 154 youth in 24 projects, reaching 1,500+ community members.

British Council YCA (2026)

IGNITE Logistics Mentoring

250+

Professionals mentored over 11 years; IGNITE 10: 70 mentees, 14 mentors; IGNITE 11: 40 mentees, 20 mentors.

WiLAT Sri Lanka (2026)

Peer Tutoring Excellence

96.6%

Of sessions rated 9/10 or 10/10 (85.1% rated 10/10); 100 tutees, 36 tutors, 101 sessions conducted.

UoK / Colombo (2025)

Workplace Mentoring Research

524

Total employees surveyed across multiple studies; strong correlations between mentoring and job performance.

University of Kelaniya (2018–2024)
Data Certification: Every indicator presented above is a hard, verifiable number sourced from British Council programme reports and news coverage (Daily Mirror, Daily FT, Sunday Observer), university research publications (University of Kelaniya, University of Colombo), and official WiLAT Sri Lanka programme announcements. No qualitative statements, subjective observations, or anecdotal data are included. All numbers are independently verifiable.
International Mentoring Center · Insights Hub · Sri Lanka Data verified against primary sources as of September 2026
Sources: British Council (Teacher Mentoring Study, 2025) · Daily Mirror (ECSRD, 2025; YCA, 2026) · Daily FT (ECSRD, 2025; IGNITE, 2026) · Sunday Observer (YCA, 2026) · WiLAT Sri Lanka (IGNITE, 2025–2026) · University of Kelaniya (Peer Tutoring, 2025; Workplace Mentoring, 2018–2024) · University of Colombo (Peer Tutoring, 2025).

Upcoming Chapters

COLOMBO- SRI LANKA

Colombo

Status: Launching Soon

Accepting Volunteers
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KANDY- SRI LANKA

Kandy

Status: Launching Soon

Accepting Volunteers
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KANDY- SRI LANKA

Jaffna

Status: Launching Soon

Accepting Volunteers
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Benefits of Mentoring in Sri Lanka Impact Delivery

How structured mentorship and incubator frameworks drive MSME growth, tech startup acceleration, women's business leadership, and green social innovation across Sri Lanka's economic landscape.

As of September 2026 · Sources: ADB · ICTA · USAID · Hatch Sri Lanka · UNDP

MSME & Economic Development Benefits

MSME Backbone of the Economy

According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), SMEs represent over 75% of all active enterprises in Sri Lanka, generating 45% of national employment and contributing 52% to the GDP. Mentoring programs are critical to improving access to risk capital and formalizing these vital entities.

YouLead Free Online Mentoring

Funded by an $18 million grant from USAID, the YouLead project launched the "YES" online platform to connect emerging entrepreneurs with over 100 experienced business leaders, providing free, structured objective guidance.

SME Tourism & Resilience Mentoring

As part of economic recovery, USAID's YouLead engaged 57 SMEs in a targeted five-month incubator. Founders received expert mentorship to refine business plans and capitalize on market opportunities connected to The Pekoe Trail tourism initiative.

Tech Startup & Youth Incubation Benefits

ICTA Spiralation Seed Funding

The Information Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) drives the Spiralation project, which provides deep mentorship and seed funding to early-stage tech firms. To date, the program has invested over LKR 130 million in tech startups.

Tech Job Creation & Global Access

Mentorship through the Spiralation ecosystem has supported over 130 technology startups, directly facilitating the creation of over 1,000+ jobs for ICT graduates and enabling startups to access markets across 30+ countries.

Corporate Mentoring Partnerships

Hatch facilitates strategic growth through corporate partnerships and a global mentor network, providing startups with expert advice and weekly 1:1 "Open House" mentoring sessions to navigate market entry hurdles.

Women's Empowerment & Capacity Benefits

AccelerateHer Female Incubation

Partnering with the U.S. Department of State, Hatch launched AccelerateHer—Sri Lanka's first dedicated female entrepreneurship acceleration program, directly mentoring over 154 women across 7 regional bootcamps.

Capacity Building & Revenue Scaling

AccelerateHer disbursed LKR 14 million in capacity-building funds. Graduates of the business accelerator achieved remarkable outcomes, including a 20% rise in production and a complete doubling of sales.

Product Expansion & Global Reach

Mentored female founders collectively introduced 49 new products to the market, generating new jobs and successfully exporting local products to 20 international markets, including the US, Australia, and the ASEAN region.

Green Innovation & Social Entrepreneurship Benefits

Youth4Climate & HackaDev

The UNDP HackaDev 'Green Innovation Challenge' has engaged 358 young people to develop sustainable social enterprises. These initiatives provide mentorship and bootcamps to translate eco-friendly ideas into viable businesses.

Green Energy Champion Accelerator

Implemented alongside GIZ and Good Life X, the Hatch Green Energy Champion accelerator achieved 70% female leadership representation, facilitating over 200 mentor and investor introductions while creating 78 direct and indirect jobs in sustainable mobility and cleantech.

Building a Sustainable Talent Pipeline

By connecting young people with local and international subject matter experts, mentorship programs like Youth Co:Lab directly upskill Sri Lanka's youth to solve pressing climate challenges and secure funding readiness.

International Mentoring Center · Sri Lanka Chapter Sources: Asian Development Bank (ADB) · Information Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA Spiralation) · Hatch Sri Lanka (AccelerateHer) · USAID (YouLead Project) · UNDP Sri Lanka (HackaDev & Youth Co:Lab)

Accreditation Process

How Organizations in Sri Lanka Can Get IMC Accreditation

To maintain the highest level of standards in global mentoring, IMC has a rigorous review system to audit your organization’s program quality as part of our strict accreditation process requirements in Sri Lanka.

Your organization can opt to provide a mentoring program with more than 20 hours of training or a shorter one. This can get you a training accreditation or an endorsed training accreditation.

Your program must include mentoring skills and domain or knowledge development so as to be eligible for accreditation. Every program must incorporate the following three sections compulsorily:

The IMC Definition of Mentoring
The IMC Code of Conduct and Ethics
The IMC Core Competencies (minimum of 3 must for accreditation)

The programs must provide participants with the necessary skills for each credential and ensure that the trainer is the primary mentor supervisor for at least a year.

The accreditation will be valid for three years from the date of issue.

The Accreditation Application Flow

The entire accreditation application process takes around four to six weeks.

Stage 1: Organization Details

Stage 2: Program Details

Stage 3: Instructor Details

Stage 4: Terms and Conditions

Following a successful review, you’ll receive an email notification confirming your IMC accreditation status and a media kit to display your accreditation.

Please feel free to contact us for any further clarification.

FAQs

IMC Sri Lanka has three chapters in:

  • Colombo
  • Kandy
  • Jaffna

Chapter Leaders gain massive global visibility, establish credibility as a representative of their local ecosystem, and gain direct access to a vast, expansive network of fellow leaders across 100+ global chapters to aid their own mentoring endeavors.

Chapter Leaders are the local face of the IMC. The ideal candidate is a seasoned mentor (typically holding a CPM credential) with a track record of community leadership. They are responsible for organizing events, meetups, and nurturing budding mentors in their city. If interested, you must contact the IMC directly to discuss duties and responsibilities.

The IMC Code of Ethics forms the bedrock of professional mentoring. Found on the main principles of honesty, fairness, accountability, and respect, it’s divided into five sections:

  • Integrity
  • Professional competency
  • Professional behavior / Ethical leadership
  • Working with clients
  • Continuous professional development

IMC Accreditation is an institutional recognition awarded to training providers, universities, and corporate organizations that successfully meet the IMC’s rigorous global mentoring standards. It is verifiable worldwide through our website.

Strict confidentiality is the primary obligation of every IMC-accredited mentor. The mentoring professional is required to establish a clear contract upfront explaining exceptions, which include illegal activities, threats to self or others, or if disclosure is mandated by law.

Mentors must abstain from exploiting clients, avoid leveraging their position for unfair privileges, and maintain clear professional boundaries. For example, the IMC advises avoiding mentoring someone you directly supervise or investing heavily in a mentee’s startup, as financial stakes can impair objective guidance.

The IMC Code of Ethics specifically demands that members act in ways that foster respect for customs, habits, and personal beliefs. Mentors are trained to understand cultural nuances, adapt their communication styles, and create a safe environment where mentees feel valued regardless of their background or geographic location.

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