The Creating Opportunities for Youth in Digital Economy (CODE) project has been launched to connect young people in Nepal with opportunities in the digital economy. Over the next three years, the initiative aims to equip 10,000 young women and men with market-relevant digital skills and connect them to formal employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Launched to harness the digital ambitions and potential of Nepali youth, the CODE project was unveiled on International Youth Day 2026 through a full-day programme organized by the European Union (EU) at Hotel Malla in Kathmandu. The event brought together students, Erasmus scholars and alumni, entrepreneurs, civil society organisations, innovators, private-sector partners and youth leaders to explore emerging opportunities in the digital economy.
The launch took place in the presence of Véronique Lorenzo, European Union Ambassador to Nepal. Highlighting the importance of investing in young people, Ambassador Lorenzo said, “One of Nepal’s greatest resources is its youth. Young people are dynamic, energetic, and full of potential. But this potential must be matched by investment in skills, opportunity, and employment. That is what the new EU initiatives are about. They aim to help bridge the digital divide and ensure that the benefits of technology reach those who have too often been left behind.”
The launch was held alongside the EU Youth Fest 2026, which brought together more than 1,500 young people. Participants received guidance and mentorship from professionals and explored emerging fields including animation, robotics and artificial intelligence. The event also offered hands-on experiences such as 3D modelling and printing, drone simulations and AI-powered games, giving young people an opportunity to engage directly with new technologies.
The three-year CODE initiative is being implemented by a consortium of three organisations, each leading distinct areas of the project. Swisscontact serves as the lead agency, overseeing overall governance, strategy and donor liaison with the European Union. The Robotics Association of Nepal (RAN) leads technical training through bootcamps, hackathons and coding courses, while Restless Development leads civil society mobilisation, local digital literacy programmes and community engagement.
The project will initially focus on six local government areas across Gandaki and Madhesh provinces: Pokhara Metropolitan City, Rupa Rural Municipality and Madi Rural Municipality in Gandaki Province; and Birgunj Metropolitan City, Jitpur Simara Sub-Metropolitan City and Parsagadhi Municipality in Madhesh Province.
To establish a grassroots delivery network, the project is partnering with 25 civil society organisations (CSOs) across the two provinces. Twelve local CSOs have already been onboarded following an open selection process. These organisations will support awareness campaigns, promote digital literacy and help expand access to digital opportunities among young people in marginalised communities.
At the EU Youth Fest, young people also expressed interest in participating in training programmes focused on essential digital skills and learning more about opportunities in the digital economy.
Trishna Singh Bhandari, Skills and Enterprise Development Manager at Swisscontact, identified the lack of access to opportunities as a key challenge facing young people. She said the project seeks to address this gap by equipping youth with technical skills and connecting them to opportunities that enable them to participate in and contribute to the economy.
“It is not enough to simply say that opportunities are lacking; someone needs to take action,” she said. “That is why we have taken the initiative ourselves.”
With the launch of the CODE project, implementation partners will now begin rolling out activities to reach young people across the targeted areas, build their digital skills and create pathways to employment and entrepreneurship through technology.
