Enabling Social Entrepreneurship in Tajikistan
Strengthening Civil Society by Building Financial Resilience
Published December 2025
In 2025, Tajikistan broke new ground by adopting its first-ever Law on Social Entrepreneurship, a critical step toward financial resilience and innovation for CSOs.
Enacted in January 2025, this law formally recognizes social enterprises, making it easier for organizations to engage in income-generating activities and reducing their dependence on traditional donor funding. Importantly, the law provides for a base for new tax benefits, and increases access to both public and private funding, boosting long-term sustainability.
Civil society played an important role in shaping the law. The Parliamentary Working Group on Social Entrepreneurship developed the law through a participatory process that included CSO representatives as official members. ICNL and local partners supported drafting efforts and public consultations across key cities, bringing both CSO and business voices into the conversation, with their input reflected in the final text of the law.
Clear rules for registration, concrete incentives, and supportive measures are still needed. ICNL remains committed to working alongside the government and civil society to close these gaps and support a vibrant, self-sustaining CSO sector in Tajikistan.
Discussed in this article:
▷ Tajikistan: The Law on Social Entrepreneurship (ICNL briefing)
▷ ICNL’s Eurasia Program
▷ ICNL’s Tajikistan page
Photo: iStock/Artaxerxes Longhand
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