Capacity Building For Service Providers - Entrepreneurship Programme

What is CBSP-EP?

The Capacity Building for Service Providers - Entrepreneurship Programme (CBSP-EP) is a training scheme of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. It is one stream of the larger Capacity Building for Service Providers (CBSP) scheme, under which the Ministry funds short-term hospitality and tourism training to skill, upskill and reskill people working in, or wanting to enter, the tourism economy.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, CBSP conducts "hospitality and tourism related short-term training certificate courses for skilling, up skilling and re-skilling of trainees of both genders, local communities, tribal areas, etc. across the country." Within this, the Entrepreneurship Programme (CBSP-EP) is specifically oriented towards helping participants start and run their own tourism ventures, rather than only preparing them for wage jobs.

The Ministry provides financial assistance to conduct the programmes, which means eligible trainees do not pay a course fee. Training is delivered through government institutes and empanelled private institutes, including hospitality institutions approved by bodies such as UGC, AICTE or NSDC.

Key features

• Part of the Ministry of Tourism's CBSP scheme.
• Free, short-term hospitality/tourism training with an entrepreneurship focus.
• Open to trainees of both genders, including local communities and tribal areas.
• Delivered through empanelled institutes rather than by direct Ministry enrolment.

Who is eligible for CBSP-EP?

You can join if:

• You are a service provider or aspiring entrepreneur in the tourism and hospitality space.
• You meet the age and qualification norms set by the specific course and empanelled institute. These vary by programme.
• You want to build a tourism-related livelihood, whether from a local community, tribal area, or the general public.

You cannot expect a personal cash benefit, CBSP-EP delivers training and certification, not a scholarship or a direct cash transfer to individuals. It is also not an industry grant that a person can draw for their own business; the Ministry's financial assistance flows to the institutes that deliver the training, and the benefit to the trainee is the free course.

Applicants who do not meet a particular course's entry norms (for example a minimum age or qualification) are not eligible for that course, though they may qualify for another CBSP course with different criteria. Because criteria are course-specific, prospective trainees should check the requirements of the actual programme they want to join.

What documents are required?

Exact document lists are set by the empanelled institute delivering the course, so confirm the checklist with the institute before enrolling.

How to apply for CBSP-EP

CBSP-EP is not applied for through a single national beneficiary portal. Enrolment happens at the institute level, so the route is:

1. Find an empanelled institute running a CBSP-EP course. The Ministry of Tourism funds government institutes and empanelled private/hospitality institutes to deliver these programmes; check the Ministry of Tourism website (tourism.gov.in) or ask a nearby government-recognised hospitality institute.
2. Check the course criteria. Confirm the age, qualification and any local-community or tribal-area focus for the specific CBSP-EP batch you want to join.
3. Register with the institute. Submit your identity and age proof and any qualification documents the institute asks for, and enrol in the course.
4. Complete the training. Attend the short-term programme; since the Ministry funds the course, you pay no fee.
5. Use the certification. On completion, use the training and certificate to start or grow a tourism venture, or to pursue placements or further studies.

What does CBSP-EP provide?

CBSP-EP provides free short-term training and certification rather than a cash benefit. The Ministry of Tourism meets the cost of running the programme, and the value to the trainee is the fully funded course and the skills and certificate it produces. According to the Ministry, trainees can go on to self-employment, placements, or higher studies such as diploma and degree courses after completing CBSP programmes.

For an entrepreneurship-focused stream, the practical outcome is that a service provider gains the training needed to set up a tourism or hospitality business, for example running a homestay, a local guide operation, or a small hospitality service — with the confidence of a recognised certification behind them.

Help and where to check

• Empanelled institute delivering the CBSP-EP course, the first point of contact for enrolment, criteria and documents.
• Ministry of Tourism (tourism.gov.in), for the CBSP scheme framework and the list of institutes and programmes.

Note on scope: CBSP-EP is a training/capacity-building scheme, so there is no individual cash entitlement to claim and no personal application to the Ministry. Course-level details; exact duration, age limits, batch size and location, are set by empanelled institutes and change from batch to batch, so verify current details with the institute before enrolling.