Sow responsibility, build community.

How it began

In mid-2023, a group of ESG and green-finance advisers noticed a paradox: Vietnam's large corporations already had the tools, partners and advice for a sustainability journey. But SMEs — 97% of all businesses, and the source of most jobs — were left out, priced too high and served by fragmented information.

From a small meeting at a café in District 3 to a first gathering with 38 business owners in Hanoi, GROW Network Vietnam gradually took shape. Officially launched in March 2024, the network today counts 500+ member businesses, 120 expert advisers and 50 strategic partners.

Mission

To make green transition and sustainable development a practical, feasible and profitable path for every small and medium enterprise in Vietnam — starting from the smallest steps.

Vision 2035

To become Southeast Asia's leading green-SME ecosystem, helping at least 5,000 Vietnamese businesses reach international ESG standards and cutting the network's average emissions intensity by 40%.

Core values

• Substance over appearance — We do not produce pretty reports for their own sake. Every data point must lead to action.
• Community before the individual — A successful SME owes it to the network around it. We invest in connections, not in single clients.
• Sustainability is long-term — A 10-, 20-, 30-year roadmap matters more than winning a single quarter.
• Radical transparency — We publish our methods, fees and partners. No hidden commissions.
• Hands-on, never outsourced — The GROW team is on the factory floor, not just in the meeting room.

Leadership team

Academic sponsor for training

GROW Network Vietnam is the training-implementation arm of Viện Nghiên cứu Pháp luật và Phát triển Giáo dục (iLED). In practice this means every training programme GROW runs — from short workshops and thematic courses for SME owners to long-term coaching tracks on ESG, green finance and digital transformation — is academically sponsored and content-vetted by iLED before it goes live.

iLED is a science-and-technology organisation licensed by Sở Khoa học và Công nghệ TP.HCM, registration certificate no. 613/ĐK-KHCN, headquartered at L17-11, Vincom Center, 72 Lê Thánh Tôn, Quận 1, TP.HCM. Official website: viennghiencuuphapluat.com.vn.

The division of responsibility is clear: iLED owns the academic content framework, the scientific council, faculty vetting and certification for eligible programmes. GROW handles the practical delivery — running courses, admissions, logistics, building the learner community and connecting it to the SME network so knowledge is applied in real business.

For learners and partner businesses this has a concrete meaning: every course GROW runs is backed by an independent layer of academic review; the certificates awarded carry genuine legal and scientific depth, not just proof of attendance. Learners receive vetted content, and companies sending staff can be confident in the professional quality.

The cooperation-confirmation letter is provided on request for official verification by partners, investors, regulators or client businesses.

Strategic partners

GROW works with domestic financial institutions (BIDV, Vietcombank, VietinBank, HDBank, VPBank, TPBank, Agribank), international organisations (IFC, ADB, GCF, Proparco, FMO, JICA, GIZ, KOICA), and Vietnam's leading universities in sustainability research and training.