Our impact up
until 2018
903, 504
BoP consumers reached with improved products and services
91,931
BoP entrepreneurs who
generate more income
4,467
People trained in mostly
entrepreneurship skills
474
Companies supported to
serve the BoP
76
Products and services
launched in BoP markets
A message from our
Managing Director
Taking a step back to reflect on 2018, it’s clear that although our projects, clients and partnerships may change - our focus has not. For us, our true north will always be the Base of the Pyramid. The BoP guides and shapes our work. As consumers, entrepreneurs and more. We co-create, co-implement with and for the BoP. Therefore our achievements, in particular our impact - will always reflect this mission ....
A message from our Managing Director
All about the base
Our market-based approach begins with the Base of Pyramid (BoP), as potential consumers, distributors, producers and/or entrepreneurs.
We focus on delivering practical solutions that are commercially viable and based on deep market insights. We understand what the BoP actually wants, needs and can afford. We have to start looking at the BoP as aspiring consumers and creative entrepreneurs. We promote inclusive business: doing well (making a profit) by doing good (serving a social cause).
What we do well
We assist local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and multinationals in the development, marketing, and distribution of their products or services to the BoP. We support entrepreneurs in product and service innovations, share learnings, and improve the enabling business environment for BoP entrepreneurs.
Together with leading companies, civil society organizations, and knowledge institutions, we explore the potential of low-income markets, gain local consumer insights, and create new business propositions.
In many of the countries where we work, women make up more than half of the agricultural workforce and also have the responsibility for children’s education and family’s nutrition. At BoPInc, we believe that female entrepreneurs play a vital role in boosting economic productivity and growth in emerging economies. We work at including women as viable and trusted economic actors in value chains.
Empowering female entrepreneurs
Empowering female
entrepreneurs
We assist local SMEs and multinationals to better understand the BoP consumer. Guiding them through the development, marketing and distribution of their products or services to the BoP. We co-design and test concepts, strategies, campaigns and partnerships which enable entrepreneurs and companies to develop innovative and scalable solutions.
Supporting entrepreneurs and
companies to innovate
Supporting entrepreneurs
and companies to innovate
Three pillars of expertise
Marketing and distribution
We offer marketing and distribution solutions to corporates, SMEs and start-ups that want to develop inclusive business.
Inclusive business empowerment
We advocate for inclusive business, build knowledge, create partnerships and capacitate professionals.
Inclusive innovation
We develop and explore innovations which are feasible and desirable for BoP markets
Our unique approach
To create new products and services we use design thinking together with partners, producers and consumers. Our method accelerates inclusive innovations to spark business for BoP markets.
Our services focus on consumers and are complementary to traditional development approaches.
Consumers
Entrepreneurs
We capacitate organizations and individuals on inclusive business and entrepreneurship. We strengthen the context for inclusive business. We deliver relevant and viable value propositions to the BoP. We support companies to market, brand and distribute their products to the BoP.
Companies
Producers
Our in-country presence
To fully engage and prioritize the BoP consumer in our work, it requires proximity to them. This is why we have people on the ground where it matters most, like Ethiopia, Ghana and Nigeria. With this in mind, in March we also opened an office in Nairobi, Kenya - in addition to our offices in Bangladesh and the Netherlands. Our new office better connects us with BoP markets in East and Southern Africa. Enabling us to gather market information, form partnerships and build communities that places the BoP at the center.
BoPInc staff & projects
BoPInc projects
Plus our office in
The Netherlands
Our global contribution
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations present a global concerted effort for the future of humankind and the planet. SDGs recognize the importance of business to play a critical role in leading creative solutions for sustainable development. Social entrepreneurship is now integral in mitigating the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. This is why our 2020 strategy aligns our organizational goals with the SDGs.
We also established a base in Myanmar, a country with a large group of BoP producers and consumers that are keen to progress economically. We see a significant opportunity for inclusive business in this region - and we are well-placed to facilitate and drive this forward. In addition, we continued expanding our influence and social impact through new operations in countries such as Benin, Cambodia, Uganda and Zambia. We are looking to continue this growth trajectory for 2019 with new partnerships and projects focused on the BoP as consumers, retailers and demand creators. See our current map of all 22 countries where we have an active presence.
Access to food and nutrition can be a major challenge for the BoP, in particular those living in more remote locations. We help bridge this gap and improve access for low-income consumers through our work with SMEs and multinationals. Assisting companies to create new food products, develop marketing strategies and strengthen distribution channels. Our interventions and consumer centric approach ensures that nutritious food is not only available and accessible, but also affordable.
Improving access to food
and nutrition
Improving access to food
and nutrition
Promoting and fostering
inclusive business
We inspire, inform and build capacity to help grow inclusive business globally. Through training, conducting research and testing. We facilitate diverse and strategic alliances. We understand the competitive advantage for business, and help innovate and strengthen value-chains.
Promoting and fostering inclusive business
A message from our Supervisory
Board
From the perspective of the Supervisory Board,
we could clearly define 2018 as a year of major change in the organization and of significant growth and impact for BoPInc. Through our role, we help to ensure that BoPInc continues to be fully transparent, accountable and efficient. We focused on the adoption of a bold new strategy and structure in 2018. In addition to this, the board led the recruitment and selection of a new director, which we found in Luuk-Jan Boon...
Social entrepreneurship is market-based and is focused on social good, it impacts the environment in a much broader way as compared to the traditional NGO model.
This is why our work at BoPInc affects and impacts health, nutrition, poverty, gender, economic growth, sustainable cities, communities and sustainable energy. We contribute to many of the 17 global goals, though we have a stronger alignment with the following nine goals below:
We recognize the importance of sharing information, contributing to the wider discussion via industry platforms and forums, helping to raise the profile of BoP consumers and the valuable opportunities made possible through inclusive business models and innovations. Here are several examples of conferences and events where we have shared our research, insights and experiences.
Shining a light on the BoP:
the opportunities and the challenges
Shining a light on the Base of the Pyramid
On a grand scale
Doing business with the BoP is a numbers game. It is essential to think big and build scalable business models that could reach the approximately 4.5 billion people living at the BoP. But the BoP is also diverse and local context matters, a consumer in rural Kenya is very different from a consumer in the slums of Dhaka.
Going the extra mile
There are no quick wins in BoP markets. Building a business case in low-income markets is challenging and pushes many companies to
give up. BoPInc takes on these challenges and believes in the power of persistence and creativity in order to go the extra mile and reach underserved consumers.
Unilever
Our collaboration with BoPInc continues to deepen the social impact and strengthen the sustainability of Unilever’s inclusive business models. In the last year, our efforts to apply impactful innovations further catalyzed cross-sectoral partnerships for greater results and scale. These were immensely valuable as part of Unilever’s mission to improve incomes and enhance people’s livelihoods....
A few words from
our partners
A few words from
our partners
BoP Innovation Center
Arthur van Schendelstraat 500A
3511 MH Utrecht
The Netherlands
Ph: +31 (0) 30 410 0910
Offices
BoP Innovation Services Bangladesh
67 (9th Floor), Road 4,
Block C, Banani, Dhaka
1213, Bangladesh
Ph: +880 (0) 1707 07 1943
BoP Innovation Center East Africa
Westcom Point Building
Block C, 3rd Floor
Mahiga Mairu Ave
Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya
Ph: +254 (0) 720 000 263