DHAKA: Unilever, in partnership with the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), will support five social enterprises in Bangladesh through the joint initiative, TRANSFORM.
DFID and Unilever founded TRANSFORM in 2015 with an ambition to bring private sector creativity and commercial approaches to solve persistent global development challenges.
TRANSFORM supports market-based solutions that meet low-income household needs in developing countries through financial and business support for social enterprises.
To date, TRANSFORM has supported 32 projects across ten countries, which have already benefited over 500,000 people.
TRANSFORM is committed to drive progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as the world prepares for a more inclusive, low-carbon and equitable economy by 2030.
In a press conference organised at the Spectra Convention Hall on Wednesday 13th November 2018, Unilever Bangladesh and the five current grantees spoke about TRANSFORM and the impact the partnership can have on enterprises and people at the base of the pyramid in Bangladesh.
Five projects (HappyTap, Shobar Jonno Pani, SWEEP, Drinkwell, Folia Water) have been selected to receive support from TRANSFORM to scale their innovative and sustainable approaches to meet low-income household needs.
HappyTap is a mass-manufactured portable sink purpose built to encourage handwashing in low-income households. TRANSFORM support will help HappyTap with manufacturing, distribution, marketing and optimising the device for behaviour change.
Shobar Jonno Pani (SJP) is a social enterprise working in the Bhashantek slum in Dhaka. TRANSFORM will support the roll out of the sanitation pilot and will focus on marketing and behaviour change.
SWEEP is a faecal sludge management service developed by Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor Bangladesh in 2015. The TRANSFORM project will focus on marketing and sales to increase the demand for SWEEP’s services, targeting low-income communities of Chittagong.
Drinkwell is transforming south Asia’s water crisis into an entrepreneurial opportunity by using a micro-franchise model to provide clean drinking water. The TRANSFORM project will test a new content platform and technology to assess uptake and measure eventual adoption of safe drinking water services.
Folia Water’s patent-pending silver-infused filter papers are the world's first water filter that costs pennies and not dollars. The TRANSFORM project will focus on distribution and marketing.
For further information on TRANSFORM and to receive announcements for future opportunities please sign up at: www.transform.global.
BDST: 1940 HRS, NOV 13, 2018
AP
