Impact Stories
Building the new normal in hand hygiene in low-income households
In our Insights Series, TRANSFORM shares successes and learnings from our projects to help the SME and entrepreneur community gain…
For over a decade, TRANSFORM changed lives by tackling global challenges through innovative enterprise
About TRANSFORM
Established in 2015, TRANSFORM was a joint initiative led by Unilever, the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and EY. Together, we set out to help impact entrepreneurs test and scale commercially self-sustaining, market-driven solutions to some of the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges.
We built TRANSFORM on the principles of public-private collaboration and reciprocity, combining resources, expertise and networks to support locally led innovation. Through this approach, we worked alongside impact enterprises to create value for communities, entrepreneurs and partners alike.
Over the course of the initiative, we supported over 160 impact enterprise and research projects across 19 countries in Asia and Africa, reaching more than 21 million people.
The initiative came to an end in 2026 having exceeded its original ambition, but we have captured insights and lessons in our open-access playbook. We hope the TRANSFORM model lives on through others who adapt it, apply it and take its impact further.
Water, Sanitation & Hygiene
Future of Work
Raise Living Standards
Protect & Regenerate Nature
Waste-Free World
Digital health
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enterprise & research projects supported
£
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m
provided in grant funding and business support
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m+
people reached
Project resources
Whether you're a donor, enterprise, business, investor or simply want to learn more, explore our collection of insights, tools, case studies and learning resources.
Impact Stories
Reeddi powering last-mile communities with affordable energy
In our Insights Series, TRANSFORM shares successes and learnings from our projects to help the SME and entrepreneur community gain…
Impact Stories
Maya’s investment story: Why this impact enterprise was set up for success
Last month, TRANSFORM enterprise Maya received $2.2 million in funding for regional expansion of their Bangladesh-based accessible healthcare platform. Their success story…
Resources
Driving recycling behaviour change in the Global South
The true costs of managing plastic waste—financial, cognitive, and behavioral—are often underestimated, resulting in inadequate disposal and waste management practices….
Enterprise projects
TRANSFORM's impact enterprises are tackling some of the world's most pressing development challenges in an inclusive, sustainable and innovative way.
Aye Finance
Established in 2014, Aye Finance is registered with the Reserve Bank of India as a systemically important non-banking financial company….
DoctHERs
In Pakistan, 80 percent of medical school graduates are women, yet only 25 percent of these women go on to…
Social Alpha
Social Alpha is a multistage innovation curation and venture development platform for science and technology start-ups that address the most…
Transforming of Production Palm Sugar (ToPPS) by SNV
Transforming of Production Palm Sugar in Myanmar (ToPPS) SNV tested an innovative business model to improve palm sugar processing through…
Ubuntu Power
Traditional off-grid commercial models have focussed on either selling the electricity back to the grid or directly to the end…
University of Nottingham
Existing research on interactive-AI (IAI) is mainly focused on the developed world. TRANSFORM funded research into how IAI can be…
D.light
Millions of low-income households lack access to reliable power or financing. d.light enables reliable power through solar energy solutions via…
Baeru
Plastic debris is harmful to marine ecosystems and in India alone, 12 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the…