
Impact Stories
New soil for the “bonsai people” of Western Province: ZayoHub and community-centred design
“.. [underserved] people are like bonsai trees. There is nothing wrong in their seeds. Simply, society never gave them the…
Established in 2015, TRANSFORM was a joint initiative led by Unilever, the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through the Global Research and Technology Department (GRTD), 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.
TRANSFORM brought public and private sector organisations together, combining resources, expertise and networks to support locally led innovation. Through this approach, we worked alongside impact enterprises and researchers 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 delivered its vision, and its legacy continues. We’ve captured our insights and learnings in an open-access playbook. We hope the TRANSFORM model lives on through others who adapt it, apply it and take its impact further.
enterprise & research projects supported
provided in grant funding and business support
people reached
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
“.. [underserved] people are like bonsai trees. There is nothing wrong in their seeds. Simply, society never gave them the…

Impact Stories
By-line: Clara Bouchet-Doumenq, Country Director of the Bangladesh Programme The social enterprise of Eau et Vie (E&V) – Shobar Jonno…

Impact Stories
In our Insights Series, TRANSFORM shares successes and learnings from our projects to help the SME and entrepreneur community gain…

Impact Stories
With Divya Hegde, Founder of Baeru, and Holly McCann, Senior Consultant at EY TRANSFORM is an impact accelerator led by…
TRANSFORM's impact enterprises are tackling some of the world's most pressing development challenges in an inclusive, sustainable and innovative way.

ZayoHub piloted a viable ‘final mile’ business with a range of revenue streams including the provision of power, telecom, internet…


Regenerative agriculture enterprise, Sugata, supports the development of more sustainable, traceable, and ethical supply chains of fermented cocoa beans, which…

Social Alpha is a multistage innovation curation and venture development platform for science and technology start-ups that address the most…

Deshifarmer is an agri-tech platform that equips farmers with climate-smart tools and knowledge while connecting them directly to consumers. In…

In Uganda, 600 tonnes of waste is disposed of every day and only 40% of plastic waste is collected for disposal. At…

In Bangladesh, around 87,000 tonnes of single-use plastics are generated annually, of which 35% are non-biodegradable and difficult-to-recycle sachets. Meanwhile,…

Savannah Fruits produces quality, handcrafted shea butter, working with rural African women in local co-operatives to provide a year round…