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Who we are
TRANSFORM is an impact accelerator that unites corporates, donors, investors and academics to support visionary enterprises across Africa and Asia. Together, we test and scale new market-based solutions that build inclusive, sustainable economies, empower marginalised communities, and drive climate-resilient growth.
We are a unique, joint initiative led by Unilever, the UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and EY.
Together, we TRANSFORM lives.
We are entrepreneurs, running businesses that meet the needs of low-income households in our communities.
We are corporates and donors, united across sectors in the quest to develop new ways to deliver products and services for people and planet.
We are professionals and academics, providing knowledge, networks and insights to accelerate the uptake of revolutionary business ideas across the world.
We are TRANSFORM
Our enterprise projects
The impact enterprises we support are tackling some of the world's most pressing development challenges in an inclusive, sustainable and innovative way.
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Collaborating towards a shared purpose
Led by Unilever, the UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and EY, TRANSFORM represents a bold model for progressive public-private collaboration. We are united in our aim to tackle some of the world's most persistent development challenges through innovative market-based solutions.
Take a look at our past and previous collaborators.
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Our approach
TRANSFORM's model
TRANSFORM is a unique model that bridges the public and private sectors - bringing large organisations, with different skills, perspectives, resources and networks, together to help impact enterprises become thriving, self-sustaining businesses that address global challenges.
Contribution from Unilever, the UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and EY leverages the strengths of each organisation. Grant funding and development leadership from the FCDO is combined with sector expertise, marketing support, supply chain access, and financing from Unilever, supported by access to technical expertise and networks in innovation, business advisory, and entrepreneurship scaling from EY.
We identify early-stage social businesses and help them scale into transformative market-based solutions to global challenges. There are a growing number of TRANSFORM grantees which have successfully integrated into Unilever or other global corporate value chains to support their scaling journey.
Funding decisions are increasingly made locally to deliver impact where it matters most. By empowering local decision-makers, we ensure continued success, even after formal support ends. Since 2023, we've been running locally managed panels to select new enterprises for TRANSFORM's support.
TRANSFORM is based on a desire to address urgent issues by learning from each other, passing on insights to fuel new solutions or help others in the wider system to leapfrog forwards. Learnings from TRANSFORM are captured through an independent evaluation partner and distributed through roundtable discussions, insight papers, social media, external speaker placements, among other channels.
We value research and work with relevant enterprises and institutions to help uncover new insights into how small businesses can deliver products and services that drive positive behaviour change in low-income communities.
Fostering a spirit of collaboration, TRANSFORM works alongside forward-thinking organisations across industries who share our vision.
Some have provided our enterprises with additional sector expertise, business support and funding. Others have helped us to expand our network of local enterprises.
Take a look at our past and present collaborators below.
We’re actively seeking new collaborators to share our vision and grow our impact. Please join us.
Why TRANSFORM was established
In 2015, the United Nations introduced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with SDG17 emphasising cross-sector collaboration. Against this backdrop, TRANSFORM was created as a unique public-private partnership between Unilever and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), later joined by EY in 2018.
TRANSFORM works with enterprises who are addressing some of the most persistent environmental challenges, improving health and wellbeing, and building inclusive economies.
The specific focus areas we invest in have evolved over time and are defined through the local selection panels we run to identify new projects. Recent focus areas include working with enterprises that improve livelihoods and tackle waste.
Our impact
worldwide
TRANSFORM has supported more than 125 pioneering enterprise projects across 19 countries in Africa and Asia, reaching over 18 million people. Click on a country to find out more.
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