The Incubator

Incubator

The Incubator’s mission is to innovate and accelerate “micro-level” business solutions that are aligned with macro-economic models and policies for inclusive growth, relevant to OECD countries.

The Incubator explores specific local solutions that can be more broadly applied across geographies and economic sectors. It accompanies viable projects developed and implemented by the member companies as they test, accelerate and scale novel approaches to inclusive growth. Companies receive tailored operational and analytical support. Simultaneously, knowledge and resources are shared among the various Incubator programs to facilitate effective partnerships for inclusive growth. The ability to leverage members’ expertise and create connections is what makes the B4IG Incubator unique.

Since its installment in spring 2020, the Incubator has successfully accelerated a cohort of 12 inclusive business projects and has now widened its offer to three programs to provide well-rounded support to B4IG members. Learn about the programs below.

Acceleration Program

The acceleration program was designed to strengthen B4IG members’ existing inclusive business projects and accelerate them by helping to solve a key challenge to overcome barriers to growth.

The 9-month long program reinforces projects at different stages of development (pilot, scale-up, replication). Each project team is assigned to a lead consultant who provides tailored support adapted to their needs. Furthermore, the teams join the Incubator community which allows them to participate in collective activities (workshops, benchmarks, etc.) and benefit from connections with experts, impact investors, and peers.

The successful completion of the acceleration program includes:

Reviewing the program robustness (including activities such as defining the vision, theory of change and revenue model)
Advancing on a challenge to unleash the growth potential (through tailored consulting and collective activities such as peer to peer benchmarking)
Contributing to coalition knowledge (by exchanging knowledge and expertise with other project teams and coalition members)

In 2020, 12 project teams completed the program. To learn more about their acceleration experience click here.

In 2021, 10 projects have joined the acceleration. Stay tuned to learn more about them.

Accelerated Projects 2020

B4IG Incubator – La Passerelle

Sodexo is setting up a multi-purpose facility to support social inclusion and improve employability in an underprivileged neighborhood. The Parisian suburb of

B4IG Incubator – Clean Energy Entrepreneurs

Schneider Electric’s Clean Energy Micro-Enterprise Network program is creating an ecosystem of micro-entrepreneurs in India who make affordable, clean energy products available. Unemployed

B4IG Incubator – The Coffee Fund

Pret A Manger’s Coffee Fund addresses the declining youth involvement in coffee farming, by equipping the next generation of farmers with the

12 Next

Accelerated Projects 2021

The B4IG Incubator’s 2021 Graduation Event

The B4IG Incubator's Graduation Event that took place on December 9th, marked the end of the 2021 Acceleration programme for the second

B4IG Incubator- The Inclusive Site : Strengthening workers’ rights on construction sites

Companies in the construction sector often employ workers from vulnerable backgrounds, like migrant workers. They frequently work in complex construction projects where

B4IG Incubator – Cocagne Network

The Cocagne Network - Professional inclusion through organic gardening. People who have been socially and professionally excluded often struggle to reintegrate into

12 Next

Innovation Studio

The Innovation studio was designed to foster and develop common inclusive initiatives and innovations through intensive collaboration among coalition members.

This new program, launched in 2021, gives B4IG members the opportunity to get together to jointly develop a common initiative from scratch (a common project in a specific country, a tool, an operating model, …) that is relevant to their inclusive growth ambition.

The Innovation studio has been co-designed with the working groups and the topics that are treated are closely aligned with working group priorities.

Similar to the acceleration program, the project teams are closely accompanied and supported by a designated lead consultant and can benefit from collective activities (workshops, benchmarks, discussion with experts).

The aim is to develop innovative, inclusive cross-company solutions that address common challenges and can be integrated into different organizations.

In 2021, the Innovation Studio participants work on the topic of inclusive sourcing.

Collective Training

The collective training is a digital training program which aims at raising awareness, strengthening and reinforcing inclusive business capabilities within B4IG member organizations so that any project leader can be equipped with the fundamentals of inclusive business and especially of inclusive project management.

The training consists of a range of two-hour long online sessions that will take place between March and July. We will address diverse topics like building a platform of business benefits, social impact measurement, funding strategies and many more.

The sessions, which are being co-designed with academics from HEC and Harvard, are open to all B4IG members and will provide participants with fundamental knowledge, inputs from experts, insights into case studies and clear dos and dont’s.

The incubator