Publication database

Over the past decade, a new wave of pioneer healthcare initiatives has emerged that aims to improve the quality of care and access to healthcare of vulnerable populations in LMICs by building commercially viable and scalable enterprises. These pioneers are developing novel delivery models – inclusive clinics and hospitals, pharmacy-based, community-based, and risk-prevention models – and are innovating to solve patient pain points by making use of mobile and digital technologies, offering financing and insurance solutions, and improving access to preventative and primary care. This report reviews the preliminary findings of a study performed by the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science, together with Hystra – a consultancy specialized in inclusive business solutions – to learn from pioneer organizations what underlies their early successes and what is limiting them from reaching further scale or impact. It reviews the landscape of global inclusive initiatives and identifies innovations that can strengthen the impact of businesses.

Since 2013, the G4AW programme has been supporting 25 partnerships in 15 countries in Africa and South-East Asia that have taken up the challenge to develop digital solutions, using satellite and geodata to improve food and income security at smallholder food producer level. The major lessons learned from the programme (about 8 years) are summarized in this new lessons learned publication. It focuses on the business-related decisions and the steps taken to move towards a sustainable business model and scale to other services and regions.

The framework and case studies provided in this playbook are meant to provide a starting point for companies transitioning to becoming an inclusive business. The framework provides actionable ideas that can help guide your thinking, decision-making practices, and strategy while the case studies’ real-world examples can inspire you to drive inclusive change within your own business and unique context.

The year 2019 was a turning point in the adoption of an “inclusive economy.” In August of that year, 34 global firms pledged more than $USD 1 billion to combat inequality in the OECD-sponsored G7 Business for Inclusive Growth (B4IG) coalition. But what prompted this shift? What spurred business leaders to put an inclusive economy at the top of their agendas? A critical evaluation of past, present, and future income inequalities may explain this impetus.

This handbook provides investors, businesses and private
sector development practitioners with an overview of tools
and methods for effective and appropriately tailored data
collection for impact measurement and management. It
builds on the recognition that the methods of larger,
independent impact evaluations of, for example,
government-funded programmes rarely lend themselves
well to a private sector context. In reviewing select private
sector-relevant tools and methods, it draws out how such
tools can deliver impact insights while often feeding
valuable business intelligence back into companies.

Over the last decade, many multinational corporations have attempted to set up inclusive businesses of one kind or another, with varying success. Despite good intentions and the investment of significant resources, few of these pilots have been successful and an even smaller proportion has reached significant scale. This report presents key lessons from the corporate intrapreneurs whom Hystra has supported over the past 10 years in building their inclusive businesses.

So far, large companies have mainly developed - or ‘built’ - new inclusive business initiatives inside their existing business. This paper explores when buying inclusive business externally - through Corporate Impact Venturing (CIV) - makes sense. It also explains how CIV can be set up, and which partners can provide support. The outlook provides recommendations on how to further facilitate investments into inclusive businesses.

The New Economy includes new types of “social purpose” businesses and organizations such as social enterprises. At the same time, new types of inclusive businesses practices are emerging that generate social value through their normal business operations. This can include both internal practices such as living wage policies or external practices such as social procurement. This report provides an overview of these emerging business forms and practices and their associated impacts. The report also reflects questions such as: What are the barriers or enablers that would prevent or support greater adoption of inclusive business practices? What are the barriers or enablers that would prevent or support greater collaboration among stakeholders and organizations committed to growing the new economy?

The aim of this report is to identify how commercial businesses can generate employment opportunities in rural areas through inclusive business models.