Business Innovation Facility

The Business Innovation Facility was launched on 10 March 2010.

The Facility aims to build stronger partnerships between DFID and the private sector. The objective of these partnerships is to take advantage of market opportunities in developing countries and to maximise the transformational impact of business through including the poor as consumers, employees and producers. 

What types of business initiatives will the Facility support?
Business initiatives that will be supported by the Facility will include, but not be limited to those that:

• Develop, or adapt existing, supply and distribution chains so as to increase the participation of disadvantaged producers, informal traders and employees
• Develop new, or adapt existing, products and services needed by the poor and/ or enable greater access to these products and services to the poor 
• Develop low carbon and/or climate resilient business models that lead to direct positive impacts for the poor.

What impact will the Facility have?
Over three years, the Business Innovation Facility will support at least 30 company-led initiatives focused on developing or scaling up innovative ‘inclusive business’ models.

Positive development outcomes to be achieved for the poor will include: new jobs created, incomes increased, improved access to products and services, and resilience to environmental shocks.

The Facility will promote business initiatives that are profitable, replicable and scalable.  

What support will Business Innovation Facility provide?
The Business Innovation Facility will:

• Share costs with company-led initiatives as they develop feasibility studies and plans for the implementation of inclusive business models
• Assist companies to broker partnerships with NGOs, development agencies, other non-business partners, and local businesses or entrepreneurs
• Share knowledge and learning on how best to execute and evaluate such projects.