Are you an inclusive innovator? Or do you support entrepreneurs that want to create social impact? We are happy to announce the Inclusive Innovation training course, developed for the SAIS program by Bopinc is now available for free in the VC4A Startup Academy. The course provides a unique opportunity to discover the fundamentals of designing and delivering impactful business solutions for low-income consumers or the “Base of the Pyramid”.
It is an exciting time for Inclusive Innovation. As international awareness grows on the need to include low-income communities and underserved groups in the development of products and services, new business opportunities arise for entrepreneurs that want to combine profit with making a social impact.
What to gain from the Inclusive Innovation Course
In this training course, Inclusive Innovation experts from Bopinc share their inspirational stories, useful tips and practical assignments that allow you to apply new knowledge to your own case. Each course module helps to advance the skills necessary to respond to challenges that entrepreneurs often experience when entering underserved markets. All topics covered in the course are crucial to the success of Inclusive Innovations and should be considered and revisited throughout the journey of every social entrepreneur.
Overview of the learning experience for Inclusive Innovators
The Inclusive Innovation course is structured into 7 modules, which take between 2-3 hours to complete each. While this course can be followed individually and self-paced, it is recommended to work in pairs or follow the course as a team.
Each module starts with an introduction, highlighting the key learnings of the module, followed by a podcast featuring an inspirational entrepreneur’s story. These first-hand insights are complemented with theory sections. Short quizzes help to test the insights gained and the final assignments help to put the theory into fruitful practice. Additional reading materials are offered to anyone eager to attain more knowledge about the topics covered in the modules.
What previous course participants say about it
“Wonderful insights on understanding the real needs of people [to serve with our inclusive innovation]” – Starting entrepreneur
“I have been practicing social entrepreneurship for 3 years. Had I known what I have learned from this course, we would have avoided one or two roadblocks!” – Business coach
About the creators of this course
Bopinc is a not-for-profit organization that accelerates the impact of market-driven innovative strategies in low-income markets – the “Base of the Pyramid” (BoP). We believe the best products should be available where they matter most, and that fulfilling the BoP’s aspirations and needs is key. Since 2010, Bopinc has been supporting inclusive innovation through the power of entrepreneurship. In our collaborations with startups, SMEs and MNCs, every new idea is turned upside down and inside out until we find the right innovation for low-income communities.
About the course initiator and funder
The course has been an initiative of the Southern Africa Innovation Support Programme.
Southern Africa Innovation Support Programme (SAIS 2), funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland in partnership with the SADC Secretariat and the governments of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia.
SAIS 2 has been running from 2017 to 2021, and aims to support the growth of new businesses through the strengthening of innovation ecosystems and the promotion of cross-border collaboration between innovation roleplayers in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
For the delivery of the training programs for SAIS 2 Innovation Fund grantees, SAIS 2 has teamed up with world-class experts. The Inclusive Innovation training program is delivered by Bopinc.