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A guideline to participating in the financing of the Inter-American Development Bank's projects in majority markets through the IDB's A/B Loan program.
Since launching, Majority Markets has received a number of requests from socially driven investors looking for investment opportunities at the base of the pyramid. The truth is that there is not one answer for these requests, the opportunities and channels to connect are many, and the outlook is looking even more promising as awareness of BOP projects grows and market participants are increasingly eager to explore investment opportunities which have social impact along with financial returns.
News from around the Majority Markets community: New projects, upcoming events and recommended readings, including a tool for companies developing inclusive business models, a University of Michigan workshop on evaluating impact and a series on social entrepreneurship.
World Business Council for Sustainable Development: WBSCD introduced a presentation and simulation tool, “The Inclusive Business Challenge.” This Power Point-based tool is designed to help guide companies through the process of understanding the risks and rewards of developing and launching inclusive business ventures. It was produced by the members of its 2009 Future Leadership Team, a WBSCD program that brings up and coming business professionals together, both to develop leadership skills and to deepen their understanding of the role busines
On April 20, Jaime Elizondo, President of CEMEX Mexico, and Luiz Ros, Manager of the Opportunities for the Majority initiative of the Inter-American Development Bank, signed a partial credit guarantee agreement that will enable CEMEX to significantly increase the scope of its Mejora Tu Calle (“Improve Your Street”) program.
On April 20, Jaime Elizondo, President of CEMEX Mexico, and Luiz Ros, Manager of the Opportunities for the Majority initiative of the Inter-American Development Bank, signed a partial credit guarantee agreement that will enable CEMEX to significantly increase the scope of its Mejora Tu Calle (“Improve Your Street”) program.
Staff blogger Elizabeth Boggs Davidsen recently attended the IDB's Annual Board of Governors' Meeting in Cancun, Mexico, and reports that new partnerships are forming between several companies involved in the Opportunities for the Majority Dialogue.
On March 19, I attended the meeting IDB organized in connection with the Annual Board of Governors’ Meeting in Cancun on The Role of the Private Sector in the Economic and Social Development of Latin America and the Caribbean. As part of this event, the Opportunities for the Majority initiative organized a panel titled “Scaling the Impact of Market-based Business Models with the Base of the Pyra
Opportunities for the Majority's Johnny Jiron describes a successful partnership between a Trinidad resort and some nearby farmers. If you know of any Caribbean tourism companies that might be interested in trying to engage with local majority markets, let them know about the IDB business plan competition accepting applications until April 9, 2010.
A couple of months ago, the Opportunities for the Majority initiative launched a business plan competition for companies in the tourism sector in the Caribbean that are seeking to engage with low-income communities. The deadline for applications is April 9, and we are just starting to receive proposals.
The second in a series of IDB-hosted Strategic Partners dialogues proposes a forward-looking agenda centered around the topic of market-based strategies and the results they can deliver for the base of the pyramid in the region.
The second in a series of IDB-hosted Strategic Partners’ dialogue proposed a forward-looking agenda centered around the topic of market-based strategies and the results they can deliver for the base of the pyramid in the region. Mixing strategic stock-taking with practical discussion on current issues, a lively dialogue was created that touched different topics, ranging from strategy and innovation to the role of multilateral institutions in this new space.
IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno highlights the Bank’s commitment to working with partners to promote private sector investment in majority markets in Latin America and the Caribbean at the second Strategic Partners’ Dialogue, organized by the Opportunities for the Majority Initiative.
It is gratifying to see all of you gathered here today, representing diverse organizations, approaches, ideas and structure of resources. Many of you have been pioneers and innovators in what is now our common endeavor. The IDB is fortunate to count you among its allies and is proud of its association with all of you here today.
Only 13% of lower and middle-income Mexicans use the Internet, in many cases because computer access in rural areas is limited or nonexistent. Learn about a pilot project that is helping connect villagers in the Yucatan region to the rest of the world through affordable, high quality Internet service.
At about 2:00 pm on Thursday, July 9, I received an e-mail saying, “we are at a store and it works!” I knew exactly what this cryptic message meant and where it was coming from: a remote rural village in Yucatan, Mexico, where many houses do not have electricity and, until that moment, access to Internet was limited only to the very few who could afford a thirty minute walk and a ME$200 taxi ride to the nearest town.
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition and the World Food Programme are working together to provide a "premix" of vitamin and mineral supplements to Haitians struggling after last month's earthquake. Find out how this effort is part of a unique opportunity for the private sector to help fight hunger.
In the weeks since the devastating earthquake in Port-au-Prince, we have all read heartbreaking stories, like this one in the New York Times, about the millions of Haitians left struggling to meet basic daily needs. So I was heartened to see an announcement from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition regarding their collaboration with the U.N. World Food Programme.
Staff blogger Francisco Mejia wraps up his series on using "platforms" to bring BoP projects to scale with some advice on how to determine which kind of platform will work for your business plan.
In the coming years, a growing number of incoming firms will begin to associate themselves with existing platforms. As platforms allow more products and services to be sold through their networks, they will offer a growing share of products and services to majority markets. In effect, platforms may well end up being the key-holders for some product types in some specific regions.
