
Impact Stories
New soil for the “bonsai people” of Western Province: ZayoHub and community-centred design
“.. [underserved] people are like bonsai trees. There is nothing wrong in their seeds. Simply, society never gave them the…
Established in 2015, TRANSFORM was a joint initiative led by Unilever, the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through the Global Research and Technology Department (GRTD), and EY. Together, we set out to help impact entrepreneurs test and scale commercially self-sustaining, market-driven solutions to some of the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges.
TRANSFORM brought public and private sector organisations together, combining resources, expertise and networks to support locally led innovation. Through this approach, we worked alongside impact enterprises and researchers to create value for communities, entrepreneurs and partners alike.
Over the course of the initiative, we supported over 160 impact enterprise and research projects across 19 countries in Asia and Africa, reaching more than 21 million people.
The initiative came to an end in 2026 having delivered its vision, and its legacy continues. We’ve captured our insights and learnings in an open-access playbook. We hope the TRANSFORM model lives on through others who adapt it, apply it and take its impact further.
enterprise & research projects supported
provided in grant funding and business support
people reached
Whether you're a donor, enterprise, business, investor or simply want to learn more, explore our collection of insights, tools, case studies and learning resources.

Impact Stories
“.. [underserved] people are like bonsai trees. There is nothing wrong in their seeds. Simply, society never gave them the…

Impact Stories
Lagos residents generate 15,000 tons of waste per day, of which only 40% is collected by the municipal government. I…

Resources
The true costs of managing plastic waste—financial, cognitive, and behavioral—are often underestimated, resulting in inadequate disposal and waste management practices….

Impact Stories
TRANSFORM Survive & Thrive helped Jeeon respond to the crisis in an agile manner and train and support last-mile pharmacies…
TRANSFORM's impact enterprises are tackling some of the world's most pressing development challenges in an inclusive, sustainable and innovative way.

Brink is a research organisation that approaches complex challenges through the lens of ‘behavioural innovation’, combining behavioural science and innovation…

Africa grows enough food to feed its people, yet one in five still goes hungry. Each year, nearly a third of the continent’s harvest…

India generates 200,000 tonnes of waste per day, of which less than five percent gets recycled. Many municipalities refuse to…

According to a United Nations Environment study report, 79 percent of all plastic waste ever produced accumulates in dumps or…

Waste management in India currently involves extraction, production, consumption and dumping or landfilling, resulting in greenhouse gas emissions, groundwater pollution…

The rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a silent pandemic that is making antibiotics less effective among humans and diseases harder to…

Washing hands with soap is the cheapest and easiest way to prevent diarrhoea and infectious disease. However, less than one…

Globally, 1.2 million people die each year from drinking dirty water. Low-income communities cannot afford costly water appliances that provide…