Linklaters

August 5, 2019 |

We partnered with Linklaters Singapore to build the capacity of our local social enterprises towards accelerating their growth. Up to 20 social enterprises signed up and we helped them identify their gaps and key priorities to advance to their next stage of growth.

The SEs were also presented with a framework and tool developed by us and they were given the time to apply their learnings towards their own enterprises with the help of corporate volunteers.

Background

One SE that has taken part in two rounds of Empact’s Needs Assessment Workshop is Young Sustainable Impact Southeast Asia (YSI SEA). YSI SEA aims to serve the Southeast Asian community and drive impact in the region by empowering youth through our programmes and courses, while developing close connections to young minds and established organizations across the region.

They are passionate about bringing young people around the world together to tackle sustainability problems.

Learnings from the Needs Assessment Workshop

As an early stage start-up, YSI SEA’s business model revolves around running workshops and training sessions on environment and sustainability for schools and businesses. Through the Needs Assessment Workshop, they were introduced to frameworks that revealed gaps in their B2B business model.

From the Needs Assessment, YSI SEA’s co-founder, Irysad realised that YSI SEA’s product offerings were not very attractive, forcing them to relook and pivot their business strategy from a B2B model to a B2C model, and sharpen their social mission.

Since then, they have made improvements to their business model and offerings. The team has also embarked on a project to improve their platform, shifting from a knowledge sharing site to one that is more dynamic.

Through their new platform, people are able to take concrete actions for environmental sustainability through the building of communities, supporting eco-centred businesses, and spreading awareness with value-adding content.

 

The Needs Assessment Workshop has helped my social enterprise figure out exactly what are the gaps that are limiting my social enterprise, and this has really helped me map out my progress. There is something about the framework and its specificities that are extremely useful, and I found great value in repeating the assessment more
than once.” – Irsyad Ramthan, Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer of Young Sustainable Impact SEA