Business Call to Action

What Business Call to Action does

Business Call to Action (BCtA) is a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) initiative launched in 2008 that operates as a membership platform recognizing and advancing inclusive businesses committed to serving low- and middle-income populations in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The platform serves 100+ member companies across agriculture, healthcare, financial services, and education technology, providing capacity building on Impact Measurement and Management (IMM), networking through an Annual Forum held alongside the UN General Assembly, and frameworks such as the SDG Corporate Tracker for reporting SDG contributions. Membership is free, and member companies submit annual progress reports against commercial and SDG indicators.

BCtA's service portfolio comprises four core offerings — the Membership Program, Impact Measurement & Management, Inclusive Innovation Journeys, and the SDG Corporate Tracker — supplemented by a toolkit suite that includes the Inclusive Business Maturity Diagnostic (a five-question self-assessment), maturity-level frameworks, and the Inclusive Public Procurement Playbook launched in September 2022. The platform does not operate proprietary technology products; its core technology consists of digital toolkits, diagnostic tools, and content libraries hosted on its website (businesscalltoaction.org). BCtA is funded by a donor consortium including the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and the UK Department for International Development (DFID), and is governed by a Donor Steering Committee.

The initiative operates with a small Secretariat (1-10 employees) housed within UNDP, with cumulative reach of approximately 700 million low-income individuals served by member companies between 2015 and 2020, including 617M with improved healthcare access, 80M with improved energy access, 59M with increased financial services access, 37M receiving training and education, and 12M with improved water access. BCtA's go-to-market is event-driven and partnership-mediated rather than commercial — the Annual Forum (12th edition held September 2022), SDG Finance Academy training programmes, and UNDP country office referrals drive member acquisition and stakeholder engagement. The Secretariat is located within UNDP offices in New York, with operational presence anchored through UNDP's global country office network.

Name

Business Call to Action

Legal name

Business Call to Action (BCtA), United Nations Development Programme

Website

https://businesscalltoaction.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Business Call to Action is a UNDP-hosted membership platform launched in 2008 that recognizes and advances inclusive businesses serving low- and middle-income populations in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals, serving 100+ member companies through impact measurement frameworks, an Annual Forum, and a free membership model funded by bilateral donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Istanbul

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor Funding: BCtA is a UNDP-hosted initiative funded by bilateral donors including Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and UK Department for International Development (DFID). The initiative does not generate commercial revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Business Call to Action (BCtA) is a UNDP-hosted membership platform that recognizes and advances inclusive businesses committed to benefiting people in low and middle-income markets to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It delivers services including Impact Measurement & Management training, Inclusive Innovation Journeys, and the SDG Corporate Tracker, supplemented by toolkits, maturity diagnostic frameworks, and an annual forum convening members at the UN General Assembly.

Product overview

Business Call to Action (BCtA) is a UNDP initiative that operates as a membership-based platform recognizing and advancing inclusive businesses committed to benefiting people in low and middle-income markets to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The organization offers a portfolio of services including Membership, Impact Measurement & Management, Inclusive Innovation Journeys, and the SDG Corporate Tracker. BCtA also provides a comprehensive toolkit featuring the Maturity Diagnostic, Inclusive Business Process, and Inclusive Business Maturity frameworks. Additional offerings include the Inclusive Public Procurement Playbook, resource libraries with reports and toolkits, and the Annual Forum event series. The platform connects member companies with UNDP country offices and provides guidance on inclusive business practices to help businesses advance toward commercially viable and scalable SDG-relevant inclusive businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BCtA Membership Program
• Impact Measurement & Management (IMM)
• Inclusive Innovation Journeys
• SDG Corporate Tracker
• Inclusive Public Procurement Playbook

Quantifiable outcome

• 700 million low-income individuals reached by BCtA member companies based on 2015-2020 annual reports
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• UNDP Sustainable Finance HubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022Partnership on SDG Finance Academy initiatives including Impact Measurement and Management training for UN agencies and private sector businesses in Indonesia.
• Yunus Social BusinessflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 October 2021BCtA and Yunus Social Business announced collaboration to create new opportunities for inclusive and social businesses in low- and middle-income markets.
• Inclusive Business Action Network (iBAN)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2021BCtA published Inclusive Business Features with iBAN in 2021 as a guiding document for the adoption of inclusive business through clear and practically-defined features for businesses, investors, and governments.
• MedtronicflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2013Medtronic partnered with BCtA member ClickMedix to launch the Shruti program for ear infection screening in India, developing a workforce of community health workers.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008BCtA is hosted by UNDP, which provides institutional infrastructure, global network access, and operational support. UNDP's Sustainable Finance Hub collaborates with BCtA on Impact Measurement and Management training and SDG Finance Academy programs.
• Indonesia Impact FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNDP acts as impact advisor for the Indonesia Impact Fund, the first private impact fund investing in startups contributing to SDGs in Indonesia.
• Mandiri Capital IndonesiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestment advisor partner for the Indonesia Impact Fund, collaborating with UNDP on impact measuring frameworks.
• Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCtA's Inclusive Business Features publication highlighted by DCED as resource material for inclusive businesses. BCtA works featured in DCED's Debates on Inclusive Business synthesis note.
• World Food Programme (WFP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFP partners with BCtA member euglena Co. on mung bean distribution to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh via e-vouchers.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Acumen: Acumen is a major impact investor and venture builder focused on businesses serving low-income communities. It overlaps with BCtA's inclusive business ecosystem by funding and supporting many of the same types of member companies and sharing an SDG-aligned mission.
• World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD): WBCSD is a CEO-led business association of 200+ forward-looking companies working on sustainable development. It is comparable to BCtA in convening corporates around sustainability and SDG topics, but operates at a much larger, corporate-CEO level rather than an inclusive-business/startup level.
• UN Global Compact: The UN Global Compact is the largest UN-hosted corporate sustainability initiative with 20,000+ participants. It is a broader incumbent operating in an adjacent space, with overlapping SDG focus but a much wider scope covering human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption in addition to inclusive business.
• B Lab (B Corp Movement): B Lab certifies B Corporations using social and environmental performance standards. It competes with BCtA for credibility in defining what counts as an 'inclusive/impact business,' but is structurally much larger and globally recognized.

Direct peers

• Yunus Social Business: Yunus Social Business funds and supports social businesses in low- and middle-income markets. It announced a collaboration with BCtA in October 2021 to create opportunities for inclusive/social businesses, making it a directly comparable platform with overlapping members and SDG focus.
• GIIN (Global Impact Investing Network): GIIN is a membership-based organization advancing impact investing through standards, research, and convening. It is comparable to BCtA in operating a global membership platform for impact-aligned institutions and standardizing impact measurement and management.
• Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED): DCED is a donor committee promoting private-sector development and has highlighted BCtA's publications as resource materials. It is a peer in setting standards and frameworks for inclusive business and donor-supported enterprise development.
• Argidius Foundation: Argidius Foundation funds organizations that support small business growth in developing countries. It is comparable to BCtA in operating at the intersection of donor funding, SME support, and inclusive business development with similar geographic focus.
• Inclusive Business Action Network (iBAN): iBAN is a G20-backed global initiative focused on scaling inclusive businesses in developing countries. It is a direct peer — and also a flagship partner — of BCtA, jointly publishing the Inclusive Business Features framework and serving overlapping member companies.
• Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE): ANDE is a membership network supporting small and growing businesses in developing countries with a focus on impact measurement and capacity building. It is directly comparable to BCtA in targeting inclusive entrepreneurs in emerging markets with similar donor-funded convening and tooling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeil.youtube.com/user/BusinessCalltoAction
• Facebookfacebook.com/businesscalltoaction
• Xx.com/BCtAInitiative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Business Call to Action