INASP

What INASP does

INASP (International Network for Advancing Science and Policy), founded in 1992 and headquartered in Oxford, UK, is a registered charity (no. 1106349) that operates as an international development organization supporting research and knowledge systems in the Global South. With 11-50 employees and a distributed network of named Associates across Africa, Asia, Latin America and beyond, INASP delivers programs in three core areas: youth employability and dignified work, critical knowledge for policy and communities, and women educators and researchers leading change. Its go-to-market is a facilitator and catalyst model rather than commercial sales, working behind the scenes with universities, TVETs, research institutions, and government bodies.

INASP's core products include the Rising Scholars digital learning community (14,000+ members across Africa, Asia and Latin America), the AuthorAID free online courses in research and proposal writing, and the INASP Moodle e-learning platform that underpins course delivery. On top of this platform, INASP runs structured programs: TESCEA (a methodology for transforming higher education co-developed with four East African universities), GPEKE (equitable knowledge ecosystems), GESP (girls' ICT skills with Yaba College of Technology), and African Journals Online (AJOL), which hosts 500+ African journals. Proprietary methodological IP includes the TESCEA framework and a gender-responsive pedagogy framework for low-resource environments.

INASP's revenue model is 100% grant-funded; the organization does not generate commercial revenue and all platforms and courses are free to access. Funders span FCDO, IDRC, DFAT, Sida, NORAD, GIZ, EU, UNESCO, WHO, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Distribution combines self-serve digital access (Rising Scholars, AuthorAID) with direct institutional partnerships and a regional hub model (e.g., AuthorAID Nigeria). Geographic reach spans 70+ countries, with concentration in Sub-Saharan Africa and growing presence in South Asia and parts of Latin America.

Name

INASP

Legal name

International Network for Advancing Science and Policy

Website

https://inasp.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Research Capacity Development

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

MOOC & Open Course Platforms (EDAFAIAA)

Keywords

• Research capacity building
• Higher education support
• Open access publishing
• Researcher training programs
• Knowledge equity systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: INASP is supported by grants from governments, foundations, non-governmental organisations, multilateral agencies, academia and the private sector. Major funders include FCDO, IDRC, DFAT, Sida, NORAD, GIZ, EU, UNESCO, World Health Organization, and various foundations including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Carnegie Corporation of New York. INASP is a registered charity (no. 1106349) and does not generate commercial revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

INASP is a UK-registered development charity that builds research and knowledge capacity in the Global South by running digital learning platforms (Rising Scholars community of 14,000+ members; AuthorAID free online courses; INASP Moodle e-learning) and by co-developing and implementing thematic programs with universities and TVETs, including TESCEA for higher-education pedagogy, GESP for girls' ICT skills, GPEKE for equitable knowledge ecosystems, and journal hosting initiatives such as Journals Online and African Journals Online (AJOL). All programs and platforms are delivered free of charge to end users and are funded through grants from governments, foundations, and multilateral agencies.

Product overview

INASP operates a platform-plus-programs model centered on Rising Scholars, a digital community for early career researchers with over 14,000 members, powered by the INASP Moodle e-learning infrastructure. AuthorAID provides free online courses in research and proposal writing with mentoring support. The organization runs thematic programs including TESCEA (higher education transformation in East Africa), GESP (girls' ICT skills in Nigeria), and GPEKE (equitable knowledge ecosystems), alongside journal hosting platforms like Journals Online and African Journals Online (AJOL).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rising Scholars Digital learning community platform for and driven by early career researchers, with over 14,000 members across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, enabling members to share expertise, take courses, and learn from peers.
• AuthorAID Free-to-access online courses in research and proposal writing for early-career researchers in low- and middle-income countries, with mentoring support and collaboration facilitation.
• INASP Moodle (e-learning platform) Moodle-based e-learning platform powering INASP's online courses and training programmes, including AuthorAID.
• TESCEA (Transforming Employability for Social Change in East Africa) Proven methodology developed in partnership with four East African universities to motivate academics to teach differently, improve the relevance and quality of courses, and give students critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• African Journals Online (AJOL)
• Journals Online
• Girls Education and Skills Partnership (GESP)
• Global Platforms for Equitable Knowledge Ecosystems (GPEKE)

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mzumbe UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2018TESCEA partner university in Tanzania that developed scalable pedagogical model for transformative learning. The university has established a new Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning built on TESCEA's success.
• University of DodomacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2018TESCEA partner in Tanzania that collaborated on developing the gender mainstreaming toolkit for higher education institutions. Key partner in East Africa higher education transformation initiative.
• Gulu UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2018TESCEA partner in Uganda that has embraced the TESCEA approach to rejuvenate its Public Health masters and undergraduate law programs, and established a dedicated gender unit.
• Uganda Martyrs UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2018TESCEA partner in Uganda where trained students in education faculty are demonstrating better workplace outcomes and applying TESCEA approaches in teaching.
• Association for Faculty Enrichment in Learning and Teaching (AFELT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2018TESCEA partner providing expertise in faculty development and learning and teaching methodologies in East Africa.
• Ashoka East AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2018TESCEA partner contributing expertise in social entrepreneurship and innovation in East African higher education.
• African Journals Online (AJOL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAJOL was initiated by INASP in 2005 to raise visibility of African journals. Locally owned and managed since 2005, AJOL now hosts more than 500 African journals, improving accessibility of Southern research.
• Ethiopian Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGPEKE partner working to strengthen equity of research and knowledge system in Ethiopia, and establish the Ethiopia Gender Learning Forum bringing together champions from almost 30 universities.
• Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGPEKE partner in Uganda working to strengthen research equity and launch the Gender Equity in Research Alliance with regional chapters supporting local institutions.
• Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of the Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) and partner in PEBL West Africa supporting academics and students across 12 universities in Ghana and Nigeria for blended learning.
• Oxford Policy Management (OPM)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner supporting the Short Course on Social Protection Design and Delivery for Practitioners in Pakistan, providing global delivery capabilities alongside INASP's blended learning design expertise.
• International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in development of MOOC on pastoralism in development, providing entry point for understanding pastoralism issues.
• London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner that commissioned INASP to review the short course 'Pandemics: Emergence, Spread and Response'.
• Yaba College of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Girls Education and Skills Partnership (GESP) project to improve livelihoods and future opportunities of 5,250 young women and girls by providing industry-relevant skills in ICT sectors.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• British Council: UK-based international organization promoting education, English and culture globally. Comparable to INASP as a long-established UK-headquartered international development body working through partnerships to build capacity in higher education and research across the Global South.

Direct peers

• Open Data Institute (ODI): UK-based non-profit working globally on open data and knowledge ecosystems for development impact. Comparable to INASP through its mission to build equitable knowledge infrastructure and data/research capacity in developing economies.
• Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU): ACU is a confirmed INASP partner on blended-learning and Ocean Country Partnership programs across 12 universities in Ghana and Nigeria. Directly comparable network of universities collaborating on higher-education capacity building across the Commonwealth.
• African Leadership University: Higher-education operator with campuses in Mauritius and Rwanda focused on developing African leadership talent. Comparable to INASP in its mission to redesign higher education in Africa around employability, critical thinking and local relevance.
• Practical Action: UK-registered charity headquartered near INASP's Oxford region, using technology and partnerships to tackle poverty in the Global South. Comparable as a similarly sized, grant-funded UK international development organization partnering with Southern institutions.
• Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL): International non-profit working with libraries and researchers in developing countries to enable access to scholarly information. Comparable to INASP through its focus on equitable access to research content and capacity building in low- and middle-income countries.
• African Academy of Sciences (AAS): Pan-African academy funding and building research capacity across the continent. Comparable to INASP in mission to strengthen African research systems, support early-career researchers and accelerate science-led development.

Emerging players

• African Leadership Academy: Pan-African secondary and post-secondary institution developing young African leaders. Comparable to INASP through its focus on building leadership, research and critical-thinking capacity among African youth, including strong South Africa–anchored delivery.

Others

• Mastercard Foundation (Education & Learning programs): Major philanthropic foundation funding secondary and tertiary education and youth employment across Africa. Comparable to INASP through its donor-side focus on education access, employability and equity in low-income countries.

Peers

• International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED): UK-registered research and policy organization working with partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America on sustainable development. Comparable to INASP as a London/UK-based, grant-funded development organization partnering with Southern researchers to produce policy-relevant knowledge.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/inaspinfo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/INASPinfo
• Facebookfacebook.com/inasp.info
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inasp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 INASP