Nudge Lebanon

What Nudge Lebanon does

Nudge Lebanon is a non-governmental, non-profit initiative founded in 2017 by Dr. Fadi Makki in Beirut, Lebanon. It applies behavioral economics and experimental methods — particularly randomized controlled trials (RCTs) — to design, implement, and evaluate behavioral interventions for public policy challenges in Lebanon and the broader Arab region. The organization serves government agencies, NGOs, academic institutions, and international development organizations, addressing issues including vaccination uptake, anti-corruption, sustainability, financial inclusion, and the prevention of violent extremism.

Its core offerings include the proprietary IDIAS methodology (a five-step Identify-Design-Implement-Analyze-Scale framework for policy experimentation), the SHAPE DIFFERENCE framework co-developed with B4Development (Qatar), and the Consumer-Citizen Lab (CCL) — an academic platform structured around three pillars: an Observatory for policy research, a Lab for policy experimentation, and a Platform for policy advocacy. The BX Arabia annual summit, co-organized with B4Development since 2018, convenes 500+ regional and global behavioral science experts. Additional initiatives include the Transparent Hearts transparency platform, the Consumer Citizen Relief Platform (CCRP) for disaster response, and the Proudly Non-Smoking Campaign.

Nudge Lebanon operates as a grant-funded non-profit with no fees charged for its services. Revenue is sustained through institutional grants (notably a $500,000 grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York in 2017 for the CCL) and project-based funding from international development organizations including UNDP, UNICEF, and Save the Children. The go-to-market model is sales-led, relying on direct institutional partnerships, thought leadership through peer-reviewed publications, and convening power via the BX Arabia summit and Harvard Business Review Arabia contributions.

Name

Nudge Lebanon

Legal name

Nudge Lebanon

Website

https://nudgelebanon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nudge Lebanon is a Beirut-based non-governmental, non-profit initiative that applies behavioral economics and randomized controlled trials to design and evaluate public policy interventions across Lebanon and the Arab region, serving government agencies, NGOs, academic institutions, and international development organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Beirut

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding & Donations: Nudge Lebanon is a non-governmental, non-profit initiative. It sustains operations through grant funding and donations from institutional partners including the Carnegie Corporation of New York ($500,000 grant), and project-based funding from international organizations such as UNDP, UNICEF, and Save the Children.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nudge Lebanon is a non-governmental, non-profit initiative that applies behavioral economics to public policy challenges through randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and other rigorous experimental methods. It designs, implements, and evaluates behavioral interventions — including nudges, social norms messaging, commitment devices, defaults, and cognitive bias-informed design — for government ministries, international development organizations, and academic institutions in Lebanon and across the Arab region. Its core delivery combines consulting services with proprietary methodologies (IDIAS and SHAPE DIFFERENCE) and academic platforms (Consumer-Citizen Lab and BX Arabia).

Product overview

Nudge Lebanon is a non-governmental, non-profit initiative that applies behavioral insights to policy challenges using rigorous experimental approaches including randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The organization operates through its core offerings: the Consumer-Citizen Lab (CCL) as its flagship academic initiative for behavioral economics education and experimentation; various behavioral initiatives including the Proudly Non-Smoking Campaign, Transparent Hearts transparency platform, and Consumer Citizen Relief Platform (CCRP); BX Arabia as its premier behavioral science conference platform; and proprietary methodologies including the SHAPE DIFFERENCE Framework and IDIAS Methodology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Consumer-Citizen Lab (CCL): Nudge Lebanon's academic initiative to extend behavioral economics to universities in Lebanon and the Arab region, build capacity of students and future practitioners, and connect stakeholders including government agencies, NGOs, experts, and academics. Funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Products and services

• Consumer-Citizen Lab (CCL) Flagship academic initiative that extends behavioral economics to universities in Lebanon and the Arab region, builds capacity of students and future practitioners, and connects stakeholders including government agencies, NGOs, experts, and academics. Built on three pillars: Observatory for policy research, Lab for policy experimentation (RCTs), and Platform for policy advocacy.
• BX Arabia Annual Summit Premier Arab behavioral science platform co-organized with B4Development, featuring an annual flagship event that brings together 500+ behavioral science experts, academics, and policymakers from the region and globally. Has featured keynotes from Cass Sunstein and Dilip Soman.
• Consumer Citizen Relief Platform (CCRP) Humanitarian relief platform launched after the August 2020 Beirut port explosion to connect entities providing in-kind donations with victims and households most affected by the blast.
• Transparent Hearts Online platform developed with the Lebanese Transparency Association to empower NGOs and initiatives to be transparent by assessing their strengths and weaknesses through a structured transparency checklist.
• Proudly Non-Smoking Campaign Behavioral intervention campaign launched in 2018 in collaboration with the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism to encourage compliance of restaurants and cafes with Law 174 (banning indoor smoking in public spaces) using dynamic social norms behavioral insights.

Quantifiable outcome

• Statistically significant increase in the probability of household vaccinating at least one child by 50% through a behaviorally-informed calendar
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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, flagship, significant and minor.

• UNDP Arab StatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Nudge Lebanon collaborated with UNDP and B4Development on multiple behavioral science for PVE (Prevention of Violent Extremism) initiatives, including a guidance note released in April 2021 and a follow-on report in March 2022 covering experiments in Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Also partnered on COVID-19 compliance research and psychosocial support interventions in Yemen.
• B4Development (Qatar)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerB4Development (formerly Qatar Behavioral Insights Unit) is Nudge Lebanon's closest strategic partner. Co-developed the SHAPE DIFFERENCE framework. Co-organize the annual BX Arabia behavioral science summit. Dr. Fadi Makki was inaugural head of B4Development. Jointly conducted experiments in the Middle East and published reports on PVE and COVID-19 compliance. This is a flagship, deep co-development partnership spanning experimentation methodology, capacity building, and regional dissemination of behavioral science.
• UNICEF LebanoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNICEF collaborated with Nudge Lebanon on the Accelerated Immunization Activities (AIA) program in 2018, implementing and evaluating a behavioral intervention to improve vaccination uptake among unvaccinated children in Lebanon, in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health. Also partnered on childhood vaccination RCTs.
• American University of Beirut (AUB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNudge Lebanon maintains a deep academic partnership with AUB including a joint Behavioral Economics course delivered annually since 2020. Multiple student-led experiments have been conducted at AUB (cafeteria sustainability, campus composting, etc.). Board members Dr. Saouma BouJaoude and Dr. Ramzi Mabsout are AUB faculty. Director of Issam Fares Institute (H.E. Dr. Tarek Mitri) serves on the Board of Trustees.
• Lebanese UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNudge Lebanon, in collaboration with B4Development, launched a Behavioral Economics course for students at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Lebanese University. The course was delivered for the second consecutive year in Spring 2021, introducing students to theoretical foundations and practical evidence-based policy evaluation.
• Ministry of Public Health LebanoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNudge Lebanon works closely with Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health on multiple initiatives: the Accelerated Immunization Activities (AIA) program with UNICEF; the National Mental Health Strategy through the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP); and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance studies.
• Save the ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNudge Lebanon is a member of the INMAA consortium led by Save the Children, conducting behavioral interventions in Lebanon's Akkar and Baalbek-Hermel districts. Projects include experiments on welfare improvement, financial inclusion of severely vulnerable households, and growth mindset development for TVET program participants.
• London School of Economics (LSE)significantStrategic or Co-development PartnerLSE collaborated with Nudge Lebanon and B4Development on a COVID-19 compliance study in Middle Eastern and Latin American countries, examining the impact of risk perceptions on compliance with preventive measures over time. Dr. Dario Krpan, Board of Trustees member, is Assistant Professor in Behavioural Science at LSE.
• University of CambridgesignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerNudge Lebanon collaborated with researchers from the University of Cambridge in 2019 to develop and test the 'Radicalise' game, a novel online game designed to combat online recruitment by violent extremist organizations. Dr. Fadi Makki obtained his PhD from Cambridge University.
• Lebanese Transparency AssociationsignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerNudge Lebanon partnered with the Lebanese Transparency Association to develop 'Transparent Hearts,' an online platform to promote transparency among NGOs and initiatives following the Beirut port explosion. Also collaborated on the anti-corruption hotline experiment at the Land Registry of Baabda.
• Positive Planet InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Nudge Lebanon in 2019, along with the Makhzoumi Foundation, on a financial literacy intervention targeting Lebanese and displaced Syrian entrepreneurs, using behaviorally-framed SMS messages to reinforce learning outcomes from a business training program.
• Makhzoumi FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Nudge Lebanon and Positive Planet International on a behavioral intervention to improve financial literacy and re-engage entrepreneurs previously enrolled in a business training program, using SMS messages with family identity and loss aversion framing.
• Banque Du LibanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBanque Du Liban (Central Bank of Lebanon) was listed as a partner and co-organizer of the BX Arabia 2019 summit alongside Nudge Lebanon and B4Development.
• Kuwait Policy Appraisal Lab (KPAL)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerKPAL was a collaborating organization for the BX Arabia 2019 summit, representing regional institutional engagement with behavioral science in public policy across the Gulf region.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ideas42: US-based non-profit behavioral science organization that applies RCTs to social policy in education, health, finance, and international development. Closely comparable to Nudge Lebanon's mission and operating model, and an active competitor for international development behavioral science funding.
• Busara Center for Behavioral Economics: Kenya-based non-profit applying behavioral economics to development challenges across Africa. Closest analog to Nudge Lebanon's model in a different emerging region — same non-profit structure, RCT-based methodology, and focus on low-cost behavior change interventions for underserved populations.
• B4Development (Qatar Behavioural Insights Unit): Closest strategic partner of Nudge Lebanon; both apply behavioral science to public policy in the Arab region using RCTs. They co-developed the SHAPE DIFFERENCE framework and jointly organize the BX Arabia summit. B4Development is the regional counterpart in Qatar and is led by the same founder heritage.

Broad incumbents

• The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT): The original UK government nudge unit, now operating globally and the gold-standard behavioral science consultancy. BIT competes for the same UNDP/UNICEF/Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation RFPs that Nudge Lebanon targets and represents the most established global incumbent in this space.
• J-PAL (Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab): Global network of randomized evaluation researchers based at MIT. Operates many of the same kinds of RCTs in development and education that Nudge Lebanon conducts in the Arab region; a likely institutional partner or competitor for evidence-based policy work.
• UN Global Pulse: UN initiative applying behavioral and data science to UN programs and humanitarian response. Operates at UN-system scale with similar application areas (PVE, public health, financial inclusion) where Nudge Lebanon already partners with UNDP and UNICEF.
• The World Bank Mind, Behavior, and Development Unit (eMBeD): World Bank unit that applies behavioral science to development policy globally. Operates at much larger scale than Nudge Lebanon and frequently partners with or substitutes for organizations like Nudge Lebanon on government behavioral science engagements.
• OECD Behavioural Insights Unit: OECD unit that produces global guidance and benchmarks on behavioral science application in government. Functions as a policy standards body that Nudge Lebanon's frameworks are benchmarked against and could partner with for international dissemination.

Emerging players

• INSEAD Behavioural Science Lab: Academic center applying behavioral science to business and policy, with regional reach in the Middle East via INSEAD's Abu Dhabi campus. Comparable as a hybrid research/policy organization with similar methodology.
• Kuwait Policy Appraisal Lab (KPAL): Emerging behavioral insights unit in Kuwait that has co-organized the BX Arabia summit. Represents the regional proliferation of nudge-style units that Nudge Lebanon helped catalyze.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nudgelebanon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nudgelebanon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Nudge Lebanon