What Nirapon does

Nirapon is an industry-led nonprofit organization founded in 2018 and headquartered in Washington D.C., operating as the institutional successor to the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, which itself was created after the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse. Its sole product is the Nirapon Safety Management Program, a unified platform composed of three interdependent services delivered through partner organizations: Safety Systems by ELEVATE (an LRQA company), Educational Programming by BRAC, and an anonymous Worker Helpline operated by Amader Kotha. Supporting modules include a Learning Center with technical safety data sheets and masterclass content, Safety Support Sheets, and a 90-Day Workbook reviewed every quarter by Nirapon's Safety Analyst Team; the platform integrates with Trakstar for learning delivery, the Fair Factories Clearinghouse for factory data, and the Open Supply Hub for public factory-level transparency.

The organization serves global apparel brands, retailers, and manufacturers that source garments from Bangladesh factories, with current membership totaling 70 enterprises (up from 20 founding members in 2019) including Walmart, Target, Gap Inc., VF Corporation, Canadian Tire, The Children's Place, and Levi Strauss. Nirapon's go-to-market is direct-to-enterprise: brands pay membership fees to enroll their supplier factories in the program, and from Q2 2026 any factory with two or more members is automatically included. Reporting and educational content reach 1.2M+ workers across 344 enrolled factories, with quarterly Town Halls, monthly blog content, and YouTube/Learning Center distribution supporting ongoing engagement.

Operationally, Nirapon runs a lean internal team of 11-50 employees and relies on three core delivery partners for in-country execution; governance is exercised through a Board of Directors drawn from member companies and independent members. Recent strategic moves include the appointment of Lewis Temple as CEO in early 2025, joining the Global Initiative for Industrial Safety (GIFIS) in December 2025, and a series of programmatic expansions (tiered Technical Assessment Framework, Chemical Safety training, and dual-track training system) through 2026.

Name

Nirapon

Legal name

Nirapon Inc

Website

https://nirapon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nirapon is a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit that runs the Safety Management Program for global apparel brands sourcing from Bangladesh, delivering safety systems, worker education, and an anonymous helpline across 344 enrolled factories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Safety Services

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Safety & Compliance (OSHA, Lockout/Tagout, Machine Guarding) (EDAOAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC), Exposure Control & Program Management (IH Plans, Controls, Training) (EUAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Workplace safety management
• Factory safety programs
• Supply chain safety
• Worker safety education
• Industrial safety services

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nirapon delivers an industry-led Safety Management Program that helps Bangladesh garment factories develop and sustain a culture of workplace safety through three interdependent services: Safety Systems (delivered by ELEVATE/LRQA), Educational Programming (implemented by BRAC), and an anonymous Worker Helpline (operated by Amader Kotha). Membership in the program is paid for by global brands, retailers, and manufacturers who source from Bangladesh, and services are delivered to their supplier factories free of charge.

Product overview

Nirapon is a nonprofit organization offering the Nirapon Safety Management Program, a unified platform designed to create and sustain a culture of workplace safety in Bangladesh factories. The program consists of three interdependent core services: Safety Systems (delivered by ELEVATE/LRQA), Educational Programming (implemented by BRAC), and the Worker Helpline (operated by Amader Kotha). Supporting modules include the Learning Center with technical safety data sheets and masterclass materials, Safety Support Sheets providing best practices guidance, and the 90-Day Workbook for periodic safety reporting and analysis. The ecosystem integrates with Trakstar for learning management, Fair Factories Clearinghouse for data management, and Open Supply Hub for factory transparency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nirapon Safety Management Program An industry-led, membership-based program that delivers three interdependent services (Safety Systems, Educational Programming, and Worker Helpline) to Bangladesh supplier factories of member brands, retailers, and manufacturers to build and sustain a culture of workplace safety. Membership is purchased by global brands and retailers; services are delivered to their named supplier factories.
• Chemical Safety Training Video A standalone chemical management training video (masterclass format) that addresses flammable liquids, combustible dust, aerosols, and chemical storage best practices, available in both Bangla and English for factory worker and manager training.

Quantifiable outcome

• 344 factories enrolled in Safety Management Program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Global Initiative for Industrial Safety (GIFIS)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025GIFIS is a global network dedicated to improving industrial safety by advancing integration of emerging technologies and influencing policy, especially in developing countries. Led by University of Cambridge, UNIDO, and Lloyd's Register Foundation. Nirapon joined as a member to contribute expertise and learn from global best practices.
• Alliance for Bangladesh Worker SafetycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018The Alliance was an initiative led by global brands and experts in fire, electrical, and building safety that helped hundreds of factories achieve required engineering standards following the Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013. Members of the Alliance founded Nirapon to maintain improvements and develop a self-sustaining culture of workplace safety.
• ELEVATE, an LRQA companycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerELEVATE delivers Nirapon's Safety Systems program, guiding factories through comprehensive, systems-based safety management approaches. They provide factory reporting with fact-based evidence and site visits, delivering tailored guidance for factory managers to establish effective safety management systems.
• BRACcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBRAC implements Nirapon's Educational Programming, helping everyone inside the factory understand and uphold their role in creating a safe workplace. Through the train-the-trainer model, BRAC trains managers and factory-based internal trainers to develop and maintain safe work environments.
• Amader Kotha HelplinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmader Kotha operates an anonymous worker helpline that gives workers a direct voice to report safety and other issues, allowing managers to resolve these issues in a timely and sustainable way. Nirapon uses helpline data as an early-warning system to identify emerging risks and patterns to inform Educational Programming.
• Open Supply HubminorOthersNirapon shares the list of factories participating in its Safety Management Program via the Open Supply Hub, allowing anyone to search and see which factories are enrolled in the Nirapon program. This partnership supports transparency in supply chain safety.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Verité: Nonprofit focused on labor rights in global supply chains, with deep expertise in factory-level worker safety research and remediation. Comparable mission and supply-chain safety focus.
• Fair Labor Association (FLA): Multi-stakeholder nonprofit that promotes adherence to international labor standards in supply chains. Comparable member-based, third-party-verified workplace compliance model used by apparel brands.
• Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI): UK-based alliance of companies, trade unions, and NGOs promoting workers' rights in supply chains. Comparable tri-partite governance and supply-chain worker-safety focus.
• Responsible Business Alliance (RBA): Industry coalition of electronics, retail, and apparel companies implementing the RBA Code of Conduct in supplier factories. Highly comparable member-driven, multi-stakeholder safety and labor compliance model with a focus on supply chain factories.
• Fair Wear Foundation: Multi-stakeholder organization focused specifically on improving labor conditions in garment and textile supply chains. Closely comparable apparel-specific member-led factory improvement model.
• Better Work (ILO/IFC): Joint ILO-IFC program that improves working conditions in garment factories in 11+ countries. Closest functional peer: industry-stakeholder model delivering training, assessment, and capacity building in supplier factories, just like Nirapon does for Bangladesh.
• amfori BSCI: European-led business association providing social compliance audits and capacity building for global supply chains. Comparable member-driven model helping brands improve working conditions and safety at supplier factories.

Emerging players

• Clean Clothes Campaign: Global garment-industry coalition advocating for workers' rights and factory safety. Comparable apparel-focused mission and supply-chain safety advocacy orientation.

Broad incumbents

• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): Global sustainable business consultancy that supports companies on supply chain human rights and worker safety. Broader scope than Nirapon but overlaps heavily on apparel supply chain worker safety advisory work.
• Sedex: Global membership platform used by 70,000+ businesses for supply chain ethical data, with SMETA audits covering labor, health, safety, and rights. Broader scope than Nirapon but overlapping in factory safety data management and transparency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@nirapon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nirapon
• Facebookfacebook.com/NiraponBD

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 Nirapon