INPUD

What INPUD does

INPUD (International Network of People who Use Drugs) is a global peer-based advocacy organisation founded on 30 April 2006 in Vancouver, Canada, when international drug user activists signed the Vancouver Declaration. It is registered as a non-profit in the United Kingdom and is governed by a Board of Directors representing eight regional member networks (AfricaNPUD, ENPUD, EuroNPUD, INWUD, LANPUD, MENANPUD, NAPUD, PANPUD) spanning at least 28 countries and 24 peer-led organisations. The organisation's stated mission is to promote the health and defend the human rights of people who use drugs by challenging criminalisation, stigma and discrimination, and ensuring meaningful involvement of people who use drugs in policy decisions that affect their lives. INPUD publishes position papers, statements, technical briefs, training materials and policy guidance in multiple languages and operates a Global HepC Community Advisory Board Secretariat.

INPUD does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its work centres on advocacy, policy development, capacity building, and community empowerment rather than software or commercial products. Distribution is primarily digital — through its website (inpud.net), social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), email newsletters, webinars, and a 'Taking Back What's Ours' ten-part film series — supplemented by in-person and virtual Training of Trainers events held in countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Kenya. The organisation also participates as a consortium partner in three UNITAID-funded HCV Portfolio research projects (CUTTS HepC, HEPCIII, HEPC3P) covering ten low- and middle-income countries.

The revenue model is grant-based and donor-funded. Active funders include The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Love Alliance (a five-year, 2021-2025 programme funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs), the Robert Carr Fund for Civil Society Networks, UNAIDS, and UNITAID; past funders have included Aidsfonds, UK DFID, UNODC, Open Society Foundations, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, ViiV Healthcare, PITCH, LINKAGES, and WHO. The Secretariat is lean — 7 staff members handling policy and advocacy, programmes, finance and administration, and management — with Executive Director Anton Basenko (Ukraine, based in Brussels) and Deputy Director Olga Szubert leading a team that includes a Finance Manager, Project Lead, Advocacy Officer, Global Fund Programme Manager, and Administration/Finance Support Officer. The organisation reaches its audience and delivers impact primarily through its eight regional member networks rather than via direct service delivery.

Name

INPUD

Legal name

International Network of People who Use Drugs

Website

https://inpud.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

INPUD (International Network of People who Use Drugs) is a global peer-based advocacy non-profit founded in 2006, promoting the health and defending the human rights of people who use drugs through representation at UN agencies, donor-funded programmes, and eight regional member networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant funding from international donors: INPUD operates as a non-profit organization funded primarily through grants and funding from international organizations including The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Love Alliance (a five-year programme 2021-2025 funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Robert Carr Fund for Civil Society Networks, and UNAIDS. Past funders have included Aidsfonds, UK DFID, UNODC, Open Society Foundations, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, ViiV Healthcare, PITCH, LINKAGES, and WHO.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

INPUD is a global peer-based advocacy organization that promotes the health and defends the rights of people who use drugs. It operates a Secretariat registered in the United Kingdom, supports the growth and development of national and regional peer networks engaged in advocacy, service delivery, and community building, and represents people who use drugs in decision-making processes at international agencies such as the United Nations, UNAIDS, WHO, UNODC, and the Global Fund. INPUD also convenes the Global HepC Community Advisory Board and implements the UNITAID-funded HCV Portfolio research projects.

Product overview

INPUD (International Network of People who Use Drugs) is a global peer-based advocacy organization, not a technology product company. It does not offer a software product, platform, or digital service in the traditional sense. The organization provides advocacy resources, technical guidance documents, training materials, publications, community-led monitoring tools, and policy resources designed by and for people who use drugs. These resources include technical briefs on human rights, health and harm reduction, Global Fund navigation, digital safety resources, COVID-19 guidance, and pandemic preparedness materials. The organization's work is centered on advocacy, policy influence, and capacity building for peer-led drug user networks rather than commercial product offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HCV Portfolio Projects A UNITAID-funded set of three research consortia operating in ten low- and middle-income countries that prevent hepatitis C among people who inject drugs; INPUD hosts the Community Advisory Board Secretariat and serves as community partner alongside consortium leads such as Médecins du Monde, Frontline AIDS, PATH, and Burnet Institute.
• Capacity Building and Training of Trainers Training and capacity-building programme delivered through in-person and virtual workshops to strengthen the skills, governance, and advocacy capacity of national and regional peer-led drug user networks.
• Global Advocacy and Policy Representation Core advocacy service representing the interests of people who use drugs in international policy forums and at agencies such as the United Nations, UNAIDS, WHO, UNODC, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, key and minor.

• Médecins du Monde (CUTTS HepC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINPUD is a consortium partner in the UNITAID-funded HCV Portfolio Projects. Under CUTTS HepC (Catalyse uptake of Under-utilized Tools & Treatment Simplification for Hep C), INPUD works alongside Médecins du Monde and Burnet Institute to prevent hepatitis C among people who inject drugs in low- and middle-income countries.
• Frontline AIDS (HEPCIII)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINPUD is a consortium partner in the HEPCIII project (Innovate, Involve, Inspire: Preventing Hepatitis C Through Community-Led Harm Reduction), working with Frontline AIDS, coAct, Bristol University, and Alliance for Public Health (Ukraine) to prevent hepatitis C through community-led harm reduction.
• PATH (HEPC3P)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINPUD participates in the HEPC3P project (HCV Combination Prevention in PWID and Prisoners Project) led by PATH in partnership with Population Services International (PSI) and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
• CoACT Technical Support LimitedmajorTechnology or IntegrationCoACT Technical Support Limited serves as a key technical partner to INPUD for the 10-country HCV Portfolio Global CAB. INPUD hosts the CAB Secretariat and CoACT serves as Vice-Chair to the CAB, providing community-led technical expertise.
• Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerINPUD works alongside and in solidarity with other key population networks including NSWP to address broader trends of discrimination and advocate for shared goals around health and human rights.
• Mpact Global Action for Gay Men's Health and RightskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerINPUD collaborates with Mpact Global Action for Gay Men's Health and Rights as part of key population network partnerships to address broader trends of discrimination and advocate for shared goals around health and human rights.
• Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerINPUD collaborates with GNP+ as part of key population network partnerships to support established local, national, regional, and international networks of people living with HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and other harm reduction groups, ensuring active drug users are included at every level of decision-making.
• Harm Reduction International (HRI)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerINPUD works with Harm Reduction International on advocacy, research, and policy analysis including joint position papers on drug decriminalisation, mental health, and harm reduction funding. HRI provides technical expertise and collaborates on advocacy recommendations for UN and governments.
• Burnet InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINPUD works with Burnet Institute as a consortium partner in the CUTTS HepC project funded by UNITAID to prevent hepatitis C among people who inject drugs.
• Rights Reporter FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINPUD partnered with Rights Reporter Foundation to produce 'Taking Back What's Ours', a ten-part film series featuring the stories, histories and reflections of drug user advocates around the world, along with an accompanying research project drawing on accounts from 34 activists.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Aidsfonds: Aidsfonds is a Netherlands-based, larger HIV/AIDS philanthropic organisation listed as a past INPUD funder; it operates in the same donor and advocacy ecosystem with overlapping key-population and harm-reduction portfolios.
• Drug Policy Alliance: The Drug Policy Alliance is a US-anchored but globally influential drug-policy reform organisation; it works the same policy-reform agenda (decriminalisation, harm reduction) but with a primarily US domestic focus and a broader advocacy remit.
• International AIDS Society (IAS): IAS is the world's largest association of HIV professionals and a convenor of the International AIDS Conference; it engages the same donor and policy ecosystem (Global Fund, UNAIDS) as INPUD and serves overlapping scientific and advocacy constituencies.
• Frontline AIDS: Frontline AIDS is a larger, established HIV-focused international NGO (formerly International HIV/AIDS Alliance) and an active INPUD consortium partner on the UNITAID-funded HEPCIII project, with overlapping harm-reduction and key-population portfolios.

Direct peers

• Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP): NSWP is the equivalent global peer-led network for sex workers; INPUD explicitly identifies NSWP as a solidarity partner under the Love Alliance and broader key-population coalition work.
• Harm Reduction International: Both are London-based global advocacy organisations focused on harm reduction and drug-policy reform; INPUD and HRI co-author joint position papers and share overlapping international agency relationships (UN, Global Fund) on the same constituency.
• Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+): GNP+ is the global peer-led network for people living with HIV; INPUD cites GNP+ as a key-population ally and they share governance models, donor relationships (Global Fund, UNAIDS), and advocacy platforms.
• Mpact Global Action for Gay Men's Health and Rights: Mpact is the equivalent global peer-led network for gay men and other men who have sex with men; INPUD identifies Mpact as a key-population coalition partner with overlapping Global Fund and UNAIDS engagement.

Emerging players

• Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP): SSDP is a global student-led drug-policy reform network; INPUD staff have led SSDP chapters (e.g., in Nigeria), and the organisations share harm-reduction and decriminalisation advocacy agendas with a youth-segmented lens.
• Youth RISE: Youth RISE is a smaller peer-led drug-policy and harm-reduction network focused on young people; INPUD's Global Fund Programme Manager previously led Youth RISE Global Fund projects in eight countries, evidencing close operational and constituency overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/INPUD
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3Udu73NA6VEththojAhvTg/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/INPUD
• Instagraminstagram.com/inpud_official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inpud

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 INPUD