The Base of the Pyramid (BoP) Protocol Initiative is an action research program launched in 2003 by Cornell University's Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise (CSGE) to develop and refine a corporate innovation process geared for the unique challenge of sustainably serving low-income markets.
The BoP Protocol is a process for companies and communities to collaboratively develop sustainable, culturally appropriate business models that serve unmet needs of poor communities.
The initial framework for the BoP Protocol was developed in 2004 through a four-day design workshop at the Johnson Foundation's Wingspread Conference Center. The workshop brought together a diverse mix of social entrepreneurs and NGOs, a dozen managers from the project's four corporate sponsors, and thought leaders from various academic fields such as international development, social work, economic anthropology, and design.
Working from this framework, the first edition of the BoP Protocol was released in March 2005. Since then, CSGE has partnered with two corporations to implement the BoP Protocol. The second edition of the BOP Protocol reflects over three years of in-field learnings from two projects:
- the first was launched in 2005 by SC Johnson in Kenya
- the second was launched in 2006 in India by the Solae Company, a subsidiary of DuPont
Upcoming BoP Protocol projects are planned in Mexico, the Philippines, and the United States.
See also the paper written titled The Base of the Pyramid Protocol: Beyond “Basic Needs” Business Strategies, written by Erik Simanis, Stuart Hart, and Duncan Duke.
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