27 Jul Presenting at the SIWI World Water Week, Stockholm

In 2017, World Water Week (27^th August-1^st September, 2017) will address the theme “water and waste – reduce and reuse”. Ennovent, together with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and IRC, will make a presentation on the topic ‘Give a boost to sanitation entrepreneurs!’ We invite you to attend our session on Monday, 28 August (14:00-15:30) discussing inclusive revenue models in faecal sludge emptying and transport businesses. We invite you to meet us at the event, please write back and schedule a network meeting.

There is a lack of scalable businesses in the faecal sludge and sanitation space. Entrepreneurs do not have sufficient insight into various barriers and opportunities for sanitation businesses along the sanitation chain. That was one of the key findings from the Sanitation Innovation Accelerator (SIA) work carried out in India by IRC and Ennovent. Having yet another incubator initiative to attract businesses is not going to solve these challenges.

When we look at city-wide service providers, faecal sludge emptying and transport businesses that are profitable and reach the poor are missing. From experience in India and beyond, serving the poor is not a financially viable business opportunity for the formal private sector. Service providers who reach these markets remain informal and tend to offer unsafe and inefficient services.

What support do businesses need to be able to provide those services efficiently and safely? What role can the government play to improve the financial viability and scalability of businesses? What revenue models promise an adequate level financial viability to attract private service providers?

The objective of this session is to explore: How government engagement can ensure emptying and transport markets is inclusive and that private sector service providers are able to reach these market segments in a financially viable manner.

Target Audience

• Incubator and accelerator programs with a focus on transport and emptying businesses
• Development or WSH programmes that include objectives around supporting urban FSM businesses
• Private sector service providers considering expanding reach in emptying and transport services
• Utility or City representatives investing in treatment plants and needing to build the faecal sludge management (FSM) components of the value chain

For all the event participants, this is our call for engagement with you and we look forward to connecting with you in Stockholm and invite you to attend our session on Monday, 28 August (14:00-15:30).

Featured image photographed by Nayereh Rajabi.