B-Lab (Rural Innovation Lab), an entrepreneurship development platform, is an initiative of Bangladesh Institute of ICT in Development (BIID) designed with support from PUM, The Netherlands to foster entrepreneurship primarily in rural areas of Bangladesh. The theme of B-Lab is Igniting Entrepreneurship.

Agricultural sectors and ICT will be prime focus and women will be encouraged with incentives to enroll B-Lab. The platform will offer Elevator and Virtual Incubation facilities for 18 months for the selected entrepreneurs to build their business skills, technical knowledge and compliances. BIID signed MoU with Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) and private sector partners will implement the initiative. B-Lab targeted to enroll 10,000 young entrepreneurs around Bangladesh by 2021.

Major services of B-Lab comprises Business Idea & Planning, Access 2 Finance and Mentoring. All these will be available in smart tools and accessible via online.

B-Lab committed to achieve national and global development agenda, and directly contribute to achieve multiple SDG's by 2030.

B-Lab offers partnership to relevant stakeholders in SDG implementation process at national and global level. Resources (Technology, Financial and Non-Financial) can be routed through B-Lab platform to strengthen the entrepreneurship eco-system in rural setup.

For more information please visit at www.b-lab.com.bd

http://b-lab.com.bd

• Bangladesh

• Youth
• Women
• The unemployed
• Cooperatives, Farmer Groups

B-Lab can be replicated in any developing countries with minimum customization and services can be offered. Since the services are primarily online (Virtual), users can avail most of the services remotely. Also through Partner organizations, BIID foresee to replicate the B-Lab initiative in African (Our Focus) and other developing countries.

The unemployment rate among youth (specially women) in Bangladesh are high and B-Lab offers services to facilitate self-employment opportunity at local level which will ensure broader sustainability of the initiative by creating opportunity for the youth and contribute in the economy. The social business model of B-Lab will also ensure the financial viability through revenue from services offered to individuals and organizations.

B-Lab directly contribute to the local community since the vision is set in alignment to SDG and PoA of WSIS. The B-Lab services are driven with the principle of ICT for Development (ICT4D) which promotes the values of WSIS.