Why this program?

• In Bangladesh, the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, which includes nearly 10 million businesses driving the economy, faces a critical financing gap of $2.8 billion.
• Cottage, micro, small, and medium enterprises provide 87% of the workforce and contribute 25% to GDP, yet challenges like informality and gaps in improved working conditions and job stability hinder their productivity and innovation.
• Equipping these small businesses with the right digital skills and resources will enable them to break through growth challenges and engage more successfully in global markets.

Program overview

The Porshi program is designed to support women-led small businesses in peri-urban and rural areas of Bangladesh, enabling them to become more resilient, digitally-savvy mobile micro-retailers. By addressing the unique economic and social challenges they face, and providing them with essential tools, training, and tailored support for last-mile delivery of goods, Porshi aims to create sustainable income opportunities while expanding access to a wider range of essential goods.

The program builds on the existing skills of lower-income women entrepreneurs in financial literacy and entrepreneurship, offering a digital solution that supports them to develop more sustainable, profitable, and resilient business models. Through ShopUp’s Mokam digital platform, micro-retailers gain access to a stable and diverse supply of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), enabling them to manage orders from local households via ShopUp’s mobile app and deliver products directly to consumers within their communities.

In the pilot phase, Porshi will onboard 30 women entrepreneurs in Rangpur, testing the operational model and gathering insights to inform future scaling efforts. Following the program, Porshi plans to scale up, expanding to 150 sub-districts across Bangladesh over the next few years, with a focus on boosting revenue for women-led small businesses and encouraging their adoption of the ShopUp app.

The program's goal is to generate significant economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by increasing the variety of products they can source and sell through the app, thereby boosting their sales and operational efficiency. As the program grows, ongoing training, support, and upskilling will continue to ensure that these women are well-equipped to thrive in a competitive and dynamic market, creating lasting impact on both women-led small businesses and the communities they serve across Bangladesh.

About ShopUp

ShopUp is a B2B commerce company that connects mills, brands, and manufacturers to small neighborhood shops, creating a seamless distribution for food & essentials. Currently, millions of people in Bangladesh access food and essentials through ShopUp's network of small shops.