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SPRING Accelerator – Design Research for women-focused companies
- Thomas
- Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan.
- February 1, 2026
Situation
SPRING was a multi-country accelerator driving adolescent girls’ socio-economic empowerment across East Africa and South Asia. Over five years, it supported 75 businesses reaching 2.5 million girls in nine countries, funded by a coalition that included major global development partners. Through private-sector innovation, the programme sought to improve girls’ wellbeing, market inclusion and long-term economic participation.
Assignment
Proportion was selected as SPRING’s human-centred design partner, tasked with supporting 20 social enterprises to strengthen or pivot their business models so they could maximise positive impact on girls and women.
Approach
Work began with a week-long bootcamp in Nepal, where Proportion challenged each company’s business model through an HCD lens. CEOs developed new concepts and assumptions for validation. Local research teams in Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan conducted fieldwork—interviews, focus groups, observations and prototype testing—to surface user insights. A second bootcamp brought entrepreneurs back together to reflect on findings and decide whether to pivot or persevere.
Result
Twenty enterprises gained deep user insights and clear direction on how to enhance their impact on girls and women. Examples include onboarding farmers into rabbit farming for Himalayan Rabbit Nepal, redesigning mobile-money agent models for Khalti, and strengthening the viability of Women in Digital’s ICT-skills training for women. The process equipped companies with actionable strategies grounded in the lived realities of their beneficiaries