Report: The digital transformation of small and micro-businesses in Bangladesh

This report provides an analysis of the second phase of the project, which entailed the development and provision of more advanced e-learning modules on the topics of financial negotiations, digital marketing, product pricing, cash flow management, loan management and e-commerce. The content and multi-channel approach are aligned with global best practices and the financial literacy guidelines established by the Financial Inclusion Department of Bangladesh Bank in 2021. A mix of these channels is key to promote, deliver and evaluate the digital financial literacy modules and should be customized to the target group. In-person channels provide the opportunity to go into more depth with the content, particularly for those with lower financial or digital financial literacy levels or those on the wrong side of the digital divide, while digital channels provide the opportunity to reach scale and offer more flexible models for course completion.

The partners exceeded the project milestones, reaching more than 200,000 SMBs through a range of delivery channels, including in-person training, SMS, social media, e-learning platforms, landing pages of the e-commerce platforms and WhatsApp groups. The partners also achieved additional success such as partnering with new organizations to reach the target group and more rural areas, leveraging the e-learning content for other projects, and adapting and tailoring the content to entrepreneurs in South Sudan.