The/Nudge Incubator Impact Assessment Study

Sattva conducted an impact assessment study for The/Nudge Incubator program from April 2022 to September 2022 to assess the impact of the program on the incubatees and their ability to scale up through replication, speed up problem-solving, and come up with innovative solutions. The study also assessed the larger impact of the incubation program on the start-up ecosystem. The key objectives of the study were as follows:

• Assess the impact of The/Nudge incubation program on the incubates. The study looked at program effectiveness in enhancing Skill, Knowledge, Inspiration, and Networking for incubatees.
• Assess how The/Nudge incubation program impacted start-ups to accelerate their learning to scale, speed, and innovate. The study looked at evaluating the graduation readiness of an incubatee from a product, execution, and capital lens.
• Assess the overall impact of the interventions in the broader ecosystem including funding through conversations with ecosystem stakeholders.
• Assess the changes brought by the incubatees in the social ecosystem. The study looked at the impact our incubatees are bringing in their intervention areas.
• Understand the structure of systems/ processes of the incubator program and their alignment with other programs

The study was conducted over 13 weeks and utilized the OECD’s (The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) evaluation framework.

Impact of the program on ecosystem

While challenges with respect to funds still exist, all stakeholders reported observing a positive mindset shift in the ecosystem. Some key findings are as follows:

1. Structured Support - Sector experts and donors rate The/Nudge Incubator’s non-regimented model of support very positively. They found this model to help young start-ups set a solid base for operations at their speed.  ‍
2. Trust and Credibility - Stakeholders believed that The/Nudge Incubator is a very well-established name in the sector and the incubatees greatly benefit from it in terms of securing funding  ‍
3. Attitude Shift - Stakeholders reported that the sector has undergone a major shift in the last few years with the attitude towards the nonprofit model warming up. They reported The/Nudge Incubator as being a contributor to shifting this attitude ‍
4. Platform for not-for-profits - Given the few number of incubation programs for not-for-profits, The/Nudge Incubator is filling an important vacuum in terms of providing these organizations a platform to showcase their ideas

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Recommendations

• While mentorship is one of the highest-rated aspects of the program, there was a need felt for increased access to the overall mentor network in a manner that incubatees could reach out to any or all of the mentors.
• The program needs to strengthen the alumni outreach aspect of the program. This will enable maintaining a long-lasting relationship with the alumni network. A need to be connected with the alumni was expressed by the incubates as well.
• The study also found a need for graduating incubatees to build strong MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning) systems and processes with robust data. The report therefore, recommended a greater role for the program in capacity-building founders accordingly.