According to The World Bank, the Covid-19 pandemic abruptly halted the reduction in global income inequality that had been underway since the 1990s – and was responsible for the largest increase in income inequality in at least three decades.  Economically disadvantaged and marginalised groups continue to miss out on the benefits of economic recovery and growth, due to inadequate education systems, lack of formal employment options, and restrictive cultural attitudes. 

Global youth unemployment remains a pressing concern. 13% of young people aged 15 to 24 are unemployed. 20% of young people are not in employment, education, or training (NEET) and two-thirds of NEET young people are women, according to The World Economic Forum.  

In many emerging market countries, more than 30% of students leave middle school having failed to reach elementary school achievement levels in numeracy and literacy. As a result, they enter the workforce unprepared, limiting their ability to secure adequate formal employment.  Globally, over 60% of the workforce is in the informal economy, with significant regional variations; Africa has the highest percentage of informal employment (85%), followed by Asia and the Pacific (68%), and the Americas (40%). Jobs in the informal economy tend to be of lower value, lower quality, and are more precarious.  

According to UN Women, the gender pay gap stands at 20 per cent, meaning women workers earn 80 cents for every dollar earned by men – and for women in lower-and-middle income countries, migrant women, those with disabilities, and women with children, the gap can be far greater. 

With this context in mind, the focus of the Foundation is on interrelated social and economic challenges that changes in corporate behaviour alone cannot address. The Foundation’s financial support aims to help develop fairer, more sustainable economies that deliver inclusive long-term growth in the countries where Alquity invests. We provide grants or investments focusing on: 

• Support for local entrepreneurs and SMEs working with marginalised communities to develop or grow their businesses 

• Support for locally-led nonprofit organisations providing education, training and other economic empowerment resources to marginalised groups  

• Social & economic inclusion, particularly of women and girls. 

In 2025 the Foundation is working with peer organisations to identify a small number of new awardees to join the Transforming Lives Programme. We are working through existing networks and relationships – and will not be inviting applications.   

Please check back in January 2026 for updates on our next selection process. 

The Foundation supports a range of projects and organisations in different regions of the world. We have partnered with organisations based in the following countries: Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Peru, Uganda and Vietnam.

The Foundation takes a pragmatic approach leveraging the expertise of its partners alongside its own monitoring and evaluation process to better understand the difference its support is making on the ground.

Among the metrics used, the Foundation focuses on the number of direct lives transformed – one where the intervention has made a significant, tangible and lasting improvement in the life and future prospects for that individual – as well as the number of indirect lives transformed – one where the intervention has indirectly improved the life or future prospects for that individual.