At State Street Foundation, we believe access with the right tools can shift trajectories for home-based women entrepreneurs. Our partnership with the^delta prize on aahaar bazaar backs solutions expanding market access, supporting thousands of women ‘foodpreneurs’ toward meaningfuleconomic inclusion at scale.
small inputs.
big outcomes.
Prize challenges that turn breakthrough solutions into real-world impact.
the leverage logic
how small inputs unlock big outcomes
01
research investment
We invest early in deep, sector-led research to identify opportunity gaps that markets and governments have not solved. This defines sharp problem statements and meaningful outcome thresholds, de-risking innovation before a single rupee funds solutions.
02
prize challenge
We design outcome-linked prize challenges that attract committed solvers rather than idea hobbyists, ensuring participation is anchored in measurable results. Open participation surfaces hidden capacity and unconventional approaches, which are tested through real-world pilots under market conditions before scaling.
03
downstream scale
We transition validated solutions from pilots into ecosystem assets, ensuring proven models do not remain isolated successes. As implementers, NGOs, corporates, and governments adopt them with confidence, follow-on capital flows, activating markets and enabling durable impact beyond the prize.
10–100×
leverage
When funders invest early in research and precise problem framing, they unlock 10–100× follow-on capital and sustained market momentum. Clear outcome thresholds focus innovation on measurable results, while validated models attract implementers and ecosystem partners who carry impact beyond the prize.
scale mechanisms
two pathways to scale
affordability
cost barriers
market and technology-led
When safe, affordable products & delivery models are missing, we use this approach to catalyse low cost products, new distribution models, & product innovation that expand access at scale.
- affordability → accessibility
accessibility
access to solutions
behaviour and systems-led
When products exist but stigma, frontline behaviour, or social norms limit uptake, we use this approach to drive behaviour change, system alignment, and long-term sustained adoption.
- accessibility → adoption
adoption
sustained use
affordability
cost barriers
market and technology-led
When safe, affordable products and delivery models are missing, we use prize alpha to catalyse low cost products, new distribution models, and product innovation that expand access at scale.
- affordability → accessibility
accessibility
access to solutions
behaviour and systems-led
When products exist but stigma, frontline behaviour, or social norms limit uptake, we use prize beta to drive behaviour change, system alignment, and sustained adoption.
- accessibility → adoption
adoption
sustained use
the ecosystem
who this enables
small holder farmers
we work for those
who feed us
A single failed season can push millions into distress, amid climate shocks, fragmented markets, and rising input costs.
86% of India’s farmers are small and marginal, farming less than 2 hectares.
rural entrepreneurs
we work for those who power
rural economies
Limited access to credit, markets, and technology keeps enterprises stuck in low-growth cycles.
120M+ rural micro-enterprises in India are largely informal and under-capitalised.
working women
we work for those who drive livelihoods forward
Mobility constraints, safety concerns, and unpaid care work restrict entry into paid employment.
Women do 10× more unpaid care work than men; India’s FLFP (~42%) is among the world’s lowest.
informal workers
we work for those who keep
our cities running
Operate without contracts, insurance, or stable incomes. Form the backbone of urban economies.
400M+ workers in India's informal sector. Over 90% of India's workforce is informal.
We aid them through solvers & innovators who design breakthrough solutions, implementers
& institutions who adopt and scale validated models, and ecosystem partners who enable long-term scaling.
the catalyst
research as a force multiplier
de-risks innovation
Validates what outcomes matter before funding solutions. Threshold-defined challenges focus innovation on real-world needs.
defines opportunity gaps
Deep research identifies problems that markets and governments have not solved, structural constraints invisible to conventional approaches.
shapes incentives
Credible problem statements attract non-obvious solvers. Outcome-linking ensures serious actors engage.
focuses outcomes
Research-backed design reduces capital waste. Every rupee deployed unlocks downstream impact.
by the numbers
quiet confidence
3
thematic areas
₹50–200Cr
prize purse
5
challenges
ecosystem partners






















what partners say
While female labour force participation is rising, data shows that women remain concentrated in a few low-productivity sectors, highlighting the need to close solution gaps. At Mphasis, we’re committed to supporting initiatives that drive real change. We’re proud to take this step through the^delta prize, helping to identify and support innovative ideas that create equitable livelihoods for women.
At State Street Foundation, we believe access with the right tools can shift trajectories for home-based women entrepreneurs. Our partnership with the^delta prize on aahaar bazaar backs solutions expanding market access, supporting thousands of women ‘foodpreneurs’ toward meaningfuleconomic inclusion at scale.
While female labour force participation is rising, data shows that women remain concentrated in a few low-productivity sectors, highlighting the need to close solution gaps. At Mphasis, we’re committed to supporting initiatives that drive real change. We’re proud to take this step through The/Nudge Prize, helping to identify and support innovative ideas that create equitable livelihoods for women.
featured challenge
what is live now
the challenge
Home-based women foodpreneurs hold significant market potential, yet most remain confined to hyperlocal markets due to structural constraints across product readiness, compliance, and market access. Formalisation alone does not unlock growth; scalable pathways must address the full stack of operational and market barriers.
3,000
women foodpreneurs to be reached
50%
sales from new channelstargeted
5–6×
revenue growth expected for top performers