What we do

Facilitating partnerships

The Social License Platform (SLP) exists to make responsible business cheaper, easier, and more successful. The SLP provides independent guidance, training, and a hub for procuring vetted, high quality consultants on the ground in emerging markets.

Our expert Support team vets and curates the businesses and service providers who submit and bid for projects, streamlining the contracting process for both sides and ensuring alignment. The SLP facilitates support for a broad range of sustainability needs, with a particular focus on social skills and community engagement.

“The support team was really invaluable”
Tanzanian user

A platform for connections and support

Beyond procurement, the SLP also provides business and service providers with a platform to learn about best practices in their areas of interest, connect with peers, and access expert guidance:

Training delivered by our experts and available online
A curated set of written resources and tools via our Resource Center
Confidential and independent expert advice, on demand, via the Help Desk
Networking through our events and User Directory, and
Find funding on our Opportunities page.

Register your free account to access the procurement hub and priority access to the Support team.

Where we work

The SLP currently operates in sub-Saharan Africa, with partners providing local hubs in Tanzania, Uganda and Ghana and our networks enabling us to provide support across the continent. We plan to expand operations to South East Asia, followed by a global expansion, in 2022. If you are based in an area not currently covered by the SLP but would like to use the platform, please contact us to discuss possible solutions.

Improving investment in emerging markets

In many emerging markets, environmental and social risks are high, exposing businesses to lengthy disputes with local people, which are costly for the business and can seriously harm local livelihoods or interests.

The SLP makes it easy for businesses to get affordable, high quality expert support to mitigate these risks and improve impact. Services like consulting with local communities can offer great value for money – reducing risks and improving the outcomes for all involved.

We help local experts to support companies interested in achieving more responsible investments aligned with best practice standards. These consultants offer an attractive value proposition: they have the relationships and understanding needed to develop and maintain strong social license to operate for businesses.

Our Support Team helps blend local soft skills with the technical capacity and acumen of international organizations and our own experts. We provide support throughout the procurement, contracting and reporting processes to help projects run smoothly.

Our Vision and Mission

We envision an investment landscape in which all land-related investments protect and respect the rights of women and men in affected communities and meet best practice standards for environmental and social responsibility. We work towards this vision by helping businesses find the expertise necessary to integrate best practices into operations, and assisting local and international experts to locate and identify businesses interested in responsible investments.