Price, Quality, and Impact: Procurement with Young Entrepreneurs

The Business Case for Procuring with Young Impact-Driven Entrepreneurs

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Nishchal Banskota, Founder of Nepal Tea, Presenting at a SAP Think Tank to Corporate Procurement Leaders

The Untapped Business Value for Corporations of Working with Young Impact-Driven Entrepreneurs:

Significant Revenue Gains: Despite barriers, 56% of surveyed entrepreneurs who succeeded in selling to corporations reported an average revenue increase of $170,187.50 from these partnerships.
Innovation and Brand Value: Corporations that have engaged successfully cited benefits including strengthened corporate social responsibility (CSR) profiles (43%) and enhanced brand reputation (29%), alongside increased innovation and market access.
The Knowledge Gap: A striking 71% of corporate leaders reported that they do not fully understand the benefits of working with young, impact-driven entrepreneurs, indicating that the true value proposition is not being effectively communicated or measured internally.

Anitra Walker, 2024-2025 Alumna

What Really Stood Out Was the Numbers

A striking 71% of corporate leaders reported they do not fully understand the benefits of working with young, impact-driven entrepreneurs, while only 29% said they somewhat understand, indicating an awareness of the benefits of working with young innovators and/or social enterprises but not young, impact-driven entrepreneurs, specifically.

Corporations' Understanding of Benefits

Distribution of responses regarding corporations' understanding of benefits from working with young social enterprises

Somewhat, but there is room for improvement

No, they do not understand the benefits

Primary Challenges for Young Social Entrepreneurs as Suppliers

Distribution of responses on challenges faced when considering young social entrepreneurs as suppliers

Perceived risk of working with new/unproven suppliers

Existing supplier relationships make it difficult to bring on new suppliers

Absence of clear metrics to assess social impact

Difficulty evaluating the scalability of social enterprises

Limited awareness or interest in social procurement within the company

Difficulty of social enterprises meeting procurement requirements

Lack of knowledge about how to find and connect with social enterprises

Other (please specify)

Estimated Impact on Company from Young Social Entrepreneurs

Distribution of estimated impacts from working with young social entrepreneurs

Strengthened corporate social responsibility (CSR)

Increased innovation

Other (please specify)

The opportunity for impact: by the numbers.

$170,000

Average increased revenue for young entrepreneurs selling into corporations.

of corporate leaders are not aware of the benefits of working with young entrepreneurs.

of corporations ready to integrate social enterprises into their supply chain.

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A case study

“As the Four Seasons, our job is to think so the guests don’t have to think but Joshua and Bamboovement really did that part for us – they are always 5 steps ahead, asking what new amenities they can provide for us.”

Moe Raghnhild, Manager of Spa, Fitness & Wellness at the Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts’ flagship location in Toronto

Watson Institute would like to thank SAP for their financial support, thought leadership, and partnership which made possible Price, Quality, and Impact: Procurement with Young Entrepreneurs.