In the West-Nile region of Uganda BPPS supports AFARD, a local NGO in conducting a feasibility study. A survey amongst 400 farmers was conducted to understand their perceptions on old age income security and willingness to save for a pension. Focus group discussions as well as stakeholder interviews are being held. This information is the basis of a pension scheme design to be piloted in 2019.

For the Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) BPPS conducted a feasibility study. In 2017 BPPS set up a pilot to validate the youSave product in the market with the support of Pacific Financial Inclusion Fund. Working with the local SINPF team the product features, distribution and marketing were tested during a 9 month period. Uptake by the Solomon people was very good and the board of SINPF decided to roll out the project nationwide in 2018.

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People’s Pension Trust Ghana (PPT Ghana), a new Pension Trustee that provides a tailor-made pension product to the informal sector in Ghana. One of the issues PPT Ghana faced was their lack of knowledge, experience and availability of affordable tooling. Robert Timmer, as pension expert, Bob Zondervan and Femke van Seggeren support PPT Ghana in from the start to the current optimizing of the services and client growth. With the experience from the Netherlands as well as Ghana BPPS in assignment for People’s Pension Holding has created a replicable pension blueprint to build new (micro) pension companies and to innovate existing pension companies wanting to target new customer groups.

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The Vanuatu National Provident Fund (VNPF) has set out a feasibility study to understand the willingness and ability to save of the Niven, the Islanders living in Vanuatu. Based on this study a pilot will be rolled out to test an informal sector pension product in 2019. BPPS has the pleasure to support the research as well as prepare and train the local team for the pilot phase.

BPPS in close cooperation with the Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF), with financial support from the Pacific Financial Inclusion Program (PFIP), researched the feasibility of a micro pension product for the informal sector in 2016. The result showed proven client demand, potential organizational capacity and a profitable business case. Currently, the FNPF is preparing the validation phase of the project. BPPS formatted a step by step validation plan.  Will people save on a recurring basis into this voluntary scheme? And what kind of marketing efforts are necessary to reach the set targets? The digitalisation of the saving process with partners such as Vodafone, is a prerequisite to finally reach a sustainable micro pension scheme.

Together with Enviu, a business kick-starter for social and environmental impact driven companies, Robert Timmer (CEO of BPPS) and Beryl van Andel (COO of BPPS) are working on the validation of an Indian specific business design for a micro pension company for the informal economy. This validation is part of the business design phase. One of the issues for the informal pension market in India is the narrow role definition an informal pension company is given by the current legislation. To create a sustainable business a very efficient distribution model and low cost back end processes are vital.

A regional network of MicroFinance Institutions (MFI) in Guatemala that executed a research project for low income workers in 2011 with the Pension & Development Network and Aegon. Robert Timmer (CEO of BPPS) assisted REDCAMIF in developing REDCAMIF’s pension product (design and IT & administrative infrastructure architecture). Such a pension product design is part of the BluePrint business design. Currently REDCAMIF has initiated its first pilot program with several MFI’s under the Plan Programado de Retiros (PPR). The 5 year scheme is accessible to active micro entrepreneurs who have a microcredit loan with one of REDCAMIF’s partner organizations (MFI) in Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras.