From “beneficiary” to supplier: a live case pattern
For many NGOs, the word “beneficiary” still quietly shapes everything. It suggests a one way flow: resources move from programme to person, then the story is finished. But entrepreneurs and cooperatives who graduate from programmes do not see themselves only as beneficiaries, they are trying to be suppliers.
The women’s soap cooperative that disappeared
Picture a women’s cooperative in Ghana. They complete a six month programme on soap making, branding and basic accounting. During the programme:
- They receive mentorship and small equipment grants.
- They design packaging and logos with volunteers.
- They sell to a few local markets and get photographed for donor reports.
Once the programme ends, what happens?
- They continue to produce small batches, but only for local walk in customers.
- No procurement team can see them as a formal supplier.
- Other NGOs and accelerators do not know they exist, so they recreate the same programme elsewhere.
How OpenMarket Global changes the frame
On OpenMarket Global, that same cooperative can move from an invisible “success story” to a named supplier:
- The NGO that ran the programme lists a project on the platform, describing what support was given.
- Each women’s group is listed as a supplier, with their product (e.g. GlowSoap), location and WhatsApp contact.
- Hotels, retailers, clinics or other NGOs can contact them directly to place small orders.
Instead of living only in a PDF line “50 women trained” the cooperative appears in procurement searches like “soap Ghana” or “skincare women led”.
Benefits for all sides
- For entrepreneurs: they gain visibility beyond one NGO’s network and get real demand.
- For NGOs & UN agencies: they can show donors a living catalogue of businesses they helped build, not just headcounts.
- For buyers & investors: they see concrete, investable suppliers at the end of programmes, not abstract case studies.
Recommendations for programme designers
To move from “beneficiary thinking” to “supplier thinking”, programmes can:
- Define supplier readiness criteria (basic packaging, WhatsApp contact, simple compliance) and help groups meet them.
- List all graduating groups on OpenMarket Global, with clear categories and locations.
- Link future programmes to existing suppliers instead of reinventing the wheel in isolation.
Why global action should act
The world does not need more one off “women’s empowerment” case studies that end in a PDF. It needs connected, discoverable pipelines of women and youth led suppliers that can be seen by ministries, supermarkets, clinics and investors.
By making the step from beneficiary to supplier explicit and building platforms that support it, global actors can multiply the impact of every training dollar and grant.