Duties and Responsibilities
Inclusive businesses models are specific innovative business models that explicitly seek to address the needs of low-income groups by “providing goods, services, and livelihoods on a commercially viable basis, either at scale or scalable, to people living at the base of the economic pyramid making them part of the value chain of companies’ core business as suppliers, distributors, retailers, or customers”. Given the critical importance of inclusive business for supporting social impact at scale, ASEAN member states adopted in 2017 the ASEAN Inclusive Business Framework and in 2020 adopted the Guidelines for Promoting Inclusive Businesses in ASEAN (this is the first sub-region to do so). In addition, several ASEAN countries - in particular Cambodia, Malaysia and Viet Nam - are in the process of adopting strategies to promote inclusive businesses. There are opportunities to support the implementation of such strategies, learn from these efforts, and replicate best practices in countries in Asia. The initiation of the National Landscape Study on Inclusive Business (IB) for Brunei Darussalam stems from the country’s active engagement in the ASEAN Inclusive Business agenda under the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME). The Ministry of Finance and Economy (MOFE), through the Industry and Business Ecosystem division and the Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB), currently represent Brunei Darussalam in the ACCMSME. Brunei Darussalam has demonstrated its commitment to promoting Inclusive Business through sustained regional engagement, including hosting the 4th ASEAN Inclusive Business Summit, which was organised by Darussalam Enterprise (DARe), during its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2021. The momentum to further advance the promotion of Inclusive Business at the national level, and to enhance understanding of the Inclusive Business landscape and its potential for growth and expansion in Brunei Darussalam, was further strengthened following Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah’s recognition as the recipient of the 2024 ASEAN Inclusive Business Award for its Sara Diri (Self-Reliance) Programme, which supports underprivileged and low-income families in starting and sustaining their own businesses. Building on these developments, ongoing discussions have been undertaken at the national level to advance the IB agenda. Stakeholders recognised that promoting Inclusive Business in Brunei Darussalam requires taking stock of existing inclusive businesses and the enabling environment in order to identify targeted support measures, as well as raising awareness of IB models among government agencies, the private sector, and civil society organisations. Following consultations held during the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) courtesy visit to Brunei Darussalam in June 2025, the Government confirmed its commitment to undertake a National Inclusive Business Landscape Study. The study will assess the current state of inclusive businesses and social enterprises in Brunei Darussalam, identify emerging opportunities, examine the enabling ecosystem, and provide strategic recommendations to advance the Inclusive Business agenda. These efforts will contribute to national development priorities and support the achievement of Wawasan Brunei 2035 through inclusive and sustainable economic participation. The responsibilities of the national consultant will comprise of: 1. Agree with the international consultant on the specific roles and responsibilities, based on the agreed design and implementation of the study. 2. Get acquainted with the concept of inclusive business (IB) and the specific analysis and methodology to be used in the study 3. Support the organization of and conduct selected interviews and meetings with businesses and other stakeholders (including IB’s, disadvantaged entrepreneurs, businesses associations, public institutions, development partners, impact investors) to gather the necessary data and information, leveraging a strong local network and demonstrated ability to proactively identify, convene, and mobilize diverse stakeholders. 4. Help organize meetings and participate in three missions in Brunei Darussalam: (1) initial one to gather information [tentatively early May 2026]; (2) workshop sharing preliminary insights with key stakeholders [tentatively October 2026] and help sharing key findings during the report launch and dialogue [January 2027] 5. Collect data and information (including help translate selected documents as necessary) for the report, supported by strong analytical and research skills, including policy analysis, market assessments, stakeholder mapping, and value chain analysis. 6. Help identify, conduct IB assessments and prepare the profiles of 5 IB and potential IB models including disadvantaged entrepreneurs spanning a variety of models (different sectors, geographic areas, models), informed by a deep understanding of Brunei’s economic landscape, including MSMEs, priority sectors, and inclusive business dynamics. This includes: 6.1 Identify a long list of about 20 potential IB companies, help screen this down to 15 companies. Interview about 10 companies. 6.2 The consultant will initially attend pilot interviews together with the international consultant and afterwards carry out independently additional interviews. A guiding questionnaire will be used for the ~1-hour semi-structured interviews with the CEOs, COO or CFO of the companies. Based on the interviews, fill in a data questionnaire for each company. 6.3 Do IB rating of the companies interviewed–together with the international consultant, based on a methodology agreed. 6.4 Write a company profile for each interviewed company, based on a structure agreed with the international consultant. 6.5 Get clearance from the company for the final edited profile. 7. Help assess the enabling environment, including: - Role of government, including existing policies, strategies and programmes supporting IB models - Role of the private sector - Financing and impact investment - Intermediary organisations (civil society organisations, industry associations, academia, others), applying strong analytical and policy research capabilities 8. Help identify opportunities to promote IB models, including by government, private sector associations and universities, 9. Provide inputs, as agreed with the international consultant, for a high-quality Landscape study of inclusive business in Brunei Darussalam, based on the outline provided in Annex 1 and following ESCAP editorial guidelines (to be provided by ESCAP), ensuring timely delivery through effective project management and use of appropriate digital tools. 10. Support the dissemination of the study results, including by: - Preparing quotes from business leaders and government officials, including their permission to use them in the report and in communications related to the report - Taking/requesting quality pictures of business leaders, beneficiaries, and government officials to be used together with the quote, and their permission to be used in connection with the report. - Help present preliminary findings and the report at least two events, including advocating for key findings and fostering stakeholder engagement to advance uptake of recommendations. The consultant will under the guidance of and report on technical issues to the international consultant, and under the overall guidance of and report to the Economic Affairs Officer of the Innovation, Enterprise and Investment Section of the Trade, Investment and Innovation Division (TIID), ESCAP.
