Upaya works to achieve its impact through three core activities: 

1. Accelerator programme: Upaya runs an accelerator programme in partnership with Yunus Social Business to prepare the businesses they finance for investment. The six-month programme includes investment readiness training, customised support, peer learning, and investor connections. Companies from all sectors are eligible but must be early-stage, for-profit, impact-focused, scalable, and have raised below a certain threshold in institutional funding. 

2. Partnering: After completing the accelerator programme, a company potentially receiving investment from Upaya also receives significant support, as Upaya's team partners with the company to ensure its success. 

3. Recycling Philanthropy: Upaya has created a pool of recoverable grants to provide appropriate capital for supported businesses, allowing them to scale and sustain their beneficiaries. This pool enables Upaya to invest in a diverse portfolio of impact-driven companies, creating jobs for people in extreme poverty. Funders may recover the philanthropic funding with a potential positive return, which they can also re-grant back to Upaya.

Wilstar is participating in the second pool of recoverable grants (RPG2), where we share an interest with other foundations in a specific portfolio. The grants will be utilised as investment capital between 2022 and 2026. They are repayable based on overall performance up to a threshold. If Upaya cannot repay the grants by 2031, they will be considered philanthropic donations. Any returns for Wilstar will be re-granted to Upaya on a rolling basis.

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