Instead of relying solely on public infrastructure development to catch up, the Water Kiosk Project champions social entrepreneurship as a proactive and sustainable solution to address this critical gap, expanding access to safe, affordable drinking water for low-income and climate-vulnerable communities across Bangladesh.
Building on the success of the Shujola project (2019–2022) and H2O project Phase I (2022-2024), Swisscontact has supported the delivery of over 16 million liters of clean drinking water to more than 17,000 people through nine local water kiosk enterprises in Bangladesh. In 2022, Lokales Wasser 37 funded the piloting of two rural social business models—one targeting schoolchildren and another serving local residents—further validating the approach in diverse contexts.
From July 2025 to June 2028, Swisscontact will scale these efforts by establishing four new commercially viable social water kiosk businesses and water-on-wheels models in Jashore, Chattogram, Khulna, Barishal, and Sylhet. These enterprises will provide clean drinking water to 10,000 people and create at least 20 new jobs, contributing to improved health and economic resilience in low-income and climate-vulnerable communities.
Swisscontact will support local entrepreneurs through 40–60% co-investment, technical assistance, and business development services. Water treatment plants will be built by local technology companies and equipped with reverse osmosis (RO), UV, and activated carbon filtration technologies, alongside smart water dispensers and mobile payment systems to ensure operational efficiency and transparency.
To ensure broad access, the project will implement a diversified distribution model including fixed kiosks, canister refill stations, and mobile delivery via water rickshaws. Schools and government offices will provide land and act as co-owners, supporting governance and long-term maintenance. Water committees will oversee financial management and ensure funds are set aside for repairs, while local authorities will monitor operations to ensure accountability.
Through targeted social behaviour change campaigns, the project will reach 100,000 people to improve awareness and willingness to pay for safe water. In parallel, Swisscontact will sensitise banks and financial institutions to the viability of investing in water enterprises, laying the groundwork for future blended finance mechanisms and increased private sector engagement.
The model promotes economic, social, and environmental sustainability by offering affordable water to the general public, including free access for schoolchildren and vulnerable groups. The model also integrates solar energy and rainwater harvesting systems for the entrepreneurs to enhance climate resilience. With an average breakeven period of seven months per kiosk, the model offers strong justification for replication and scale-up.
Swisscontact aims to establish and scale the social water kiosk enterprise model as a sustainable solution for improving access to clean drinking water in low-income communities across Bangladesh. Over the next three years, the project will expand to four additional vulnerable clusters in Jashore, Chattogram, Khulna, Barishal, and Sylhet testing different variants of the model to strengthen the evidence base for its commercial viability and social impact.
By establishing four new commercially viable water kiosk businesses and water-on-wheels models, the project will provide clean water access to 10,000 people and create at least 20 jobs. Through targeted social behaviour change campaigns, 100,000 people will be reached to improve awareness and willingness to pay for safe water. The project will also sensitise banks and financial institutions for investing in water enterprises, encouraging co-investment and introducing financial plans for long-term financial sustainability.
Local entrepreneurs, technology companies, Schools, local governments, financial institutions, and community-based organisations.
This project is financed by Lokales Wasser 37 AG / Max Ditting AG. From September 2025 to February 2028, it is also part of the Shompritee project, co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).