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Project Inclusion

Improving inclusion and creating better financial services for long underserved individuals and communities, remains vital. I’m proud to be part of an industry that has been innovating to improve people’s lives for many years, and it’s a privilege to continue this important work through the efforts of Project Inclusion and the Payments Association.

Mission Statement

Project Inclusion has the specific purpose to inform and collaborate with government, regulators and third sector bodies, providing clarity on innovations and solutions in payments that can reduce financial exclusion and the poverty premium. It seeks to achieve this by collaborating with industry bodies, developing thought-leadership campaigns, and informing regulatory and legislative decisions.

Strategy and Approach 2023

Cost-of-Living and Benefits

Examining how the payments industry can support the most vulnerable population through welfare and employment payments.

Open Banking

Exploring how open banking can provide access to tailored and fair financial services to those unbanked and underserved. 

Policy Agenda

Engaging with the key regulatory bodies (BoE, FCA and the PSR) to drive the financial inclusion agenda forward.

Project Inclusion Members

Pooja Bhachu, Director, Public Policy, UK&I, Mastercard

Neil Harris, CEO, B-Yond

Nigel Atta-Mensah, Vice President, Crown Agents Bank

Jos Henson Gric, Founder, Flex

Simon Thomas, Prepaid Product Manager, allpay

Kevin Flood Technology Consulting Ernst & Young LLP

Kevin Flood, Technology Consulting, Ernst & Young LLP

Kit Yarker, Director, Product and Propositions, EML Payments

Lindsay Ward, COO, Optimus Cards

Thomas O’Kelly, Associate Partner, Infosys Consulting

Josh Berle, Director of New Business Development, Mastercard

Featured Content

The Cost-of-Living Crisis - How can the payments industry help?

This interview series explores the cost-of-living crisis, with members of Project speaking to a range of organisations that are offering solutions for those communities hit the hardest. These discussions explore how the crisis is impacting different demographics from homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage to financially and digitally excluded elderly communities. They also explore how the payments industry can better support these communities and call for the UK government and regulators to work closer with innovative firms offering solutions.

Past Project Initiatives

Making cross border payments work for all

Financial exclusion is a huge issue when it comes to cross border payments since a large portion of these payments travel from the developed to the developing world, which typically lacks the appropriate financial infrastructure and services. Therefore, the Project Inclusion team sought to speak to several organisations who are encouraging global financial inclusion in developing and emerging markets by providing critical solutions that tackle cost, speed, access and compliance when it comes to cross border payments.

Sustainability and Financial Inclusion

Through a series of interviews, a podcast and report, Project Inclusion set out to find out what it means to be a sustainable fintech and where do you start. The report, ‘Sustainability Superheroes: A how-to guide to ESG for Fintechs’, provided insights from several fintech leaders.

Inclusive Crypto and CBDCs

Through a series of interviews with fintech experts, Project Inclusion learnt about different use cases in how crypto helps aid Financial Inclusion. The interviews amalgamated in a series of blogs released as a social media campaign exploring the themes brought up in the interviews. 

Lifestyle and Values Banking

Financial inclusion has long been synonymized with the 1.7 bn unbanked across the world. This initiative highlighted the needs of significant communities beyond the unbanked, who  seek financial products that accommodate their values and beliefs.

Affordable Credit

Project Inclusion provided an overview of how Fintech innovation is increasing access to affordable credit and tackling financial exclusion.

Relevant Media