Incubator Tool Library

A collection of vetted tools and resources to help impact incubators run smarter, scale bigger, and better support their entrepreneurs.

Pollinate Impact Tool Library

Welcome to your shortcut to the good stuff.

When we say “tool”, we mean anything that helps incubators thrive—software, templates, handbooks, or any resource that lets you level up your game. We’ve curated the best for impact incubators across the Global South, so skip the search, grab what you need, and get back to making magic happen. 

Share your tool! If you have a tool, template, or resource that others could benefit from, submit it for review. 

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Embedding Circularity

A practical learning journey for incubators and accelerators to integrate circular design principles into their entrepreneur support services. This online curriculum will help you identify ways to enable a more circular and sustainable economy by supporting startup and growth stage ventures to apply circular design principles early on.
You will also be generating a pipeline of innovation for key industries and value chains that need to become more circular to build for a just and sustainable society.

Organization: Impact Hub

The Circularity Toolkit

This toolkit offers insights, tools and methodologies for Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) to take a Circular Economy lens to their entrepreneur support programs, particularly incubators and accelerators, in order to mainstream circular design principles across small and growing businesses regardless of whether they are social, environmental or profit-driven.

You can use this toolkit to develop a program explicitly focused on supporting ventures with Circular Economy solutions, or to embed circular design principles into other programs that aren’t explicitly focused on the Circular Economy.

Organization: Impact Hub

Incubation Tools and Templates

A collection of tools and templates that guide you in the process and activities of incubation as laid out in the Innovation Playbook by Villgro Philippines

Organization: Villgro Philippines & USAID

The Innovation Playbook

The primary purpose of this Innovation Playbook is to provide a structured yet
comprehensive guide for stakeholders involved in the creation, management, and growth of
incubation and acceleration programs. The Playbook can serve as a guide to those looking to
support innovations, specifically in the health sector, with a lens of affordability and
accessibility. This playbook has been designed to simplify the processes associated with
establishing and operating successful incubation initiatives, ensuring consistency, efficiency,
and effectiveness across programs and mitigate challenges for new operators.

Organization: Villgro Philippines & USAID

Empowering FP/RH innovations for scale – Summary

Empowering FP/RH Innovations for Scale is a set of resources to provide an approach to stakeholders to better assess and support the scale-up of FP/RH innovations and accelerate progress towards FP/RH goals. Along with a summary, this includes a scale-up guide, toolkits and templates, and scale-up lessons and case studies. These resources are not exhaustive and build off and reference other tools and resources.
Resources include –
1. Summary and user’s guide
2. Scale-up guide
3. Toolkit & Templates
4. Scale-up lessons and case studies

Organization: USAID & MOMENTUM Innovation Accelerator

Pre-Seed + Seed Investor Database

A database of 1,600+ early stage lead investors curated by Michael Houck, a founder whose built startups that have raised from a16z and others that have bootstrapped to seven-figures of revenue.

Organization: Founding Journey

Business Coaching Playbook

This guide will assist you on your journey as a mentor, and gives you all the guidance you need to perform your duties as a mentor. It looks at proactive mentorship, the mentorship process and provides tips on how to be a good mentor. The guide also outlines the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Framework to coaching. The guide concludes by sharing other mentors’ approaches to mentorship and key lessons that they have learned on their mentorship journey.

Organization: Allan Gray Orbis Foundation

The measurement of success in a business incubation projec

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact and success of a business incubationproject on its participants. The study aims to consider the impact of the project in terms of developingand supporting entrepreneurial activity within Wales. It seeks to build on and enhance existingbusiness incubation literature and contribute to the field by identifying “good” practice and considersthe measurement of success within such projects

Organization: University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, UK

ANALYSIS OF THE RIO DE JANEIRO STATE INCUBATOR NETWORK (ReINC): CHARACTERISTICS AND INFLUENCE ON THE ORGANIZATION AND SUSTAINABILITY OF INCUBATORS

The emergence of incubators in Brazil occurred from the bottom-up in the context of the down-fall of the military government and the restoration of civil society in the 1980s. To develop its activities the incubators in 1987 organized a civil association called ANPROTEC. This national association encouraged the setting up of regional/state incubator networks, to bring together local incubators, exchange experience and seek support at the regional level. This paper presents the initial results of a study that is in course, the aim of which is to assess how the regional incubator network in the state of Rio de Janeiro, known as ReINC, has contributed to sustainability, based on theoretical concepts of social networks and social capital.

Organization: Rio de Janeiro State University

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Identifying & Qualifying Deeply Aligned Funders – Tools & Strategies

Explore tips on how to shape funder research priorities and criteria to assess funder fit and uncover the information your organization needs to support this step in the fundraising process.

Organization: Black Fox Global

Actionable Strategies for Engaging your Board

When boards are equipped with clarity, confidence, and joy in their roles, fundraising stops being a burden and starts becoming a team sport. The session walks through the core modules leaders can use to design and run their own fundraising retreat.

Organization: Black Fox Global

Grant Ready Communications

Tried and true strategies to ensure your organization is ‘grant ready’ when you do secure invitations to submit proposals and letters of inquiry (LOIs).

Organization: Black Fox Global

Building a Fundraising Board: Recruiting and On-Boarding New Board Members

How do you then save your nonprofit and board from this quagmire? By creating a culture of success by recruiting members who can be effective, then giving them the tools to be successful.

Organization: Black Fox Global

Building Authentic Funder Relationships and Maximizing Opportunities for Funding

Explores ways to build authentic funder relationships through professional persistence.

Organization: Black Fox Global

Crafting Convincing Funder Centric Communications

Black Fox Philanthropy’s proven message development process, offering best practices and actionable insights to boost organisations fundraising success.

Organization: Black Fox Global

Fundraising Self-Identification and Engaging Your Networks

By leveraging this framework, you will identify your unique strengths—whether as an Asker, Connector, or Nurturer—to optimize your effectiveness. Further, the session provides practical guidance and tools to support your board members in mobilizing their networks to bring in new funding.

Organization: Black Fox Global

Fostering Authentic & Lasting Funder Relationships

Whether you’re just starting out or seeking to strengthen existing relationships, this guide will help you build authentic connections with funders and create a path toward long-term success.

Organization: Black Fox Global

Turning a Funder Denial into Future Success

List of questions to seek feedback and guidance that can increase your chances in the next round

Organization: Black Fox Global

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