BoxUp, a Swiss sport sharing station provider, wanted to expand its services to new markets: Wallonia (Belgium), Germany, and Poland. They commissioned Bax to conduct market research and identify funding programmes and strategies that their clients (in this case, municipalities) could activate to support the deployment of sport sharing stations in their territories.
Challenge
BoxUp’s sport sharing stations have a real social impact, helping sport reclaim its place in public spaces and community life. This impact can be amplified by working together with municipalities on the deployment of BoxUp sharing stations in public areas. But this deployment is often slowed by a gap in understanding between the provider (in this case, BoxUp) and the municipalities. Key challenges include navigating municipal decision-making processes, understanding how and when budgets are allocated, identifying funding opportunities and eligibility criteria, and demonstrating how sport-sharing stations can contribute to municipal policy priorities and programmes.
Approach
Our market research and financing study set out to close that gap. We started with desk research, drawing on public sources to build hypotheses, then tested them through 11 interviews: four in Wallonia, four in Germany and three in Poland. The aim was to give BoxUp a clear view of each market’s maturity and opportunities, explain how municipal planning works and show who to approach, and how, in order to turn a lead into a client.
Impact
BoxUp went from a cold market with no clear entry route, to a ranked list of three markets, the right person to call in each and guidance on how to address common objections to sharing station deployment, before they arise. The 24-page study gives BoxUp a clear picture of each market and reveals some surprising insights; for example that sports departments are usually not the right door to knock on, since they don’t hold the infrastructure budget.
Entering a new public-sector market and not sure where to start? Get in touch, we would be happy to support your expansion.
