Accelerating social impact with the Bolt Urban Fund
The Bolt Urban Fund supports charitable third-sector partnerships that promote sustainable, inclusive transport planning, empower driver and courier partners on the platform, and engage with local communities where Bolt operates.
Why the Urban Fund exists
Shared mobility plays a big part in making cities for people, not cars — but it’s only one part of the solution.
The Bolt Urban Fund exists to support social impact projects that help to transform urban spaces and reduce car dependency.
The initiative involves partnerships with academic institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), city authorities, and local communities while leveraging our people and technology to drive meaningful change in urban environments worldwide.
The Bolt Urban Fund exists to support social impact projects that help to transform urban spaces and reduce car dependency.
The initiative involves partnerships with academic institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), city authorities, and local communities while leveraging our people and technology to drive meaningful change in urban environments worldwide.
The three pillars of the Urban Fund
By dividing the social impact projects we support between three pillars, we ensure that the urban environment and local communities all benefit.
Pillar 1: Sustainable Urban Living
Funding cutting-edge, data-driven research to help cities solve pressing transport problems and accelerate sustainable urban mobility.
Pillar 2: Economic Empowerment
Supporting the ambitions of driver and courier partners through financial assistance, language learning, and skills training.
Pillar 3: Community and Emergency Support
Contributing to charitable projects that seek to improve the economy, society, or environment in the 600+ cities where Bolt services are available.
The Sustainable Urban Transitions Lab
The Sustainable Urban Transitions Lab is part of our Sustainable Urban Living pillar and is a research hub that collaborates with leading academics at ETH Zurich, a public research university.
Through this collaboration, Bolt provides funding and data that help turn theory into practical solutions for tackling transport challenges in towns and cities with limited time and resources.
In the long term, the Lab aims to help cities redesign their streets for a more sustainable urban life. This includes prioritising people over cars, creating vibrant main streets, expanding bike lanes, repurposing parking spaces, improving connections to public transport, and making micromobility easier to use.
Through this collaboration, Bolt provides funding and data that help turn theory into practical solutions for tackling transport challenges in towns and cities with limited time and resources.
In the long term, the Lab aims to help cities redesign their streets for a more sustainable urban life. This includes prioritising people over cars, creating vibrant main streets, expanding bike lanes, repurposing parking spaces, improving connections to public transport, and making micromobility easier to use.
Bolt Accelerator Programme
The Bolt Accelerator Programme is part of our Economic Empowerment pillar and provides driver and courier partners with seed funding for business ideas and tailored online skills training.
The programme has supported 30 start-up business ideas pitched by driver and courier partners, including a mobile app connecting users with spare parts, a business creating charging stations for electric vehicles, and various fleet management businesses.
A further 360 drivers and couriers have participated in the Bolt Academy skills development programme.
The programme will help more driver partners across Africa and Europe in the future.
The programme has supported 30 start-up business ideas pitched by driver and courier partners, including a mobile app connecting users with spare parts, a business creating charging stations for electric vehicles, and various fleet management businesses.
A further 360 drivers and couriers have participated in the Bolt Academy skills development programme.
The programme will help more driver partners across Africa and Europe in the future.
Making mobility accessible to refugees
Our partnership with The Bike Project is part of our Community pillar, and supports their admirable work of refurbishing bikes and donating them to refugees in the UK.
To support this initiative, we turned several driver hubs into bike drop-off points and often encourage donations in the Bolt app.
To support this initiative, we turned several driver hubs into bike drop-off points and often encourage donations in the Bolt app.
Financial support during emergencies
Should an emergency or natural disaster occur in a city where Bolt operates, we respond quickly to support the local community.
Following the invasion of Ukraine, we donated 5% of every order made in the Bolt and Bolt Food apps to non-governmental organisations helping Ukraine. The total donation exceeded €5 million.
During the catastrophic flooding in Kenya, we introduced the Flood Assist ride-type in the Bolt app. In collaboration with Kenya Red Cross, 5% of every Flood Assist order went towards supporting the victims.
Following the invasion of Ukraine, we donated 5% of every order made in the Bolt and Bolt Food apps to non-governmental organisations helping Ukraine. The total donation exceeded €5 million.
During the catastrophic flooding in Kenya, we introduced the Flood Assist ride-type in the Bolt app. In collaboration with Kenya Red Cross, 5% of every Flood Assist order went towards supporting the victims.
Help to make cities for people, not cars
Strong partnerships allow us to extend our impact further, benefiting urban environments and their communities.
If you’d like to partner with Bolt to develop a charitable project, please get in touch.
If you’d like to partner with Bolt to develop a charitable project, please get in touch.
