NICE is setting up a network of franchised supermarkets for development services in Africa: NICE Centres. NICE Centres use solar energy to run computers and other ICT equipment to provide access to Internet, and to distribute products and services that help people in their personal and economic development. For example solar products, charging of mobile phones, health awareness programs, IT education, e-learning and distance learning programs, and business services for micro-entrepreneurs. A NICE Centre can be set-up in different sizes and can be easily replicated to enable expansion of the NICE Centre network. The network helps other organisations to distribute products and services to people at the base of the economic pyramid (BoP). Beside the distribution of products and services, the network also offers the opportunity to gather online and offline market information. NICE believes that a business approach is the most sustainable way to achieve its social mission. NICE provides local entrepreneurs the opportunity to operate a NICE Centre as their own business on a franchise basis. State-of-the-art energy- and ICT equipment is made available to them through an operational lease construction. The franchise and lease fees will cover the overhead costs of the national support organisations as well as international management.