Ashoka Making More Health Co-creation Accelerator 2020 for Social Entrepreneurs (50,000 Euros in Funding)

Application Deadline: 7th February, 2020

The Ashoka Making More Health Co-creation Accelerator, currently in its third year, is a structured, 11-month business growth program for social entrepreneurs who are increasing access to human and animal health care in Africa. These social entrepreneurs are seeking to scale the impact of proven business models with support from – and with opportunities to co-create and pilot relevant growth strategies with- experienced business executives at Boehringer Ingelheim. Successful pilots are given the chance at the end of the program to present their results to Boehringer Ingelheim’s leadership and a wider community of impact investors in order to raise growth capital to execute at scale.

Since 2011, Ashoka – one of the world’s largest networks of social entrepreneurs and Boehringer Ingelheim – a family-owned world leading and research-driven Pharmaceutical company, have collaborated to co-create and grow the global initiative – Making More Health (MMH).  Making More Health brings together the best experience in social innovation and global healthcare to improve health-care access for people, animals and their communities around the world.

Requirements:

Boehringer Ingelheim’s strategic focus on human health covers NCDs including diabetes, hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, respiratory disease and cancers. At the same time, the company is one of the global leader in animal health in areas including therapeutics, human-animal bond, vaccines and parasiticides.

On this basis, the accelerator is interested in supporting a broad range of innovative solutions that increase access to health care in line with Boehringer Ingelheim’s focus areas as well as other conditions of public health concern for both humans and animals. Examples of innovations for healthcare access include digital or e-health solutions, emergency transportation services, energy access, payment solutions, health insurance, education and awareness programs, data analytics and information management, disease management and supply chain innovations among many others.

If your innovation is applicable to health care in any of the mentioned ways and more, we are interested in your application as long as you meet the detailed criteria below;

DETAILED CRITERIA

1.    Legal Entity: Business or Social Enterprise
2.    Age: At least three years of operation
3.    Sector: Animal or human healthcare access
4.    Country of operation: Ghana, Nigeria or Kenya
5.    Annual Revenue: At least USD 100K in annual sales
6.    Impact: Evidence of social impact along clearly defined impact metrics
7.    Team: At least eight team members including founders and management team
8.    Growth stage: Early growth stage, proven model, seeking growth capital.

BENEFITS

1.    Knowledge Access:
The program offers participants multiple opportunities for professional growth and development on their entrepreneurial journey. Includes in-person and online workshops and seminars on topics about operations, systems change, replication & transfer, social finance, and new leadership among others. Additionally participants gain access to a shared knowledge platform home to an up-to-date library useful resources and materials related to the effective delivery of healthcare access programs.

2.    Technical expertise:
Through the Making More Health Executive in Residence program, accelerator participants get special access to experienced Boehringer Ingelheim executives with whom they can work in the field for an average of 2-4 weeks on developing new innovations and solving specific operational challenges related to scaling of the Social Entrepreneur’s organization. Additionally, the program engages a number of consultants to offer tailored expert support to participants in areas such as investor engagement, communications and pitching.

3.    Strategic networks:
As an accelerator participant, you become part of an ever growing and closely knit community of ecosystem actors including impact investors, foundations, philanthropists, government agencies, corporate executives, social entrepreneurs, experts and multinational healthcare companies all committed to improving health care access for humans and animals across Africa.

4.    Investment access support
The program provides each participant with a grant of Euros 50k for pilot implementation, with the possibility of additional scale up funds at the end of a successful pilot. Participants also receive tens of thousands of euros worth of technical support and expert-led investment readiness coaching and support before and after program. In addition, the program gives program participants the chance to showcase their innovations to a larger community of investors at MMH’s annual investor showcase event as well as other external investor access events.

5.    Business Collaboration 
Where there is a timely and strategic fit between Boehringer Ingelheim and an accelerator participant, there is the potential for a strategic business collaboration to be formed with the promise of significant long-term benefits for both organizations.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Ashoka Making More Health Co-creation Accelerator 2020