Ashoka Making More Health Co-creation Accelerator 2021 for Social Entrepreneurs (50,000 Euros in Funding)

Application Deadline: 7th February, 2021

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 around a 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 and animals in underserved communities around the world.

The MMH Co-creation Accelerator, currently in its third year, is a structured social enterprise support program consisting of 12 months of design and implementation to test/pilot a new strategy or element of a business model, culminating in a pitch for further scale-up. The winners of this pitch will continue into a second 12-month phase of scale-up support of the test/pilot. (See graphic below for further details.) In both phases of the program, participants have access to financial and technical support from Ashoka, Boehringer Ingelheim and social investment experts.

A key highlight of the program is its co-creation approach that links Boehringer Ingelheim employees and participating social enterprises (based on relevant skills and expertise), so they may continue to collaborate around shared solutions for healthcare access. Upon exiting the accelerator program, participants join a growing alumni community of like-minded social entrepreneurs with continued access to technical support, best practice sharing and networking.

The program targets social entrepreneurs that meet the below selection criteria and whose organizations contribute either directly or indirectly to human & animal health access in Africa. While healthcare access lies at the core of the Making More Health program, there is also an interest in how health intersects with environmental sustainability including protection of clean water, reducing carbon emissions and smarter usage of natural resources in packaging and design.

i) Direct contribution: Innovations that contribute directly to healthcare access (for humans and animals) by providing frontline delivery of health products and services to both people as well as to farmers and their livestock. (For people, the accelerator has a particular focus on non-communicable diseases including diabetes, hypertension myocardial infarction, stroke respiratory disease and cancers.) Topics of interest include last-mile delivery, e-health solutions, disease management support services and diagnostic solutions, and one-health models.

ii) Indirect contribution: Innovations that contribute indirectly to healthcare access for humans and animals by enabling solutions that make access to healthcare more affordable, efficient, effective, accessible and sustainable. Topics of interest include health insurance innovations, data analytics, public awareness and education, emergency transport solutions, technology platforms as well as solutions combining health and environmental sustainability.

If you have an innovation that contributes to the increase in healthcare access in Africa in any of the ways described above, we are interested in receiving your application. Please review the criteria below to ensure that you qualify before applying;

SELECTION CRITERIA

1. Legal Entity: Business or Social Enterprise
2. Age: At least three years of operation
3. Sector: Any sector that contributes directly or indirectly to human or animal health.
4. Country of operation: Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.
5. Revenue: At least USD 100K in annual sales revenue.
6. Impact: Clear metrics and evidence of impact
7. Team: Strong team with the right size and level of competency

BENEFITS

 1. Professional growth:
The program offers participants multiple opportunities for professional growth and development in 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.

 2. Technical expertise:
As participants develop and test strategies to unlock their potential for scale and sustainability, they have access to expert advice from experienced professionals at Boehringer Ingelheim through a curated Executive in Residence (EiR) or expert engagement program. Engagement with BI employees may take place virtually or in-person for 2-4 weeks at a time. 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:
Accelerator participants become part of an ever growing and closely knit community of ecosystem actors including impact investors, foundations, government agencies, corporate executives, social entrepreneurs and experts committed to improving health care access for humans and animals across Africa with ongoing support from Making More Health.

 4. Investment access support
The program provides each participant with a grant of Euros 50k for piloting/testing a new strategy or element of a business model, with the possibility of additional scale up funds of up to Euros 150K for successful pilots. Participants also receive tens of thousands of euros in pro-bono technical support and investment readiness coaching. In addition, the program gives program participants the chance to showcase their innovations to a larger community of investors at an annual investor showcase event.

 5. Business Collaboration
Where there is a timely and strategic fit between Boehringer Ingelheim and a participating social venture, there is the potential to explore a strategic business collaboration with significant long-term benefits for both organizations.

APPLICATION PROCESS

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Ashoka Making More Health Co-creation Accelerator 2021