The 2024 Entrepreneurs for Resilience Award will support social entrepreneurs working on a hybrid delivery model to improve low-income people’s access to quality primary healthcare in low- and middle-income countries.
Given mounting threats to societal resilience and obstacles to significant progress toward universal health coverage by 2030 – a key health-related SDG – they have decided a stronger form of partnership is needed to spur, guide and support initiatives that improve access to and quality of primary care for low-income households in LMICs.
Therefore, we are joining forces with the Digital Connected Care Coalition and the UBS Optimus Foundation to support social entrepreneurs in the healthcare space through the Entrepreneurs for Resilience Award, pooling our experience, network, solutions and funding with these new partners.
Benefits
Award benefits include the following:
• Total grant of USD 700000 for the three finalists. This amount is divided among
the winning initiative (which may receive up to USD 350000) and the two
runners-up and is paid in instalments over two years.
• The finalist that wins the People’s Choice Award, determined by public online
vote, will be invited to connect with potential investors at an event hosted by
Sankalp Forum, one of the world’s largest platforms for impact enterprises.
• Tailored non-financial support for all three finalists, for instance:
‒ Technical advice from Swiss Re employees and from staff of DCCC-participating organisations (such as AXA, PharmAccess and Philips)
‒ Training, advisory, data-gathering and/or analysis to improve business
operations and strategy from LeFil Consulting representatives and others
• Potential eligibility for follow-up funding from the UBS Optimus Foundation
• Access to a network of like-minded peers with whom to share knowledge or
experiences and from whom to learn on topics relevant to the initiative
Eligibility We encourage social enterprises that fall within the scope outlined above and that meet the following criteria to apply. • Mission and purpose
Applicants must demonstrate high levels of social impact and ideally be able to
measure it in a reliable manner (eg improved health indicators, reduced out-ofpocket expenses). • Target group
Low-income populations must constitute at least 30% of applicants’ customer
base. Applicants should have a deep understanding of the specific circumstances
of the people – women as well as men – they serve. Priority will be given to
enterprises that are gender-inclusive, that is, strive to reduce gender inequalities.
• Geography
Applicants must operate in countries that are defined as low-income or lowermiddle-income by the World Bank. • Operating model
Applicants must operate on a market basis. While the venture may depend
on grant funding, it must demonstrate an ability to grow and scale through
earned revenue.
Size
Applicants must have been formally established by 2021, serve at least
20000 people and have the potential to reach at least 100000 people in
the next two years. • Organisation
Applicants must have a solid management team in which responsibilities are well
defined and distributed. It should also have a diverse, well-structured workforce.
Preference will be given to ventures with at least one female founder, or at least
30% women in the management team. • Legal compliance
Applicants must comply with the legal framework of the country or countries in
which they operate and be allowed to receive grant funding from a Swiss non-governmental organisation such as the Swiss Re Foundation.
Given mounting threats to societal resilience and obstacles to significant progress toward universal health coverage by 2030 – a key health-related SDG – they have decided a stronger form of partnership is needed to spur, guide and support initiatives that improve access to and quality of primary care for low-income households in LMICs.