USAID ReachHealth Innovation Accelerator 2022
Supporting local innovators for solutions to family planning and teen pregnancy challenges
Applications to the USAID ReachHealth Innovation Accelerator are open until March 28, 2022.
About the program
Access to family planning commodities and services continues to be a challenge for many women and families in the country. At the same time, teenage pregnancy rates are on the rise and are considered a national emergency in the Philippines. In the era of COVID-19, last mile delivery for health services, including reproductive and mental health, has become even more challenging. There is a need for more innovative solutions to break the stigma surrounding reproductive health and provide more reliable, affordable, and accessible family planning commodities and services.
The USAID ReachHealth Innovation Accelerator aims to aid and support innovators to scale solutions to address family planning and teenage pregnancy.
Underscoring the importance of long term sustainability and the need to build upon the emerging local innovation ecosystem in the Philippines, USAID ReachHealth has partnered with Villgro Philippines to launch the ReachHealth Innovation Accelerator with the following objectives in mind:
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To provide enterprises with technical assistance and capacity building support, which includes business mentorship, market access partnerships, and linkages and exposure to innovative models and solutions
- To share knowledge and expertise by holding peer-to-peer learning sessions through which participants can share valuable insights and best case practices from their experience as entrepreneurs
- To develop strategic partnerships to leverage further support for the growing sexual and reproductive health sector and advance long-term goals of USAID ReachHealth at large
What's Inside
The USAID ReachHealth Innovation Accelerator is a 5-month program intended to develop and nurture innovations that seek to address unmet needs in family planning and teenage pregnancy.
During the program, teams will get to showcase scalable and effective ideas that will address challenges in the sector. The winning team will be provided capital of up to USD 20,000, and be connected to potential funders to continue to develop their products and services. Aside form this, teams will gain access to business mentoring, to upskilling through a high-impact curriculum, and to working capital products
Learning Labs
Virtual group knowledge workshops wherein experts will provide you with a high-impact curriculum
Webinars
Online sessions hosted by experts that focus on key business topics relevant to you and the program
Customized Mentorship
Work with a business mentor throughout the program as you implement lean experiments and growth plans
Investment Readiness
Work with technical experts to ensure compliance with financial regulations, and develop a system that monitors key metrics that investors focus on
Impact Showcase
Participate in roadshows that will enable you to engage with potential investors and market partners
We are looking for
Duly registered organizations*
*For-profit and non-profit organizations are welcome to apply
Entities that have been in operation for at least 1 year
Teams that can commit to the program full time
USAID leads international development and humanitarian efforts to save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance and help people progress beyond assistance
To learn more, visit usaid.gov
RTI International is an independent, nonprofit institute that provides research, development, and technical services to government and commercial clients worldwide
To learn more, visit rti.org
The Global Health Innovation Center is a center within Duke University, linking global health, health policy, and health innovation efforts across Duke
To learn more, visit dukeghic.org
Villgro Philippines is an early-stage impact enterprise incubator that mentors, funds, and nurtures entrepreneurs who are building innovative market-based solutions that can transform the lives of the poor. Our incubation and acceleration model is designed to provide highly customized early-stage support that is anchored in access to risk capital, high quality mentoring, investment readiness and access to talent, networks and markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is USAID ReachHealth?
The Family Planning / Maternal & Neonatal Health Innovations and Capacity Building Platform (USAID ReachHealth) will help Philippine communities reduce unmet needs for family planning and decrease teen pregnancy. The USAID-funded project is led by RTI International and is supported by the Duke University Global Health Innovation Center and Villgro Philippines.
What stage do I need to be exactly in to be eligible?
The program is open to both startups and scale-ups. USAID ReachHealth Innovation Accelerator is looking for startups working on family planning innovations that already have a minimum viable product or have done some form of customer validation. Startups applying must have clear intentions of growing and scaling, with plans on how to achieve this. Scale-ups with demonstrated traction and revenue and are looking to grow and raise funds are eligible for the program.
I am working on my idea. Can I still Apply?
Idea-stage companies are welcome to apply, provided they have an existing minimum viable product (MVP) or have done some form of customer validation already.
Do I get guaranteed funding if I am selected?
Yes! Each selected enterprise will receive anywhere from USD 10,000 up to USD 20,000 in guaranteed funding from USAID ReachHealth. The funds will support entrepreneurs to further refine and test their business models and will provide a launchpad for them to access follow-on funding. Enterprises in the program will receive investment readiness training and meet various investors within our network for additional funding opportunities in the future.
Does my enterprise need to be legally registered to be eligible for the program?
Yes. Teams applying to the USAID ReachHealth Innovation Accelerator must be registered for-profit companies or non-profit organizations in the Philippines.
I am not set up as a business. Am I still eligible to apply?
Yes! We welcome for-profit and non-profit organizations to the program, provided they are duly registered entities in the Philippines with innovative solutions on family planning. The program is also open to CSOs and NGOs looking to develop sustainable business models to their family planning projects and initiatives.
Will any sessions take place in-person?
In observance of social distancing and quarantine measures, the USAID ReachHealth Innovation Accelerator will be delivered virtually. But this won’t take away from the overall experience, as we’ve prepared loads of engaging activities throughout the program with a blended learning approach and a focus on building linkages and connections with peers, mentors, partners, and investors. Some learning activities will be provided through recorded materials, while others will be delivered live. Customized support such as mentorship sessions will be scheduled based on the entrepreneur’s availability and suited to their requirements and needs.
A woman’s health is her capital.
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