MORE HEALTH for Africa Program (MH4A) Cohort 3: Up to €80,000 in Catalytic Funding for Healthcare Innovation in Africa

The MORE HEALTH for Africa Program (MH4A) Cohort 3 is now seeking innovative social enterprises working to transform healthcare access and improve health outcomes across Africa. The initiative brings together Boehringer Ingelheim and Villgro Africa to support high-impact healthcare ventures with funding, business development support, investor connections, mentorship, capacity building and opportunities for international exposure.

For healthcare-focused social enterprises that have already established their operations and are looking to expand their reach, strengthen their business models and attract significant investment, the MORE HEALTH for Africa Program offers a comprehensive platform for growth.

The program is designed around the broader goal of supporting sustainable healthcare solutions that can reach underserved communities while creating measurable and lasting social impact across the continent.

What Is the MORE HEALTH for Africa Program?

The MORE HEALTH for Africa Program (MH4A) is an initiative established through a partnership between Boehringer Ingelheim and Villgro Africa. Its focus is on supporting social entrepreneurs who are developing innovative approaches to healthcare challenges in Africa.

According to Villgro Africa, the program contributes to Boehringer Ingelheim’s sustainability commitment to improve the lives of 50 million people through social engagement models by 2030.

Rather than offering funding alone, the program combines financial support with incubation, acceleration, mentorship, business development and access to strategic networks. This integrated approach is intended to help participating enterprises move beyond the early stages of development and build stronger, more scalable healthcare businesses.

The third cohort therefore represents an opportunity for established healthcare-focused social enterprises to receive support as they prepare for their next stage of growth.

Why the MORE HEALTH for Africa Program Matters

Africa continues to face significant healthcare access and delivery challenges, particularly among underserved populations. Social enterprises can play an important role in addressing these challenges by developing innovative products, services, technologies and delivery models.

However, promising healthcare enterprises often face barriers when attempting to scale, including limited access to capital, insufficient business infrastructure, challenges with market expansion and difficulty connecting with appropriate investors and strategic partners.

The MORE HEALTH for Africa Program seeks to address some of these challenges by combining:

• Catalytic funding
• Business development support
• Mentorship and coaching
• Capacity-building opportunities
• Investor linkages
• Research support
• Networking opportunities
• International exposure
• Peer-to-peer learning

This means participants can work on both the internal strength of their organizations and their external growth strategy.

What Selected Enterprises Can Receive

Successful participants in the MORE HEALTH for Africa Program will have access to a range of financial and non-financial benefits.

1. Catalytic Funding of Up to €80,000

One of the major features of the program is the availability of catalytic grants of up to €80,000.

This funding can provide important financial support to enterprises working to strengthen their operations and expand their impact.

Catalytic funding can be particularly valuable for social enterprises because it can help bridge the gap between an organization’s current capacity and the resources required to achieve its next growth milestone.

The program therefore goes beyond conventional training by providing financial resources alongside business development support.

2. Tailored Business Support

Participants will receive support designed around the needs of their individual enterprises.

The program aims to help businesses strengthen their models and connect with relevant partners. This tailored approach recognizes that social enterprises at the growth stage may have different challenges depending on their market, operating model, healthcare solution and expansion objectives.

Support can therefore help participating enterprises identify weaknesses, improve their strategies and establish stronger foundations for sustainable growth.

3. Investor Linkages

Access to appropriate investors can be critical for healthcare enterprises seeking to scale.

The program provides opportunities for participating enterprises to connect with potential investors and develop relationships that may support future fundraising.

These investor linkages can also help founders better understand investment expectations, improve their investment readiness and position their enterprises for larger funding opportunities.

4. Capacity Building and Masterclasses

Participants will also benefit from capacity-building activities, including:

• Masterclasses
• Diagnostic panels
• Research support
• Business coaching
• Specialized mentorship

These activities are intended to strengthen the skills, systems and strategic capabilities required to manage a growing social enterprise.

5. Global Exposure

The program also provides an opportunity for selected enterprises to showcase their work internationally.

Participating enterprises can receive exposure through the annual Making More Health Together (MMHT) convention in Germany, as well as one event on the African continent.

This exposure can help participating founders introduce their solutions to a wider audience, build relationships with international stakeholders and increase visibility within the global healthcare innovation ecosystem.

6. Peer Learning and Founder Networks

Another important component is access to a network of founders from current and previous cohorts within the Villgro Africa portfolio.

Peer learning can allow entrepreneurs to exchange experiences, discuss common challenges and learn from other founders who are navigating similar growth journeys.

Building these relationships can also create opportunities for future partnerships and collaboration.

How the MORE HEALTH for Africa Program Is Structured

The program is divided into two major phases:

1. Business Foundations
2. Business Growth

Each phase lasts approximately six months, creating a total program structure of about 12 months.

Phase One: Business Foundations

The first phase, known as Business Foundations, runs for six months.

This stage focuses on strengthening the internal foundations of participating enterprises. Before an organization can successfully scale, it needs strong systems, an effective business model, capable leadership and appropriate governance structures.

During this phase, participants can work on areas such as:

• Refining their business models
• Strengthening organizational structures
• Building effective teams
• Improving governance
• Identifying critical internal gaps
• Developing stronger operational foundations

Participants will also receive coaching and masterclasses designed to address their specific business needs.

Tailored grants are another component of this phase, allowing enterprises to address some of their most pressing internal requirements.

The objective is to ensure that participating enterprises have stronger foundations from which they can pursue sustainable expansion.

Phase Two: Business Growth

The second six-month phase is focused on Business Growth.

While the first phase concentrates primarily on strengthening the enterprise internally, the Business Growth phase shifts attention toward external opportunities and scaling.

Participants can receive support in areas including:

• Market access
• Investment readiness
• Fundraising
• Business expansion
• Scaling healthcare solutions
• Investor engagement
• Research
• Global networking

Advanced mentorship and investor connections are expected to play an important role during this stage.

Research vouchers and networking opportunities can also help enterprises develop stronger evidence, understand their markets and identify opportunities for expansion.

Building Investment Readiness

For growing social enterprises, preparing for investment is often as important as identifying potential investors.

The MORE HEALTH for Africa Program places emphasis on helping enterprises become more prepared to engage with investors.

Investment readiness can involve strengthening the business model, improving financial and operational systems, clarifying the growth strategy and demonstrating the potential for measurable impact.

Through mentorship, investor linkages and business-development support, the program can help participating enterprises position themselves for future fundraising.

Supporting Healthcare Solutions for Underserved Communities

At the heart of the program is the goal of expanding access to sustainable healthcare.

The initiative is particularly focused on social enterprises capable of addressing healthcare challenges while creating measurable social impact.

This makes the program relevant to organizations developing solutions that can improve how healthcare is accessed, delivered or scaled across African communities.

The broader objective is not simply to grow individual companies, but to support enterprises whose growth can translate into meaningful improvements in people’s lives.

International and Continental Networking Opportunities

Participation in the program can also provide opportunities to engage with stakeholders beyond the enterprise’s immediate market.

The opportunity to showcase at the Making More Health Together convention in Germany can provide international visibility, while participation in an event on the African continent can strengthen regional connections.

These opportunities can expose entrepreneurs to:

• Potential partners
• Investors
• Healthcare stakeholders
• Fellow entrepreneurs
• Innovation networks
• International organizations
• Business-development opportunities

For enterprises seeking to expand beyond their current markets, such networks can become valuable assets.

Peer Learning Through the Villgro Africa Network

The program also connects participants with founders from existing and previous Villgro Africa cohorts.

This peer network can provide practical learning that complements formal mentorship and masterclasses.

Entrepreneurs can potentially learn from the experiences of other founders regarding:

• Scaling operations
• Raising capital
• Entering new markets
• Managing teams
• Developing partnerships
• Building sustainable business models
• Measuring social impact

For founders facing similar challenges, peer learning can provide practical perspectives that are difficult to obtain through conventional training alone.

Why Entrepreneurs Should Consider Applying

The MORE HEALTH for Africa Program combines several forms of support that are important for enterprises moving into a significant growth phase.

Instead of receiving a grant without additional assistance, selected enterprises can benefit from a combination of funding, mentorship, business development, investor access, capacity building, research support and networking.

This integrated model can be particularly valuable for enterprises that have already demonstrated their potential and now need additional resources and strategic support to reach a larger number of people.

The program can potentially help participating enterprises:

• Strengthen their business foundations
• Improve their organizational structures
• Develop stronger growth strategies
• Increase investment readiness
• Connect with investors
• Access additional research support
• Expand market opportunities
• Develop strategic partnerships
• Increase visibility
• Learn from other social entrepreneurs
• Scale healthcare solutions to more communities

Application Process

Interested enterprises should review the official MORE HEALTH for Africa Program information and submit their application through the designated online application platform.

The official Villgro Africa announcement provides an Apply Here link that directs applicants to the program’s online application system.

Applicants should carefully review the application requirements before submitting their information and ensure that all requested organizational, financial, impact and growth information is accurate and complete.

APPLY HERE

Deadline

No application deadline is stated on the official Villgro Africa funding-call page provided for MORE HEALTH for Africa Program (MH4A) Cohort 3. Applicants should therefore check the official application platform for the current closing date or any deadline updates before applying.

Because funding-call timelines can change, prospective applicants are encouraged not to wait until the last moment to begin preparing their applications.

How to Prepare a Strong Application

Although the program is designed for established social enterprises, applicants should go beyond simply describing their healthcare solution.

A strong application should clearly communicate the enterprise’s ability to create measurable impact and achieve sustainable growth.

Key areas to prepare include:

Demonstrate the Healthcare Problem

Clearly explain the healthcare challenge being addressed.

Describe the communities affected by the problem and explain why the existing healthcare system or available solutions are insufficient.

Explain the Solution

Clearly demonstrate how the enterprise’s product, service or business model addresses the identified healthcare challenge.

Applicants should make it easy for reviewers to understand what makes the solution innovative and why it has potential to scale.

Demonstrate Impact

Use credible evidence to demonstrate the enterprise’s existing social impact.

Where possible, quantify the number of people reached, communities served and measurable improvements generated by the solution.

Present a Strong Business Model

Applicants should be able to explain how their enterprise generates revenue and how the business can remain financially sustainable as it grows.

Explain the Growth Strategy

A strong growth strategy should clearly demonstrate where the enterprise is going next.

Explain the markets, customers, partnerships, operational improvements and investment required to achieve the next stage of growth.

Show Investment Potential

Enterprises seeking to attract substantial future investment should demonstrate why investors would consider the business attractive.

This includes communicating the size of the opportunity, market demand, business performance, growth potential and strategic advantages.

Demonstrate Team Strength

A capable and committed team is essential for scaling a social enterprise.

Applicants should clearly communicate the experience, expertise and responsibilities of key members of the leadership team.

Key Details at a Glance

• Program: MORE HEALTH for Africa Program (MH4A) – Cohort 3
• Focus: Healthcare innovation and social entrepreneurship
• Geographic focus: Africa
• Program partners: Boehringer Ingelheim and Villgro Africa
• Funding: Catalytic grants of up to €80,000
• Program structure: Business Foundations and Business Growth
• Duration: Six months for each phase
• Total structured period: Approximately 12 months
• Business support: Coaching, masterclasses and tailored support
• Investor support: Investor linkages and investment-readiness assistance
• Research support: Research assistance and research vouchers
• Networking: African and international networking opportunities
• Global exposure: Making More Health Together convention in Germany and an event on the African continent
• Peer learning: Access to founders from current and previous Villgro Africa cohorts
• Application deadline: Not stated on the official Villgro Africa funding-call page

Visit HERE to learn more about the MORE HEALTH for Africa Program (MH4A) Cohort 3

Conclusion

The MORE HEALTH for Africa Program (MH4A) Cohort 3 presents a comprehensive opportunity for healthcare-focused social enterprises seeking to move from established operations to greater scale and impact.

With up to €80,000 in catalytic funding, tailored business support, investor linkages, masterclasses, research assistance, mentorship, international exposure and peer learning, the program offers more than financial assistance. It provides a structured environment in which enterprises can strengthen their foundations, improve investment readiness and develop strategies for sustainable growth.

The two-stage structure is particularly significant because it addresses both the internal and external needs of a growing enterprise. The Business Foundations phase focuses on strengthening organizational capacity, business models, teams and governance, while the Business Growth phase concentrates on market access, fundraising, investment readiness, networking and scaling.

For social enterprises working to expand healthcare access and create measurable impact across Africa, the MORE HEALTH for Africa Program can provide valuable financial, strategic and networking support.

Interested applicants should review the official program information carefully and submit their application through the designated online application platform. Since the official Villgro Africa page does not currently state a closing date, applicants should verify the application platform for the latest deadline and program instructions before submitting their application.

For more global Grant opportunities vist OFY HERE.