The 2027 Entrepreneurs for Resilience (E4R) programme is inviting innovative social enterprises to apply for an opportunity designed to help scale solutions that improve access to affordable, high-quality primary healthcare for underserved communities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Organised by the Swiss Re Foundation, the 2027 edition represents a significant milestone as the programme enters its 10th edition, marking a decade of supporting innovative social enterprises working to build more resilient communities.

For this special 10th-anniversary edition, Entrepreneurs for Resilience is turning its attention to one of the most persistent challenges facing underserved populations around the world: limited access to quality and affordable primary healthcare.

The programme is particularly interested in social enterprises that are developing innovative brick-and-click healthcare models. These models combine physical, community-based healthcare solutions with digital technologies to make healthcare services more accessible, affordable and convenient.

Successful entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to receive a combination of funding, tailored advisory support, corporate expertise, professional networks and peer-to-peer learning. The goal is to help participating enterprises strengthen their business and impact models, expand their reach and ultimately enable more people to access the healthcare services they need.

About the Entrepreneurs for Resilience Programme

Entrepreneurs for Resilience is an initiative of the Swiss Re Foundation that supports social entrepreneurs developing innovative solutions to major resilience challenges.

Over the years, the programme has worked with entrepreneurs seeking to address complex social and environmental challenges while developing sustainable business models capable of creating measurable impact.

The 2027 edition is particularly important because it marks the 10th edition of Entrepreneurs for Resilience. The milestone provides an opportunity to continue the programme’s focus on supporting innovative enterprises while addressing a critical issue affecting millions of people: access to primary healthcare.

For communities that are underserved by conventional healthcare systems, social enterprises can play an important role by developing alternative approaches that combine entrepreneurship, technology, community engagement and healthcare delivery.

What Is the Focus of Entrepreneurs for Resilience 2027?

The 2027 programme focuses specifically on scaling access to affordable, quality primary healthcare for underserved populations in low- and middle-income countries.

Primary healthcare is often the first point of contact between individuals and the health system. However, many communities continue to experience barriers that make accessing essential healthcare difficult.

According to the programme description, some of the major barriers include:

• High costs, which can prevent individuals and families from seeking essential healthcare.
• Distance, particularly for people living in remote or underserved communities.
• Limited availability of quality services, which can leave communities without reliable healthcare options.
• Access challenges, where conventional healthcare infrastructure may not adequately serve the needs of certain populations.

The E4R 2027 programme is therefore looking for entrepreneurs whose solutions can help overcome these barriers and bring healthcare services closer to the people who need them.

What Are “Brick-and-Click” Healthcare Models?

One of the defining features of the 2027 Entrepreneurs for Resilience programme is its focus on brick-and-click healthcare models.

A brick-and-click model combines physical and digital healthcare solutions.

The “brick” component can refer to physical healthcare infrastructure or services, such as

• Clinics
• Community healthcare centres
• Pharmacies
• Diagnostic facilities
• Healthcare delivery points
• Community-based health services

The “click” component can involve digital technologies and platforms, such as

• Telemedicine
• Digital health platforms
• Online consultations
• Mobile health applications
• Digital appointment systems
• Remote diagnostics
• Digital patient-management systems
• Technology-enabled healthcare access

By combining physical and digital approaches, these models can potentially address different barriers to healthcare access simultaneously.

For example, a social enterprise could operate physical healthcare facilities within underserved communities while using digital technology to provide remote consultations, manage appointments, facilitate follow-up care or connect patients with healthcare professionals.

The programme is particularly interested in entrepreneurs using this type of integrated approach to bring quality healthcare closer to underserved populations.

What Support Will Selected Entrepreneurs Receive?

Selected entrepreneurs will receive a combination of financial and non-financial support intended to help them strengthen and scale their enterprises.

1. Funding

Selected social enterprises will receive funding to support their efforts to strengthen and expand their solutions.

Financial support can be particularly important for social enterprises seeking to move from an established model to a larger scale of operations.

2. Tailored Advisory Support

Participants will benefit from tailored advisory support designed around their needs.

This can help entrepreneurs identify opportunities to strengthen their business models, improve their operations and develop strategies for sustainable growth and impact.

3. Access to Corporate Expertise

The programme provides access to corporate expertise, giving selected entrepreneurs an opportunity to learn from professionals and organisations with relevant experience.

This type of support can provide practical perspectives on issues such as

• Business development
• Scaling
• Strategy
• Operations
• Innovation
• Healthcare delivery
• Partnerships
• Impact development

4. Professional Networks

Entrepreneurs will also gain access to networks that can help them build relationships and potentially identify new opportunities for collaboration, partnerships and growth.

For a social enterprise seeking to scale its impact, access to relevant networks can be valuable for connecting with potential partners, experts and other stakeholders.

5. Peer-to-Peer Learning

Another important element of the programme is peer-to-peer learning.

Selected entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to interact with other social entrepreneurs working to solve significant social challenges.

This can create opportunities to exchange experiences, learn from different business models and understand how other entrepreneurs approach challenges related to growth and impact.

What Does the Programme Aim to Help Entrepreneurs Achieve?

The support offered through Entrepreneurs for Resilience is designed to help participating enterprises strengthen both their business models and social impact models.

The ultimate objective is to enable enterprises to:

1. Strengthen their business and impact models.
2. Expand the reach of their solutions.
3. Reach more underserved communities.
4. Improve access to affordable healthcare.
5. Bring quality primary healthcare closer to communities.
6. Develop sustainable approaches to healthcare delivery.
7. Use digital and physical solutions to overcome healthcare access barriers.

The programme therefore goes beyond simply providing funding. It combines financial support with expertise, networks and learning opportunities intended to help social enterprises grow sustainably.

Who Is Behind Entrepreneurs for Resilience 2027?

The Swiss Re Foundation is leading the 2027 Entrepreneurs for Resilience programme.

For this edition, the Swiss Re Foundation is partnering with several organisations working in areas related to healthcare, inclusion and social impact.

The partners mentioned in the programme announcement include

• Digital Connected Care Coalition (DCCC)
• AXA EssentiALL
• Sanofi’s Global Health Unit’s Impact Fund
• Philips Foundation

These collaborations bring together organisations with expertise and networks that can support social enterprises working to expand healthcare access.

The partnership with the Digital Connected Care Coalition is particularly relevant given the programme’s emphasis on integrated digital and physical healthcare solutions.

Why Healthcare Access Is Central to the 2027 Programme

Healthcare access remains a major development challenge, particularly for populations that experience financial, geographical or infrastructural barriers.

A healthcare system may exist within a country, but this does not necessarily mean that every community can access appropriate services.

People living in underserved areas may face challenges such as travelling long distances to reach healthcare facilities, paying costs they cannot afford or encountering limited availability of quality services.

Digital technology has created new possibilities for addressing some of these challenges.

Telemedicine, digital health platforms and other technology-enabled services can help connect people with healthcare professionals and services. However, digital solutions alone may not address every healthcare need.

This is where the brick-and-click approach becomes relevant.

By combining physical healthcare infrastructure and services with digital technologies, social enterprises can develop more integrated approaches to healthcare delivery.

Entrepreneurs for Resilience 2027 is therefore looking for enterprises that are already working at the intersection of healthcare, technology, social entrepreneurship and community impact.

What Kind of Social Enterprises Should Consider Applying?

The opportunity may be particularly relevant to social enterprises that already have a healthcare solution and are looking to scale.

Potentially relevant enterprises could include organisations working on:

• Affordable primary healthcare delivery
• Community healthcare
• Digital health
• Telemedicine
• Healthcare technology
• Healthcare access platforms
• Remote healthcare services
• Technology-enabled clinics
• Affordable diagnostic services
• Digital patient services
• Healthcare services for underserved populations
• Integrated physical and digital healthcare models

The central consideration is whether the enterprise is helping expand affordable, quality primary healthcare for underserved populations in LMICs.

Entrepreneurs for Resilience 2027 Application Deadline

Applications for the 2027 edition of Entrepreneurs for Resilience are open from 7 September 2026 through 4 October 2026.

Deadline: 4 October 2026 at 23:59 CET

Applicants should pay close attention to the deadline and time zone when preparing their submissions.

The programme also states that only applications submitted in English before the deadline will be considered.

Entrepreneurs should therefore ensure that their applications are completed and submitted in English before the specified closing time.

How to Apply for Entrepreneurs for Resilience 2027

Interested entrepreneurs should first review the programme’s eligibility criteria and application requirements carefully.

The application process involves submitting an application through the official Entrepreneurs for Resilience application platform.

Applicants should ensure that they:

1. Review the eligibility requirements.
2. Confirm that their social enterprise aligns with the healthcare focus of the 2027 edition.
3. Assess whether their solution addresses healthcare access challenges affecting underserved populations.
4. Demonstrate how their model combines physical and/or digital approaches where relevant.
5. Explain their existing impact and potential for further scale.
6. Prepare the required application information in English.
7. Submit the completed application before the deadline.

The official programme materials should be consulted for the complete eligibility criteria and application requirements before submitting an application.

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What Applicants Should Highlight in Their Application

Although applicants should follow the official application requirements, social enterprises can use the application process to clearly communicate the key elements of their work.

A strong application should clearly explain the problem, the solution, the business model, the impact achieved so far and the potential for scale.

Important areas to communicate include:

The Healthcare Problem

Explain the specific healthcare access challenge the enterprise is addressing.

For example, applicants may describe how cost, distance, availability or other barriers affect the communities they serve.

The Solution

Clearly explain how the enterprise addresses the identified problem.

If the solution combines physical and digital healthcare services, applicants should explain how the two components work together.

The Target Population

Applicants should clearly identify the underserved populations benefiting from the solution.

This could include communities that face geographical, economic or other barriers to accessing quality healthcare.

Existing Impact

Where applicable, applicants should demonstrate measurable results.

Examples could include:

• Number of people reached
• Number of healthcare consultations delivered
• Number of communities served
• Reduction in healthcare access costs
• Number of patients using digital services
• Geographic expansion
• Improvements in service accessibility

Scalability

Since the programme is focused on scaling impact, applicants should explain how their enterprise can expand its reach.

They should consider questions such as

• Can the model be replicated in other communities?
• What infrastructure is required for expansion?
• What partnerships are needed?
• How can technology support growth?
• What additional resources are required?
• How will the enterprise maintain quality as it scales?

Sustainability

Applicants should also demonstrate how the enterprise can maintain its operations and impact over time.

This is particularly important for social enterprises seeking to balance financial sustainability with social impact.

Benefits of Entrepreneurs for Resilience 2027

Participation in the programme can provide selected entrepreneurs with several forms of support.

These include:

• Funding to support enterprise development and scaling.
• Tailored advisory support to strengthen business and impact models.
• Corporate expertise from experienced organisations and professionals.
• Professional networks that can create opportunities for collaboration and growth.
• Peer-to-peer learning with other social entrepreneurs.
• Support for scaling impact and reaching additional underserved populations.
• Opportunities to strengthen healthcare delivery models.
• Exposure to a network of organisations working on resilience, healthcare and social impact.

Together, these resources can help social enterprises move toward greater scale while maintaining a focus on measurable social impact.

Why Social Entrepreneurs May Find This Opportunity Relevant

Social enterprises often face a unique challenge: they must develop financially sustainable operations while simultaneously addressing complex social problems.

Healthcare-focused enterprises can face additional challenges because delivering quality healthcare requires appropriate infrastructure, skilled professionals, technology and sustainable financing.

Entrepreneurs for Resilience provides a combination of resources designed to help selected enterprises navigate these challenges.

The programme’s 2027 focus is particularly relevant for entrepreneurs developing models that can make primary healthcare more affordable, accessible and available to underserved populations.

For enterprises that already have a functioning solution and are looking to expand, access to funding, expertise, networks and peer learning can support the next stage of development.

Key Details at a Glance

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How Entrepreneurs for Resilience Can Contribute to Healthcare Innovation

The growing use of digital technologies in healthcare has created opportunities to rethink how primary healthcare is delivered.

However, technology is most useful when it responds to real community needs.

A digital platform, for example, may improve access to consultations, but some patients may still require physical examinations, diagnostic services, medicines or other forms of in-person care.

The brick-and-click model seeks to bring these different components together.

This approach can potentially create healthcare systems that are more connected to the communities they serve while using technology to improve efficiency, convenience and reach.

For social entrepreneurs, this creates opportunities to develop models that address healthcare challenges from multiple angles rather than relying on a single intervention.

Visit HERE for more information about the Entrepreneurs for Resilience 2027.

Conclusion

The Entrepreneurs for Resilience 2027 programme presents an opportunity for social enterprises working to improve access to affordable and quality primary healthcare for underserved populations in low- and middle-income countries.

Marking the 10th edition of the programme, the 2027 initiative places particular emphasis on brick-and-click healthcare models that combine physical and digital solutions to bring healthcare services closer to communities.

Selected entrepreneurs can receive funding, tailored advisory support, corporate expertise, professional networks and peer-to-peer learning, with the broader objective of strengthening their business and impact models and helping them reach more people.

Social enterprises developing scalable healthcare solutions should review the full eligibility requirements and application materials carefully and submit their applications in English before the 4 October 2026, 23:59 CET deadline.

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