Call for Applications: Shine Program in the United Kingdom

Through this open call for applications, they will select & recognize an early-stage entrepreneur based on their holistic understanding of the social challenge and an innovative approach to the solution. The selected innovator will undergo an immersive six-month program along with a skilled and diverse team from Swiss Re UK&I to develop a strategic and financially viable business plan that they can implement to scale impact.

Following the leadership program spread across four modules and five months, the Swiss Re Foundation team will continue the association with the innovator to support their progress and assess their impact footprint. They are positive that this experience will not only help the selected innovator realize their vision, but also help grow professionally and personally.

Focus Areas

The impact areas of the applicant must be aligned with Swiss Re Foundation’s strategic areas given below:

• Transformation to net-zero (renewable energy, afforestation, recycling etc.)
• Healthy nutrition
• Access to health
• Climate-smart agriculture
• Disaster risk reduction

What Shine offers to social innovators?

• Skills & expertise of Swiss Re talent for 5 months
• Sharpened focus& approach to scale business
• Personalized leadership coaching in alignment to international standards
• Visibility in the social entrepreneurial ecosystem
• Long-term association with Swiss Re Foundation
• Grant amount up to GBP 30000 to realise their vision

Program Structure

• Phase 1: Social Innovator Award
  • The submitted applications will be evaluated and shortlisted entrepreneurs will be interviewed to select a winner who will move to the next phase of action learning program along with the cohort of Swiss Re employees.
  • To mark this achievement, the winner will also receive Swiss Re’s Social Innovator Award with a grant of GBP 5000.
• Phase 2: Action Learning Program
  • The social innovator will team up with Swiss Re employees and go through an accredited Action Learning Program facilitated in collaboration with the partner BOOKBRIDGE. During this immersive five-month journey, they will together define problem areas for the business, engage with target communities, design & test solution prototypes and develop a viable business plan. They will then pitch this plan to the Shine Panel of Experts with the aim to earn an additional grant of GBP 25000.

Who should apply?

• Innovation
  • Applicants must display high levels of innovation in their product, service and/or delivery. The solution must be focused and should address critical social/ecological challenge.
• Maturity
  • Applicant should be an early-stage enterprise that has an established proof of concept for its offering and is looking to accelerate its growth.
• Mission and Purpose
  • Applicants must have a strong social purpose & commitment with an outcome focused approach to the impact area.

For more information, visit Swiss Re Foundation.