You are about to visit a Philips global content page
Continue
Apr 24, 2026
By the Philips Foundation team
Philips Foundation is collaborating with MIT Solve to continue its Social Impact Award, inviting innovators worldwide to scale solutions that improve access to healthcare for underserved communities and win $100,000 to bring their idea to life. With a clear focus: maternal and child health, and cardiovascular disease.
At-a-glance: Social Impact Award Philips Foundation is continuing its Social Impact Award through a new collaboration with MIT Solve, an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that connects social innovators with the funding and expertise needed to scale impactful solutions. This collaboration strengthens Philips Foundation’s mission to expand access to quality healthcare for underserved communities. It focuses on two areas where the need remains urgent and persistent. Maternal and child health continues to face stark inequalities. Millions of women and children lack access to essential care before, during, and after childbirth. Preventable complications still lead to high mortality rates, particularly in low-resource settings [1]. Solutions that strengthen early detection, improve care delivery, and support frontline health workers can directly save lives. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death globally, with the burden increasingly shifting to underserved populations [2]. Limited access to screening, diagnosis, and long-term management leads to late detection and poor outcomes. Scalable innovations that bring care closer to communities can significantly reduce this gap. By focusing on these two domains, the Social Impact Award targets areas where innovation can deliver measurable improvements in access and outcomes.
The Social Impact Award from last year has already helped building promising health models. We are excited to continue this journey and enable the next generation of impact-driven solutions.
Bahaa Eddine Sarroukh
Head of the Philips Foundation
From idea to scale through MIT Solve Applications to the award are managed through MIT Solve. This provides participants with more than a funding opportunity. Solve offers a structured pathway to scale, including expert mentorship, tailored support, and access to a global network of partners across sectors. Teams that become eligible for the prize are positioned to accelerate their solutions beyond pilot stage and into sustainable impact. The call is open to a wide range of organizations. Non-profits, for-profit ventures, and hybrid models are all eligible. Philips employees are also encouraged to apply with new ideas that can improve access to healthcare. What matters is a clear, scalable solution that addresses real barriers in underserved communities. One selected team will receive a $100,000 prize to help bring their solution to the next level. The award builds on a strong track record. Previous editions have supported four initiatives across different regions, from Spain to China, demonstrating how targeted support can turn ideas into tangible impact. “Through our collaboration with MIT Solve, we are strengthening our commitment to support innovators who are addressing some of the most pressing healthcare access challenges,” said Bahaa Eddine Sarroukh, the Head of the Philips Foundation. “The Social Impact Award from last year has already helped building promising health models. We are excited to continue this journey and enable the next generation of impact-driven solutions.” Application process [1] WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group & UNDESA/Population Division (2023). Trends in maternal mortality 2000 to 2023 For further information, please contact: Yannick Eshuijs
[2] World Heart Federation (2023). World Heart Report 2023: Confronting the world’s number one killer
Philips Foundation
Tel. : +31 1852 6633
E-mail: [email protected]
March 10, 2026
January 28, 2026
December 11, 2025
June 05, 2025
