Apply now! Funding to tackle health equity gaps in South West
The South West Academic Health Science Network (South West AHSN) has launched a Health Equity Innovation Challenge supporting up to three innovators to improve health equity through innovation, as part of its focus on closing health equity gaps in the region.
Funded by the UK Office of Life Sciences’ Innovation Exchange, grants of up to £25K over six months are available to innovators seeking to improve equity of health and wellbeing for families during pregnancy, birth and babies up to a year old (perinatal health), or mental health provision for children and young people.
The Challenge is open to applications from collaborations between industry and NHS, Social Care and or Voluntary Care Sector (VCS) partners, with funding supporting innovators in health and care to identify and spread innovative practice, including real-world evaluation to generate the evidence needed to bring the innovation to market.
Across South West England, different population groups are experiencing variations in health and care, including accessibility and quality of care, opportunities for a healthy life, and empowerment to manage their own health.
As the South West AHSN, our remit covers Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, taking in urban areas and including those associated with pockets of deep, long-standing and increasing deprivation, an ageing population, children living in poverty, and a dispersed and sometimes isolated population. As part of our new five-year health equity strategy, our Health Equity Innovation Challenge is aiming to improve equity in perinatal health and children and young people’s mental health by facilitating the implementation of innovation in these areas into health and/or care settings.
South West AHSN Innovation Exchange Programme Lead, William Lilley, said:
“Through the Health Equity Innovation Challenge and our Innovation Exchange, we are delighted to be able to support innovations in our region to help close the gaps in health equity through innovation.”
For more information, including full eligibility criteria and how to apply, click here.
