Innovate UK has opened a FemTech accelerator programme, part of its Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP), to help UK SMEs to scale globally.
The GBIP gives small businesses access to market knowledge, insight, and connections, aiming to ‘open doors’ for SMEs, with each business assigned an innovation and growth specialist to help them get the most out of the programme.
Its FemTech programme for Boston and New York has now opened for applications, with interested suppliers invited to register for a briefing event on 12 December 2023 here.
The programme cites Boston as a “leading life science hub in the world” that has “established itself as an early industry-leader in FemTech”. It notes New York as a leader in the “US FemTech ecosystem, by fostering a significant amount of start-ups and reproductive care initiatives.” It adds that: “There is a higher concentration of women-led Venture Capitalist firms, and women in leadership roles in investment, that we expect to be intrigued by the UK FemTech delegation that will be visiting.”
During the first phase of the programme, businesses will take part in workshops on topics including identifying opportunities, protecting intellectual property, and cultural aspects of conducting business internationally. The second phase gives participants chance to explore the market first-hand, attending meetings with potential partners or collaborators, and participating in relevant activities.
In order to take part, businesses must be small or medium in size, and based in the UK. The programme is looking for “businesses with the ambition and commitment to grow and scale globally with the need to better understand how to tackle global markets, to build partnerships and collaborations, and to explore future opportunities”.
To learn more about the GBIP, or to apply, please click here.
Elsewhere on innovation, King’s College London has been awarded £1.5 million in funding from Research England’s Connecting Capability Fund, to develop “the UK’s first” MedTech accelerator programme. The programme, led by Professor Sebastien Ourselin, head of the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, will look to “translate medical devices to commercial success and clinical impact”.
In West Yorkshire, the West Yorkshire Digital Ambassador Programme, the result of a collaboration between West Yorkshire Digital Primary Care Collaborative and Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber and designed to “strengthen the digital innovation, transformation and improvement skills of the primary care workforce”, has opened for applications.
