Innovate UK has reversed a decision to award only half of the planned grants through the Women in Innovation’ funding competition, following backlash online against an announcement that only 25 out of an expected 50 female founders would receive funding.
A total of £4 million was made available in funding for the potential 50 grants and 1,452 female founders reportedly applied to the competition, with Innovate UK calling the response “our highest to date”.
However, Innovate UK originally shared that only 25 applicants would receive a share of the grant, generating pushback online.
Tara Attfield-Tomes, founder of the female founder community 51 Percent Club, commented on LinkedIn that there are “over 1,400 women who have taken their eyes off their business to go through the onerous process of applying for the grant” and added that the procedure indicates “performative action and systemic bias”.
Innovate UK has since reversed the decision, stating that the decision to award half the planned number of grants was a case of mistaken prioritisation around budgets. The innovation agency has also pledged to contact all applicants with information on wider support; further develop its strategic engagement with business leaders in this area; and continue collaborative work to improve processes and co-create new opportunities.
Women and health tech
Earlier this year, HTN hosted a virtual panel discussion asking how digital can help to bridge the gender health gap. With conversation including the women’s health strategy, the role of digital in driving change, how digital is helping to meet women’s health needs and more, we were joined by a team of female health tech professionals: Kim Ashall, head of virtual wards for North West Anglia Foundation Trust and programme lead for virtual wards for Cambridge and Peterborough ICB; Natalie Duffield, director of Inhealthcare; Sally Robinson, head of strategy and best practice at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust; and Dr Victoria Betton, director at PeopleDotCom.
Looking back, we also hosted a discussion exploring women in technology and digital leadership, which saw HTN joined by Jaki Taylor, director of Nottinghamshire Health Informatics Service; Nikki Turner, interim director for digital services at Nottinghamshire University Hospitals NHS Trust; and Alexis Farrow, digital programme director for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICS.
In July this year, HTN reported that Small Business Research Initiative Healthcare launched competitions seeking innovations in women’s health as well as antimicrobial resistance, stroke care and urgent and emergency care, with the aim of accelerating the uptake of innovations and facilitating the collection of evidence in real-world settings.
Through our interview series, we regularly speak to women from across the industry to gain insights into their roles and experiences. Recent interviews have included Louise Croxall, chief nursing information officer at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust; Kate Warriner, chief digital and transformation officer at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Trust and chief digital and information officer at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital; Henrietta Mbeah-Bankas, head of portfolio at NHS England; Natalie Hayes, chief nursing information officer at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals; and Sarah Hanbridge, chief clinical information officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.
