National support programme Accelerating FemTech has opened for applications, with the aim of providing early-stage companies and innovators focused on women’s health with commercial and funding support.
Accelerating FemTech is run by Health Innovation Network South London and wider UK partners and offers a ten-week programme to 20 innovators in this space, including workshops, mentoring and bespoke support in areas such as product development, stakeholder engagement and entrepreneurship skills. Participants will also receive support to prepare for a special closed-call feasibility funding opportunity through the Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst, which last year saw more than £1 million awarded to the programme’s first cohort.
The second cohort will run between November 2024 and March 2025, with applications open until 3 October at midnight. Click here to find out more.
Women and health tech
Last week HTN reported on the news that Innovate UK 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.
In July, we highlighted how 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.
We have also hosted two panels around this topic, inviting women in the health tech space to share their views on how digital can help to bridge the gender health gap, and exploring women in technology and digital leadership.
Earlier in the year, we shared the 11 winners for the first Irish FemTech call to industry from Health Innovation Hub Ireland.
Innovation opportunities
Last month, we covered the news that NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme and Alzheimer’s Society partnered to develop the Dementia Innovators programme, a pilot designed to explore ideas with the potential to support dementia care from professionals inside and outside the NHS.
Also in August, HTN noted how Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICS shared an opportunity for innovators to receive up to £10,000 in funding for projects making a positive impact on patient care in the region through the Dr Carl Ellson Clinical Innovation Fund, set up in memory of a local health leader.
And we shared a guide for innovators from Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex, designed to support consideration of how the design, development and implementation of innovations can help in achieving health equity.
