Applications have opened for the first round of the DWP’s Pathways to Work Innovation Fund, with up to £10 million on offer for innovative approaches to support people with disabilities and those with long term conditions in getting into, and staying in, work.
The fund is set to invest £60 million across two years in grant funding to test new ideas, approaches, and uses of tech to help more people with long term conditions “move towards, enter, stay and progress in work”, with £10 million to support the first round.
Ideas should be capable of generating learning and evidence to help improve future services, and should have the potential to be replicated or scaled, the DWP states. There is no minimum or maximum amount of funding that can be applied for, but projects must be delivered within 12 months of signing the funding agreement.
In assessing applications, the DWP shares that it will consider how innovative a proposal is, how likely it is to improve outcomes, how scalable it is, the funding required, and value for money. Applications need to include clear links between the funding requested and milestones or activities being delivered to develop, test, deliver, monitor, and evaluate approaches.
These activities may include the development or deployment of AI solutions, according to the DWP, as well as the piloting of new products or services, or the purchasing of tech, equipment, or specialist support required for delivery.
“Good” applications will reportedly clearly explain the challenge being addressed, who will benefit, what is new or different about the proposal, how accessibility and inclusion have been considered in the design process, and a practical delivery plan with “achievable” milestones.
Applications for the current round of funding close on 26 October 2026, with shortlisted applicants receiving feedback in November, prior to final funding decisions in January 2027. Project mobilisation is then expected to begin from February 2027. More information and details of how to apply can be found on the government website here.
Wider trend: Health tech innovation
Seven health tech start-ups are set to receive up to £70,000 in support through the DTC Health incubation programme, including suppliers developing a wearable robotic arm to support stroke rehabilitation, and an AI-enhanced diagnostic platform. The DTC Health programme is intended to help early-stage businesses bring their ideas to market faster and achieve success in the global health tech arena, the UKRI explains. It offers a package of support and resources including AI and prototyping facilities, expert business guidance, and intellectual property support. Among the start-ups is HMA Technologies, which is working on a wearable robotic arm support to help stroke survivors complete rehabilitation exercises from home.
A UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship is to provide £2.4 million of funding over four years to establish a “living lab” in Manchester exploring the potential for wearable tech to improve patient care and outcomes. The fellowship, awarded to Lukas Hughes-Noehrer, lead for computational medicine at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), will also see the launch of a wearables clinical trial of 800 patients undergoing lung and hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery to test adoption and impact on health outcomes. Hughes-Noehrer will reportedly be conducting further research into how wearable tech can support people undergoing cancer treatment, and into the potential role of continuous patient-generated data in delivering more personalised care.
After a fantastic response and entries spanning every corner of the health tech arena, we are delighted to thank all of those who entered, and to offer a huge congratulations to our winners of the Health Tech Awards 2026! All of the entries received were testament to the incredible hard work taking place, and showcased a huge range of different ways that technology is driving transformation, enhancing care for patients, and supporting clinicians in their daily roles.
