Weight Management Pathway Design Accelerator

Overview

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation will invest up to £3 million in a weight management pathway design accelerator.

Scope

The aim of this competition is to enable NHS organisations to speed up the development of novel community based patient access models that are safe, effective and resource efficient. This will open up the possibility that new obesity treatment options could be accessed by eligible patients through the NHS in anticipation of the release of additional funding for the implementation of pathways involving new medicines.

You must:

have the capacity to run an accelerator to start by 1 July 2025 and end by 30 September 2025
describe your design accelerator programme in detail, including outlining the business case and implementation plans
describe plans to engage with eligible businesses such as pharmacies
provide detailed information on eligible costs
include an assessment and evaluation plan
support organisations with the potential to enable fair, impartial and sustainable forms of community participation in research across the UK

Eligibility

This award has been designed to be provided on a no subsidy basis, as defined in the Subsidy Control Act 2022.

This means to be eligible, the award will not give an economic advantage to one or more organisations, and you must not be acting economically as an organisation within the meaning of the act.

In limited circumstances, EU State aid rules may apply under the Windsor Framework and a ‘No Aid’ award may be given in accordance with the R&D&I Framework.

Your project

Your project must:

have total costs up to £50,000
last up to three months
carry out its project work in the UK
intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
start by 1 July 2025
end by 30 September 2025

Projects must always start on the first of the month, even if this is a non-working day. You must not start your project until your Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Any delays within Project Setup may mean we need to delay your project start date.

You must only include eligible project costs in your application. See our overview of eligible project costs. For specific guidance, see the eligibility section in this competition.

Lead organisation

To lead a project your organisation must:

be a UK registered Integrated Care Board (ICB) or equivalent entities in the devolved nation health administrations
not act in any way to gain selective commercial or economic advantage from the outputs of this project

More information on the different types of organisation can be found in our Funding rules.

Subcontractors

Subcontractors are allowed in this competition.

Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK and you must select them through your usual procurement process.

You can use subcontractors from overseas but must make the case in your application as to why you cannot use subcontractors from the UK.

You must provide a detailed rationale, evidence of the potential UK contractors you approached and the reasons why they were unable to work with you. We will not accept a cheaper cost as a sufficient reason to use an overseas subcontractor.

All subcontractor costs must be justified and appropriate to the total eligible project costs.

Number of applications

Organisations applying to this competition can only lead on one application.

Sanctions

This competition will not fund you, or provide any financial benefit to any individual or entities directly or indirectly involved with you, which would expose Innovate UK or any direct or indirect beneficiary of funding from Innovate UK to UK Sanctions. For example, through any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any entity as lead, partner or subcontractor related to these countries, administrations and terrorist groups.

Use of animals in research and innovation

Innovate UK expects and supports the provision and safeguarding of welfare standards for animals used in research and innovation, according to best practice and up to date guidance.

Any projects selected for funding which involve animals will be asked to provide additional information on welfare and ethical considerations, as well as compliance with any relevant legislation as part of the project start-up process. This information will be reviewed before an award is made.

Exclusions

Innovate UK are not funding projects:

which are classed as State aid under EC regulations or a subsidy under the EU-UK TCA
with undertakings which gain a selective economic or commercial advantage from the funding

Funding Costs

Up to £3 million has been allocated to fund an innovation project in this competition. Funding will be in the form of a grant.

Your total eligible project costs will be 100% funded up to £50,000. Total eligible project costs detailed within your application must not exceed the maximum project size. If your total eligible project costs do exceed the maximum then your application will be made ineligible.

You can make reference to any additional voluntary contribution in your application answers. It must not be detailed in the finance section.

For more information on company sizes, please refer to the company accounts guidance.

If you are applying for an award funded under State aid Regulations, the definitions are set out in the European Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003.

Note: being awarded funding in this competition does not guarantee that you will be eligible for follow-on funding to implement the design.

Innovate UK may revoke our decision to provide funding without notice if government commitment for this initiative is withdrawn.

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