IUK Launches £1 Million Competition to Stimulate Innovation in Occupational Health

UK businesses, and partner organisations, can apply for research and development funding to help with challenges small businesses and the self-employed face with ill health at work.

Innovate UK has launched a competition to increase access for small businesses and the self-employed to occupational health services (OHS) in the UK. These groups are seen as being underserved by the current OHS provision and this competition’s support aims to allow OHS providers to better utilise the capacity they have to serve this new demand.

This is phase 1 of a potential 2-phase competition. Phase 1 focuses on technical feasibility studies. This means planned research or critical investigation to gain new knowledge and skills for developing new products, processes or services. A total of up to £1 million is allocated to phase 1. Feasibility study R&D contracts will be up to £100,000 for each project for up to eight months.

Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate how they would deliver improvements to OH, harnessing technology such as artificial intelligence or data collection, to deliver better health outcomes for employees of SMEs.

To lead a project, applicants can be a UK business of any size. They may work alone or with others from business, research organisations, research and technology organisations, or the third sector as subcontractors.

The deadline for applications is 15 March 2023 (11:00 GMT).

(This report was the subject of a RESEARCHconnect Newsflash.)