We welcome applications from industry and technology developers, researchers and academics, healthcare professionals, and others with relevant expertise.
Projects should bring the expertise and capability needed to develop the proposed innovation.

The two routes have different eligibility criteria. For the business-led route, you must be a UK-registered business to apply (not including Channel Islands, Isle of Man, or overseas company or branches), with a Companies House registration number. For the academic-led route, you must be based at a research organisation eligible for UKRI funding, and must be resident in the UK when applying and/or intend to be resident in the UK for the duration of the project.

Industry-led proposals: up to £12,000 award each for 3–5 winners. For UK-registered businesses.

Academic-led proposals: up to £30,000 award each for 3 winners. For applicants eligible for UKRI funding.

Projects for both routes should run for a maximum of 8 weeks.

All winners will be expected to present their projects and its outcome at a showcase event in London. This event is expected to be held in June 2027. We will reimburse travel and accommodation. Details will be confirmed in 2027.

You don’t need to have a finished solution. We want to hear about promising early-stage concepts and explore what they could become. Your proposal should set out:

• The problem you have identified
• Your idea for addressing it
• The difference you believe it could make

Ideas could include new technologies, adaptations of existing tools, feasibility studies, co-design projects, or new approaches to delivering neurological care.

Full details are given in the application pack available at the address below.

N-CODE develops technologies that bring neurological care closer to home — combining wearable devices, digital biomarkers, AI and mathematical modelling to support earlier diagnosis and better management of conditions including epilepsy, dementia, stroke, functional neurological disorders (FND), and other related neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions.

This challenge invites concepts that build on, or complement, this technology base.

The challenge seeks concepts, ideas and innovations that could fundamentally change how neurological care is delivered in the NHS, using wearable, digital biomarker, AI or mathematical modelling approaches.

Suggestions in the applicant guidance include: a seizure-risk algorithm proof of concept; a chatbot/triage tool localisation pilot; FND symptom journal co-design study; digital care-navigation tool; and a population health intelligence platform.

Given the programme timeline, there is no realistic route to obtain new NHS Research Ethics Committee (REC) or Health Research Authority (HRA) approval within the funded period. Proposals that would require new NHS ethics approval are therefore out of scope for this call, unless the necessary approvals are already in place at the time of application.

If your proposal involves patients, service users, or NHS staff in a way that may require ethical or governance approval (including NHS REC, HRA, or local R&D approval), please contact us before applying so we can confirm whether your proposal is eligible.

If you have any queries about the Innovation Challenge, please contact Dr Krithika Anil at krithika.anil@plymouth.ac.uk.