The Inclusive Innovation Award

Diversity in all its many forms matters, and great ideas can come from anyone. We encourage businesses to consider diversity and inclusion in their approach to innovation.

This programme is now closed, view Women in Innovation or visit the No Limits platform.

Putting the user at the centre of innovation

We define an ‘inclusive innovation’ as one that centres equality, diversity and inclusion in the design and development of a product, process, or service. Importantly, innovation should address a real-world challenge.

Across our programmes, Innovate UK encourages businesses to consider diversity and inclusion in their approach to innovation. This includes ensuring that new products, processes, technologies and services are designed at the outset with diversity, and diverse users, in mind.

We want to see more innovations developed with improvements in equality, diversity, and inclusion as a goal, resulting in a higher chance of commercial success whilst delivering benefits to all parts of society.

The Inclusive Innovation Award

Diversity in businesses contributes to enhanced performance and commercial success. Greater representation from different backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, economic circumstances, disabled people, and ethnic minorities in business innovation is a huge opportunity for positive economic and societal impact in the UK.

Innovate UK’s Inclusive Innovation Award funded and supported a diverse range of businesses who are developing products, technologies and services that champion accessibility and inclusion.

We supported businesses developing either universal innovations (solutions that are purposefully designed for the widest group of demographics) or inclusive innovations (solutions aimed at demographics that are often excluded).

We supported businesses who are role models in developing innovations that centre on equality, diversity and inclusion in their design and development, such as:

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Life-enhancing innovation

Technologies that give people with disabilities a more independent life

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Broad user research

Product development based on user research from a broad range of demographics

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Diverse representation

Services that promote representation and help build a more inclusive society

AWARD WINNERS

Our winners lead the way in developing inclusive innovations

Our Inclusive Innovation Award 2023 celebrated micro, small or medium-sized enterprises from across the UK. 50 winners were selected from over 400 applicants. Each winner received grant funding to develop new products or scale existing practices to venture into a new markets.

Collectively, these companies have delivered demonstrable societal impact from a previous inclusive innovation and shared their learnings, experience and good practice with the innovation sector.

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