Digital Health Accelerator

Propel@YH is Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber’s digital accelerator that provides innovative organisations developing digital health solutions with access to a six-month structured course of support and advice aimed at enabling accelerated company growth and increased market presence.

The pioneering programme is open to all SMEs that can demonstrate innovative digital and patient solutions and have either an existing presence in the region or are willing to establish one.

It provides a unique and tailored set of advisory, guidance and support services to enable global organisations to bring innovative digital health and patient solutions to the region’s population and the wider health economy.

Propel@YH is delivered in collaboration with our partners, Nexus, at the University of Leeds, Hill Dickinson, Barclays Eagle Labs, West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership and Leeds City Council.

These organisations work with us to help guide the innovators to meet the specific demands of the NHS. The programme includes a series of masterclasses, delivered by our partners and supporters on all aspects of building a successful and sustainable business such as funding, research and UK legal requirements. The programme recruits up to 10 early-stage SMEs with innovative solutions destined for the NHS market.

We are looking for organisations that are:

  • Early-stage innovators with a clear user case, Minimal Viable Product, or in the early stage of development.
  • Innovators with a commitment to work in the Yorkshire and Humber NHS system to bring their product to market – to benefit patients, NHS stakeholders and the wider community.
  • Innovators with the capacity to actively engage with the programme by attending in-person events and masterclasses.

The programme will provide the following benefits:

  • Provide 10 masterclasses so that the cohort benefit from high-quality content that will support them and give clarity on their requirements for growing and spreading into the NHS.
  • Provide an environment so that the cohort can benefit from learning from other members of the programme.
  • Introduce the cohort to local NHS stakeholders, so they benefit from engagement and feedback to them.
  • Provide the cohort with 6 months of community membership at Nexus, so they benefit from the additional support and use of the Nexus facilities.

Our accelerator programmes are based on our five pillars that are critical to innovators’ success through their journey into the NHS. These are:

  1. The NHS
    Understanding the NHS landscape, organisational structure, national and local programmes, stakeholder management and engagement.
  2. Legal
    Key legal considerations for innovators – including company structure, formation and employment, data protection and patient confidentiality, intellectual property rights and medical device requirements.
  3. Finance and funding
    Covering key areas including how finances flow through the NHS, purchasing and procurement, funding options and grants, investor networks, funding partners and pitching for funding.
  4. Networking
    Linking in with the local health tech ecosystem, co-location and business support, the start-up network, mentoring support and collaboration with partners.
  5. Growth and spread
    Governance and assurance requirements, clinical safety, navigating the innovation pathway, grant funding and funding flows, accessibility and sustainability, valuation and evidence, from pilot to adoption & beyond.

Find out more about our successes in our Impact Report 2021-22:

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