Applications open for Health plus innovation programme in North Wales

Applications are now open for Health+ (Iechyd a Mwy), an innovation programme supporting people and organisations across North Wales to develop ideas that could improve health and social care.

Funded by Life Sciences Hub Wales and coordinated and delivered by M-SParc, Health+ is delivered in partnership with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and Bangor University’s North Wales Medical School. The programme brings together expertise from healthcare, academia and industry to help innovators turn and develop promising ideas into practical solutions.

Health+ is open to innovators based in North Wales, including NHS and social care professionals, businesses, researchers, academics, students and individuals who have identified a health or care challenge they want to address. Applicants do not need an established business or a finished product. Ideas can be at different stages of development, including those based on an identified problem or unmet need.

Successful applicants will receive tailored support, including one-to-one mentoring, workshops and masterclasses, alongside opportunities to connect with NHS, academic and industry partners. Participants will also be able to network and pitch their ideas to potential funders, collaborators and other stakeholders.

Cari-Anne Quinn, Chief Executive Officer of Life Sciences Hub Wales, said:

“North Wales has the talent, ideas and partnerships to turn possibility into progress. By connecting innovators with clinical, academic and industry expertise, Health+ can help turn promising ideas turn into practical solutions that respond to genuine health and social care needs, create clearer routes to adoption and improve outcomes for people and services across Wales.”

Steff Thomas, Innovation Support Coordinator at M-SParc, added:

“We want to hear from anyone who has identified a health or care challenge and has an idea that could help address it. You do not need to have all the answers, an established business or a finished product. The programme is about recognising potential and helping people find the right route forward.” 

Through its Research & Development team, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is helping to connect innovators with clinical expertise, research infrastructure and real-world opportunities to test and develop ideas that respond to the needs of patients, service users and healthcare professionals. Dr Lynne Grundy, Associate Director of Research & Development at BCUHB, said:

“Innovation is essential if we are to meet the evolving needs of patients, service users and healthcare professionals. Through Health+, we are creating opportunities for innovators, clinicians and researchers to work together to develop solutions that can make a real difference to health and care across North Wales and beyond. By working in partnership, we are strengthening the region’s innovation ecosystem and ensuring that promising ideas have the support they need to progress.”

The programme welcomes ideas across health and social care, from medical devices, digital health technologies and diagnostic tools to preventative solutions and new ways of delivering care.

Two engagement events have been organised to share further information on the Health+ Programme:

22 October (13:00 – 13:30) //  Online webinar
23 October (10:00 – 12:30) // OpTIC Centre, St Asaph

Applications are open until 11.59pm on 1 November 2026, with the programme running from November 2026 to March 2027.

For further information, to register for the engagement events and to apply, visit: www.m-sparc.com/health