Health Launchpad

The NESTA-Young Foundation Health Launchpad is an early-stage incubator, which develops the most promising ideas around long-term conditions into new ventures, by providing financial support, time and expertise. It aims to transform the way health is managed in the workplace.

The Health Launchpad team work as social entrepreneurs at the earliest stages of idea development to scope, pilot and then launch new ventures, whether commercial or not-for-profit. Its approach includes funding (in the form of grants, loans or equity) and intensive non-financial support - approximately 40 team days per project.

Read about the projects we're supporting through Health Launchpad.

The problem

Almost half the UK population has a long-term condition (LTC), such as depression, back pain, asthma, diabetes or epilepsy. Eighty percent of NHS spending goes on treating this. The State cannot continue to sustain the NHS without significant innovation, and a shift in the way that healthcare is delivered - from hospitals to the community.

For many people, the workplace forms the centre of their daily life. Much more, therefore, needs to be done to make work central to preventing and managing LTCs.

One-third of working days are lost due to LTCs, £11.6bn per year, but the biggest impact is on the individual and their loved ones. People with LTCs face many problems trying to live with, and manage, their condition. Some of the main problems include getting into work, being able to hold down a job and managing their condition while at work.

Call for ideas

We're calling for ideas in the following areas:

• Preventing and managing long-term conditions in the workplace: Exciting work-based solutions to promote physical and mental well-being among those with, or at risk of, LTCs. This might include creative ways to enable individuals with LTCs to contribute fully to the working world. For example, how can the working day can be made easier for those who are trying to manage their condition?
• Getting individuals back into work: Supporting people with LTCs to get the work they want and need. This might include overcoming the initial barriers into work, such as training solutions and alternative career paths and/or getting back into work after being unwell.

We are looking for radically different solutions that will have a real impact on health across the country – in particular, ideas that are:

• Innovative: We're looking for ideas that reflect our changing health landscape. For example, innovative patient-centred approaches to prevention, self-management, and improved quality of life.
• Entrepreneurial: We believe new ideas are best served when they are coupled with an enterprise approach. This means a new venture that has sustainable revenue streams, and which is scalable and/or replicable.

We're also looking for ideas that are led by service-users and their carers, and that are accessible to people from all walks of life and parts of society.

We want to hear from you

We're looking for:

• someone who has a long-term condition or cares for someone with a long-term condition
• employers or employees
• NHS staff
• entrepreneurs

Do you have an idea?

If you would like to submit an idea, email it to workingwell@youngfoundation.org, outlining how it meets our criteria.

For further information about Health Launchpad, please visit www.health-innovation.org.uk.

Health Launchpad portfolio

Health Launchpad supports a range of early stage ventures. The projects below have been approved by the Health Launchpad investment committee and are being actively supported: