By KLTV Newsdesk –

19 West Yorkshire businesses receive £20,000 grants to tackle health inequalities through innovation

Nineteen local businesses have been announced as finalists in the £1 million Mayor’s Big Ideas Challenge, each receiving a £20,000 grant and a skills-building package to accelerate their innovation over the next nine months.

The competition, launched by Mayor Tracy Brabin in February, aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across West Yorkshire in developing pioneering products and services that tackle health inequalities and create economic growth.

Groundbreaking Innovations to Transform Health Outcomes

Among the finalists are:

• MAGI, an AI wellbeing companion designed by and for neurodivergent women, offering tools to manage burnout, overwhelm, and hormonal shifts.

• The West Yorkshire DPP Support and Prescribing Support Platform, a digital service providing pharmacists with training, mentorship and peer support to improve patient access and safe prescribing.

• Polly, an AI-powered speech and language platform helping young children in disadvantaged or multilingual communities develop essential communication skills through playful, personalised therapy sessions.

These innovations join 16 other creative solutions addressing a wide range of health-related challenges, from reducing hospital visits with wearable devices to programmes tackling body image issues among teenagers.

Challenge Designed to Drive Social and Economic Change

The Mayor’s Big Ideas Challenge was created in response to stark health inequalities in West Yorkshire.

Life expectancy in Yorkshire and the Humber is one year and ten months lower than the national average, while 4.7% of working-age people in the region are economically inactive due to ill health.

Poor health also impacts productivity, with West Yorkshire trailing the UK average by 16.8%.

By supporting preventative solutions, the challenge aims to ease pressure on the NHS, improve wellbeing and drive long-term economic growth.

Mayor Tracy Brabin said: “These finalists represent the very best of West Yorkshire’s talent, ingenuity and determination to drive positive change.

“Through bold, innovative thinking, each of these businesses are tackling serious health challenges, and we’re supporting them to turn their creative ideas into concrete action.

“This is what building a stronger, fairer region looks like, and I’m incredibly proud to support their journeys as they work to transform lives and boost the wellbeing of our communities.”

Next Steps: £100,000 Prize for Top Three Innovators

The 19 finalists will now enter a nine-month development phase before three winners are chosen in March 2026.

Each winner will receive an additional £100,000 grant to commercialise their solutions.

Kathy Nothstine, Director of Cities and Societies at Challenge Works, which is supporting the initiative, said: “Innovation is the key to unlocking brighter futures for those living in West Yorkshire.

“Faced with high levels of deprivation and limited access to spaces and services that support wellbeing, the region is battling high levels of health inequality, leading to economic inactivity and levels of productivity that trail the national average.

“The 19 finalists have come up with inspiring answers to these challenges. Rooted in personal stories and experiences, the innovations range from products such as wearables that reduce hospital visits, to programmes for teens that combat poor body image, and support groups to aid the recovery of those who are healing from traumatic experiences.”

Other solutions include platforms supporting mental health, digital tools for community carers, and skills programmes for underserved communities.

To learn more about the finalists, visit: Mayor’s Big Ideas Challenge.