By KLTV Newsdesk –

Cabinet to consider £2m West Yorkshire grant for ambitious innovation programme

Kirklees Council’s Cabinet is preparing to decide whether to accept more than £2 million in external funding to drive forward a new programme supporting businesses in the health, wellbeing and digital sectors.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has agreed to award the council £2,023,576.25 in revenue grant funding through the Government’s Investment Zone initiative.

The money would help deliver the Huddersfield Health Innovation Incubator (HHII) programme, designed to accelerate business growth and foster cutting-edge solutions to health and social care challenges.

A decision on whether to formally accept the funding will be made by Cabinet on 2 December.

If approved, the programme will be delivered in partnership with the University of Huddersfield and the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre (3M BIC).

‘Real Contribution’ to Inclusive Economy

Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration, emphasised the importance of the programme, saying: “The HHII programme has the potential to make a real contribution to achieving the outcomes the council set out in its Inclusive Economy Strategy, adopted earlier this year.

“It is all about developing and diffusing innovative solutions to tackle some of West Yorkshire’s biggest health and social care challenges, improving health outcomes, and driving local economic growth.

“This programme is an opportunity to further strengthen our partnership working with the University of Huddersfield and 3M BIC and to add value to the ground-breaking National Health Innovation Campus and the wider regeneration of the Station to Stadium Enterprise Corridor.”

Long-Term Investment Through to 2029

Funding for the HHII programme has been secured for four years, running until 31 March 2029. WYCA formally approved the business case in February 2025.

The initiative will give start-ups and expanding businesses access to office and co-working space at the Glass Box business centre and, from 2026, at the new Health Business Innovation Centre (HBIC) in the Emily Siddon Building on the health campus.

The HBIC will also offer specialist lab facilities and a health innovation makerspace.

Additional space will be available at the existing 3M Buckley Innovation Centre.

Next Steps

Cabinet members will decide whether to approve receipt of the WYCA funding, enter into grant agreements with WYCA and delivery partners, and begin procurement processes necessary to progress the programme.