Health & Life Sciences Network Meeting

Join innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, NHS leaders and industry partners for an afternoon exploring the opportunities, funding pathways and partnerships that are helping to accelerate innovation across the North East and North Cumbria.

This event will provide practical insights into the support available for innovators and growing businesses, while also showcasing real-world examples of organisations that have successfully secured funding to develop and scale their ideas. From grants and accelerator programmes to angel investment and venture capital, attendees will gain a better understanding of how to navigate the innovation ecosystem and access opportunities for growth.

What to Expect

✅ Networking lunch with health, life sciences and innovation stakeholders.

✅ Updates on the regional innovation infrastructure and support available across North East and North Cumbria.

✅ A stakeholder spotlight from the Northern Health Science Alliance, showcasing how collaboration between the NHS, universities, industry and government is helping to drive research, innovation adoption and economic growth.

✅ An expert panel exploring:

• Navigating the funding landscape
• Preparing for investment
• Accessing grants and innovation funding
• Angel investment and venture capital
• Funding opportunities for underrepresented founders
• Scaling innovation through strategic partnerships

✅ A showcase of funded programmes, featuring innovators who have successfully secured support to develop and grow their innovations, sharing lessons learned, impact achieved and insights for others embarking on a similar journey.

Who Should Attend?

• Innovators and entrepreneurs
• SMEs and start-ups
• NHS and healthcare professionals
• Researchers and academics
• Investors and business support organisations
• Industry partners
• Anyone interested in health and life sciences innovation, investment and collaboration

Key Learning Outcomes

By attending, you will:

• Gain a clearer understanding of the funding and investment opportunities available to health and life sciences innovators.
• Learn from organisations that have successfully secured funding and support.
• Explore routes to commercialisation, adoption and scale.
• Build connections with potential partners, funders and collaborators.
• Understand how regional partnerships are strengthening the innovation ecosystem.

We look forward to welcoming you for an engaging afternoon of insight, inspiration and networking as we celebrate innovation and the partnerships that make it possible.

The Bright Ideas in Health Awards is now celebrating its 20th year. The Awards are organised by Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria (HI NENC).

The Awards celebrate the achievements of individuals and teams working within the NHS, including those in primary and secondary care, universities, voluntary and community sector organisations, regional businesses and organisations working within the health sector. Entrants will have risen to the challenge of telling us how, and where, they believe that the services provided to patients can be improved, either through a technical innovation or through better service delivery.

Everyone can play a part in developing innovative solutions to the healthcare challenges that we face every day. The competition, depending upon the category, is open to the groups stated in the North East of England and North Cumbria.

https://brightideasinhealth.org.uk/