Three Winners Announced in Mayor’s Health Inequalities Challenge

Local businesses to receive funding for innovative health solutions

Three West Yorkshire-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been named winners of the Mayor’s big ideas challenge, each awarded a £100,000 grant to support the commercialisation of their health-related innovations. The competition aimed to find new ways to address health inequalities across the region.

Details of the challenge and winners

The Mayor’s big ideas challenge was launched by West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin in February 2025. It sought innovative solutions from SMEs that could help reduce health disparities in communities throughout West Yorkshire. The initiative was led by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and delivered by Challenge Works, a global challenge management organisation.

Following seven months of development and testing, three winners were announced on 10 March 2026. Each winner receives £100,000 along with access to research expertise, specialist facilities, and a community of innovators to help scale their solutions. In July 2025, 19 finalists had been selected and awarded £20,000 each to accelerate their projects.

The winning projects

• Asclepius MedTech Ltd: Developed Surgfit, a remote monitoring system designed to enhance the safety and effectiveness of surgical care in hospitals.
• Harmonai Hub: Created an AI-powered wellbeing platform aimed at carers, providing personalised support to improve mental health, resilience, and social connection.
• Mind Body Goals: Developed Luma³ Editions, offering breathwork and mindfulness techniques to provide accessible preventative mental wellbeing support.

Context and significance

West Yorkshire is recognised for fostering an inclusive and innovative ecosystem supporting SMEs and entrepreneurs. The challenge aimed to empower local businesses closest to the issues to drive change in health outcomes.

Mayor Tracy Brabin highlighted the importance of supporting innovation to improve health and wellbeing and create skilled jobs in the region. The challenge aligns with the UK Government’s 10 Year Health Plan, which focuses on shifting NHS priorities from treatment to prevention to reduce pressure on frontline services.

Health inequalities in the North of England remain a concern, with lower life expectancy and higher rates of early death compared to national averages. Investment in health innovation per person is also lower in the North compared to regions such as London, Oxford, and Cambridge.

Kathy Nothstine, Director of Cities and Societies at Challenge Works, noted that over 100 entries were received, with the final winners demonstrating strong potential for impact. She emphasised the value of open innovation challenges in enabling diverse solutions and supporting SMEs to contribute to a resilient health ecosystem.

Further developments

The other 16 finalists continue to receive support and funding to develop their solutions. These include projects such as an AI wellbeing companion for neurodivergent women, digital training for pharmacists, and a language platform to improve children’s speaking skills.

More information about the winning solutions can be found at Challenge Works website.

Source: Doing Good Leeds, 10 March 2026