Building on the success of the pilot Innovation for Healthcare Net Zero Programme in spring 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is launching the NIHR Net Zero Innovation Catalyst. The Catalyst supports early-stage innovators in embedding sustainable practices into their innovations and advancing toward translational funding applications and adoption.
Delivered in partnership with Pd-m, sustainability specialists within HealthTech product design, the Catalyst offers innovators hands-on support from academic, clinical, and industry expertise in sustainability and HealthTech. In alignment with the DHSC ‘Design for Life’ framework for establishing a circular economy of reuse, remanufacture and recycling in medical products. The three-month CPD accredited programme equips innovators with practical approaches and knowledge to embed sustainability within their innovations.
A £7,500 prize fund will be split between exceptional innovators participating in the Catalyst to support future development and evidence generation for follow-on funding applications.
Applicants to the Catalyst will be expected to:
- demonstrate a basic level of carbon literacy, including an understanding of Net Zero and carbon emissions
- be developing a HealthTech innovation, at technology readiness levels 2 – 4 (later-stage innovations may be considered, by exception)
- be seeking funding for further development of the innovation
- have a commitment to embedding sustainability into practice
By the end of the Catalyst, participating innovators will understand:
- how to integrate sustainability into their innovation
- NHS Net Zero targets, future Greener NHS strategy, and their implications on the company’s practices
- how to develop their sustainable value proposition for the NHS and the wider health and care system
Innovators will also receive continued support from the Catalyst as their innovation progresses, including an expert panel feedback session. This support, alongside new knowledge, practical approaches and partnerships gained by innovators, will place them in a stronger position for future developmental funding. Successful completion of the programme will result in a CPD accredited certificate of attendance.
Please submit your application using the Application Form
Each cohort will have 10 places. Following the application process those accepted will be required to pay a joining fee of £250.
The Net Zero Catalyst is led by a partnership of the following organisations:
Pd-m: Founded in 2005, Pd-m is a Product Design and Sustainability consultancy with a focus on Health Technologies. The business works with a range of clients including boot-strapped start-ups to med tech multinationals, to embed sustainability into their organisations at a strategic and practical level.
NIHR Climate, Health & Sustainability (CHS): Responsible for NIHR’s mission to drive and promote sustainable health and care systems. The CHS team supports this mission by funding research, supporting knowledge mobilisation and building research capacity in climate, health and environmental sustainability.
NIHR HealthTech Research Centre Network: provides strategic leadership and coordination for NIHR’s 14 HealthTech Research Centres (HRCs). The Network’s ambition is to transform UK healthtech into a thriving ecosystem of industry, academia, and the NHS, bringing innovative healthtech solutions to patients more rapidly and driving economic growth.
NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Accelerated Surgical Care: drives HealthTech innovation to deliver socio-economic benefit, through quicker diagnosis and treatment of surgical conditions. Sustainability and Net Zero is a cross-cutting research theme that focuses on the methods and technologies needed to reduce waste and promote sustainability.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will the £7,500 prize fund work?The prize fund will be split between the three innovators that have demonstrated the biggest progress over the course of the programme. The prizes will take the form of vouchers (rather than cash) that can be spent to supporting innovators move towards their sustainability goals. Examples include funding design consultation, HRC engagement or device assessment in facilities such as SUSTAIN.
For the spring ’26 cohort we will not be taking on purely digital innovations but we recognise digitals potential for significant sustainability gains through patient pathway improvements. It is our ambition to include digital in future cohorts.
The Catalyst is open to all though cohort members are expected to attend in-person events in the UK and travel is not provided by the programme. During the previous Cohort we had innovators engage with us from across Europe.