“The NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme is the biggest entrepreneurial workforce development programme of its kind. Launched in 2016, the programme is open to both clinical and non-clinical NHS staff and has supported over 1,000 innovators to date to develop their ideas.“
Cheryl Scott, Industry and Innovation Lead

Are you interested in applying for the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme? Applications are now open!

Are you a problem solver, creative thinker, or innovator in the NHS? Do you have an idea you wish to develop and scale for patient benefit? Then the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme may be for you.

The NHS Clinical Entrepreneur programme is now open, welcoming applications until 29 October 2023, with cohort 8 starting in March 2024.

What is the Clinical Entrepreneur Programme?

Delivered by Anglia Ruskin University and part of the Accelerated Access Collaborative, the programme aims to:

  • Allow entrepreneurs and creative thinkers to pursue their innovation without having to leave the health service.
  • Support the healthcare workforce to develop and scale their most innovative ideas for the benefit of patients, staff and the wider NHS.
  • Develop the skills, knowledge and experience needed to successfully develop and spread innovative solutions to the challenges facing the NHS.
  • Provide a wider benefit to economic growth through inward investment in the health, social care and life science sectors.

The programme lasts one year, although many graduates have continued on the programme as alumni. A dedicated programme on how to build a start-up or develop an intrapreneurial idea is delivered as a series of educational events called pit stops which can be attended either in person or virtually. As a national programme pit stop locations will vary and take place across the UK.

Who is it open to?

The programme is open to clinical and non-clinical NHS staff (including NHS Scotland and HSC staff in Northern Ireland). This includes doctors, dentists, healthcare scientists, nurses and midwives, allied health professionals and pharmacists, medical students (including nurse, midwifery and paramedic students), managers, and administrative/ clerical staff.

Further information
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