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, this three-month CPD accredited Catalyst equips innovators with practical approaches and knowledge to embed sustainability within their innovations.
A £5,000prize fund will be awarded to exceptional innovators participating in the Catalyst to support future development and evidence generation for follow-on funding applications. Each cohort has 10 places and there are now nojoining fees for this year's cohort.
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.
March 2026, online, 2 hours - The Catalyst team will set the stage for the programme, provide an overview of sustainable healthcare, and task the cohort with a self-study activity on Net-Zero policy in the NHS.
April 2026, in-person (Leeds, UK), 7 hours - The cohort will learn about Life Cycle Mapping, Hot-Spot Analysis, and Circular Economy strategies. The Catalyst team will work with each member of the the cohort to identify specific approaches, opportunities and benefits of applying these theories in their HealthTech innovations.
Following Session 2, online, 1 hour - Each member of the Catalyst will receive a bespoke, individual assessment and coaching on the Life Cycle Maps and Circular Economy interventions they have developed during and following session 2.
May 2026, online, 6 hours - The cohort will reflect on their learning from the first three sessions with peers from the Catalyst cohort, learn the principles of developing a Sustainable Value Proposition, and how to target this specifically to NHS procurement processes, and analyse the HealthTech funding landscape. The cohort will start developing a pitch that integrates their Sustainable Value Proposition, in preparation for the next session (Innovaiton Showcase).
June 2026, in-person (Birmingham, UK), 6 hours - Each member of the Catalyst cohort will develop and dleiver a final pitch for their innovation, highlighting hwo they have integrated learning from the Catalyst. Awards and prize funds for exceptional innovaotrs will be announced, and each member of the cohort will receive a 1-to-1 post-programme debrief with the Catalyst team.
Approximately 8 hours, across the Catalyst - The cohort will be asked to complete activites started in one session ready for following sessions. Tasks include background research, refining and digitising work from the in-person workshop and developing a value proposition and 3-minute pitch video. In completing self-study activities, the cohort will have the opportunity to intregate Catalyst teaching into their HealthTech innovation. Support will be available from the Catalyst team throughout self-study.
The prize fund will be shared with innovators that have demonstrated the biggest progress over the course of the programme. The fund will be awarded under the condition that it is used to support innovators move towards their sustainability goals. Examples include funding design consultations, evidence generation or device assessment in research facilities.
For the spring ’26 cohort we will not be taking on purely digital innovations as we don’t feel the current format would benefit you innovation. We do however recognise digitals potential for significant sustainability gains through patient pathway improvements. It is our ambition to include digital in future cohorts.
So long as there is a physical device this sort of innovation is welcome. The programme focuses manufacture, materials and related circular practices which aren’t relevent to a purely digital innovation.
The Catalyst is open to all; however, innovators from outside the UK should aim to bring their innovation to the UK market, either through introduction to the NHS or by seeking to access NIHR funding in partnership with UK collaborators to support further development. Please note that cohort members are expected to attend two in‑person events in the UK, and travel costs are not covered by the programme.
To date, we have had engagement in the Catalyst from organisations across Europe.
The Catalyst primarily focuses on teaching the processes and principles required. All discussions will be held at a high level, and we respect any details you do not wish to share due to commercial sensitivity.
Applying circular principles early makes them much easier to implement, particularly when they relate to material choices or business model changes. While our primary focus is on innovations at TRL 1–4, applicants at higher TRLs are also welcome and will be considered on a case‑by‑case basis. In these cases, having already completed some sustainability‑related work on your innovation will be viewed favourably, as it demonstrates a willingness to adopt sustainable practices such as those taught in this programme.
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.
