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Improving cancer outcomes requires more than developing innovative technologies. It also requires ensuring that effective solutions can be implemented, evaluated and adopted across NHS services. Challenges such as diagnostic delays, growing demand and limited clinical capacity continue to create barriers to timely cancer diagnosis and treatment.
To address these challenges, SBRI Healthcare's NHS Cancer Programme Innovation Open Call 4 is offering funding to accelerate the implementation and wider adoption of innovations that improve cancer care pathways in England.
The competition provides two funding models, offering up to £3 million for real-world implementation and evaluation and up to £5 million for the wider adoption of proven innovations.
The programme aims to generate evidence supporting NHS commissioning decisions while helping healthcare organisations adopt technologies and approaches capable of improving productivity, diagnostic performance and patient outcomes.
Key Dates and Funding
Opens: 14 October 2026
Closes: 1 December 2026, 1:00 pm GMT
Funding Model 1: Up to £3 million per project, excluding VAT
Funding Model 2: Up to £5 million per project, excluding VAT
Project Duration: Up to 24 months for Model 1 and up to 36 months for Model 2
The competition is designed to support innovations at different stages of implementation maturity, with distinct eligibility requirements and funding arrangements for each model.
What Does the Programme Support?
The NHS Cancer Programme Innovation Open Call 4 focuses on two key challenges facing cancer services in England.
Challenge 1: Improving Productivity and Capacity in Cancer Care
The first challenge focuses on innovations that improve productivity by managing demand or increasing capacity across cancer care pathways.
The objective is to support the NHS in meeting all Cancer Waiting Time standards by March 2029.
Relevant innovations could include technologies or service approaches that reduce diagnostic delays, improve patient flow, increase clinical efficiency or enable healthcare professionals to manage demand more effectively.
Challenge 2: Earlier Cancer Detection and Diagnosis
The second challenge focuses on innovations that enable cancers to be detected and diagnosed earlier.
Relevant approaches may include:
This challenge contributes to the ambition that three-quarters of people diagnosed with cancer will be cancer-free or living well with cancer after five years by 2035.
Applicants may address either challenge or both, provided they can demonstrate a credible contribution to the programme's objectives.
Funding Model 1: Real-World Implementation and Evaluation Fund
This funding model supports the deployment and independent evaluation of market-ready cancer care innovations across multiple NHS sites in England.
It is intended for innovations that are sufficiently mature for implementation but require additional real-world evidence to support wider NHS commissioning and adoption.
Funding Available: Up to £3 million per project, excluding VAT
Funding Rate: 100% of eligible project costs
Maximum Duration: 24 months
Who Can Apply?
Applications are open to single organisations based in the UK or European Union, including organisations from the private, public and third sectors.
Applicants must have:
Additional engagement with Cancer Alliances and Health Innovation Networks is strongly encouraged.
What Activities Are Supported?
The funding supports the implementation of innovations in real-world NHS settings and the independent evaluation of their performance.
Projects should generate evidence demonstrating the innovation's impact on:
The objective is to generate robust clinical, operational and economic evidence that can inform future commissioning decisions.
Funding Model 2: Innovation Spread Fund
The Innovation Spread Fund supports the wider adoption of mature innovations that have already demonstrated positive outcomes and economic value.
Unlike Model 1, which focuses on generating additional real-world evidence, Model 2 aims to help NHS organisations overcome the practical barriers associated with implementing proven innovations at scale.
Funding Available: Up to £5 million per project, excluding VAT
Funding Duration: Funding is provided over the first 24 months of a project lasting up to 36 months.
Funding Arrangement: Outcomes-based, matched funding with Integrated Care Boards.
Who Can Apply?
Applications must be led by:
The programme will accept a maximum of one application per Cancer Alliance region.
Technology developers and other innovation providers may participate in projects led by eligible NHS organisations, but they cannot independently lead applications under this funding model.
What Innovations Are Eligible?
The Innovation Spread Fund is intended for innovations that have already demonstrated:
Projects must involve spreading and embedding proven innovations across multiple sites within at least one Cancer Alliance.
The programme recognises that successful adoption requires more than purchasing technology. Funding is therefore designed to support the organisational changes, implementation activities and operational adjustments necessary to embed innovations into routine NHS practice.
Eligible Countries
Eligibility differs between the two funding models.
Funding Model 1: United Kingdom and European Union
Organisations based in the UK or EU may apply, provided they have the required NHS partnership in England and an independent evaluation partner.
Funded implementation activities must take place across multiple NHS sites in England.
Funding Model 2: England
Applications must be led by an eligible Integrated Care Board or Cancer Alliance based in England.
Projects must support the adoption of proven innovations across multiple NHS sites within at least one Cancer Alliance.
Clinical and Economic Impact
A central consideration across both funding models is the ability to demonstrate measurable improvements in cancer care.
Applicants should establish a clear baseline and explain how the proposed innovation could contribute to better outcomes.
Relevant measures may include:
For Model 1, the project should generate reliable evidence of these benefits through independent evaluation.
For Model 2, existing evidence should support the case for wider implementation, with measurable outcomes demonstrating successful adoption and continued impact.
Why This Opportunity Matters
Many promising cancer care innovations face challenges in securing widespread NHS adoption, even after demonstrating technical performance or clinical potential. These barriers may include limited real-world evidence, uncertainty around economic benefits, implementation costs and difficulties integrating technologies into established care pathways.
The NHS Cancer Programme Innovation Open Call 4 addresses these challenges through two complementary approaches.
The Real-World Implementation and Evaluation Fund enables innovators to generate the evidence needed to inform NHS commissioning decisions.
The Innovation Spread Fund supports healthcare organisations in adopting proven technologies more widely, including the operational changes required to achieve sustainable implementation.
Together, the funding models create opportunities to improve cancer care productivity, accelerate diagnosis and expand access to effective innovations across England.
How Inventya Can Help
Securing funding through the NHS Cancer Programme Innovation Open Call 4 requires applicants to demonstrate clear clinical value, measurable improvements in cancer care pathways and a credible strategy for NHS implementation. Depending on the funding model, applicants must also establish appropriate NHS partnerships, independent evaluation arrangements or evidence supporting wider adoption.
Inventya can support healthcare innovators and NHS-led partnerships in developing competitive applications that demonstrate both the clinical and economic value of their proposed innovations.
Inventya support applicants with:
With experience in healthcare innovation funding, grant development, commercialisation and market access, Inventya can help applicants build evidence-led proposals that demonstrate how their innovations could improve cancer diagnosis, increase NHS capacity and deliver sustainable benefits for patients and healthcare services.
