Funding opportunity

Funding opportunity: Expression of interest: NHS fit for the future dementia challenge

Opportunity status: Open Funders: UK Research and Innovation Funding type: Other Publication date: 9 March 2026 Opening date:

9 March 2026

Closing date:

2 April 2026 4:00pm UK time

Last updated: 10 March 2026 - see all updates

Start application Submit an expression of interest if you have a clinical intervention or technological innovation that could:

• shorten the time it takes to diagnose dementia in the NHS
• enhance early detection of clinical change following diagnosis
• be deployed in the NHS from 2029 Healthcare professionals, businesses and researchers can take part.

Successful interventions will receive a fully funded real-world evaluation to generate the evidence needed for wider adoption across the NHS. Support will also be provided to help with regulatory clearance.

Who can apply

Businesses, healthcare practitioners and researchers based at an eligible organisation can apply. Check if your organisation is eligible.

An organisation can submit more than one application. Applications can include more than one organisation.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.

We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:

• career breaks
• support for people with caring responsibilities
• flexible working
• alternative working patterns UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.

What we're looking for

The Research and Development (R&D) MAP Health Mission is inviting expressions of interest from healthcare professionals and industry.

We are looking for clinical interventions and technological innovations that could support the delivery of the dementia challenge.

The challenge aims to identify, develop, validate and implement innovations and clinical interventions for the NHS that have the potential to ensure that, by 2029, 92% of patients referred for dementia assessment receive a diagnosis within 18 weeks of referral.

We are looking for interventions and innovations that:

• shorten time to dementia diagnosis
• enhance early detection of clinical change following diagnosis
• are capable of deployment from 2029

Clinical interventions

Clinical interventions must have been evaluated in at least a single-site pilot.

They must deliver at least one of the following:

• shortened time from referral to dementia diagnosis
• improved staging of disease state
• improved prognostic data to guide patient and carer support
• reduced resource requirement
• enhanced efficiency
• better patient outcomes

Technological innovations

Technological innovations must:

• be intended for dementia diagnosis or tracking disease progression in people already living with dementia
• be medical devices and have, or be near to, regulatory clearance (UKCA or CE mark)

• have evidence of clinical safety and efficacy through randomised controlled trial data or clinically robust real-world evidence
  All interventions and innovations must:

• have been tested with user groups

• be suitable for routine use across the NHS

• have a roadmap for implementation in the NHS

• have support from a clinical champion to support real-world evaluation and rollout across the UK if agreed milestones are met

• demonstrate an understanding of the resources required to train and support adoption

• show the value of the innovation for stakeholders
  Evidence of efficiency gains or health economic benefit is desirable.

Expectations for commercial organisations

Commercial organisations should provide:

• innovations
• training
• clinical support
• technical support This must be provided for the duration of the evaluation period (up to two years) at zero cost.

Benefits for successful clinical interventions and technological innovations

Successful innovations will receive a fully funded real-world evaluation tailored to generate the evidence required for widescale adoption across the UK.

This includes:

• partnership with clinical research lead and clinical infrastructure
• collaborative protocol development
• evaluation monitoring, data collection and analysis support
• write-up and dissemination
• access to the evaluation data generated for analysis and modelling to drive product and service enhancement
• support for fast-track regulatory clearance in the UK
• guidance on commissioning, procurement and the development of a market access strategy for the NHS across the devolved nations
• publication and presentation of evaluation results as part of a national campaign to raise awareness for the dementia challenge

Supporting skills and talent

We encourage you to follow the principles of:

• Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers
• Technician Commitment

Trusted research and innovation

UKRI is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. Trusted research and innovation is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect the international research sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible and as secure as necessary.

Our trusted research and innovation principles set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.

Therefore, you may be asked to demonstrate how your proposed projects will comply with our approach. This may include identifying potential risks and the controls you will put in place to reduce these risks.

See further guidance and information about trusted research and innovation principles, including where you can find additional support.

How to apply

Stage one: expression of interest

You must submit a mandatory expression of interest by 2 April 2026 at 4:00pm UK time.

Stage two: full application

The full application stage will be on the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service. Ensure your organisation is registered.

You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.

Only those successful at the expression of interest stage will be invited to the full application stage.

It will open on 23 April 2026. Interviews are expected to take place on 29 and 30 July 2026.

How we will assess your application

Assessment process

Expression of interest

We will use the information in your expression of interest to check eligibility to move to the full application stage.

If successful, you will be invited to:

• submit a full application
• attend a webinar on 23 April 2026

Full application

We will assess your full application using the following process.

Shortlisting

In the event of high demand for this opportunity, UKRI reserves the right to introduce shortlisting stage.

Interviews

We will contact you if you are selected for an interview. Interviews are expected to take place on 29 and 30 July 2026.

They will last up to one hour and will be conducted on Microsoft Teams.

UKRI will make the final decision.

We reserve the right to modify the assessment process as needed.

Principles of assessment

We support the San Francisco declaration on research assessment and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.

Find out about the UKRI principles of assessment and decision making.

Using generative artificial intelligence (AI) in peer review

Reviewers and panellists are not permitted to use generative AI tools to develop their assessment. Using these tools can potentially compromise the confidentiality of the ideas that applicants have entrusted to UKRI to safeguard.

For more detail see our policy on the use of generative AI.

Assessment areas

The full assessment criteria will be published when the full application opens.

Contact details

Ask a question about this opportunity

Email

healthmission@mrc.ukri.org

We will respond within two working days.

Additional info

Webinar for potential applicants

We will hold an information webinar on 18 March 2026 at 11am UK time.

During the session we will:

• explain the R&D missions accelerator programme’s dementia challenge
• outline what we’re looking for
• guide you through the expression of interest process There will also be an opportunity to ask questions.

Register for the webinar.

Updates

• 10 March 2026 Interview timelines updated in 'How to apply'

Print and download options

• Print this guidance or save as PDF

Guidance on good research

• Good research resource hub

This funding opportunity is part of:

• R&D Missions Accelerator Programme

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