Springboard for Female Innovators in Health

As part of our ‘Women in Health Innovation and Technology’ campaign, we have launched the ‘Springboard for Female Innovators in Health’, which is sponsored by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Nexus at the University of Leeds.

What is the WHIT Springboard Programme?

This initiative is a dynamic support programme designed to help early-stage female innovators in health and care who are passionate about solving real-world health and care challenges.

Developed as part of our broader Women in Health Innovation & Technology (WHIT) initiative, this programme aims to support women with promising ideas to move from concept to credible.

The innovative ideas are aligned with one or more of the NHS’s “Three Shifts”:

• From Hospital to Community
• From Analogue to Digital
• From Sickness to Prevention

Why are we doing this?

This initiative is rooted in our commitment to making health innovation more equitable and inclusive. Putting women’s leadership, lived experience, and insights at the centre of shaping future health solutions.

Women continue to be underrepresented in health innovation and entrepreneurship, not because of a lack of talent, or ideas, but due to systemic barriers, limited access to networks, and unequal access to support. At Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, we believe equity drives innovation.

By creating targeted initiatives like the WHIT Springboard Programme, we aim to:

• Reduce access gaps
• Create inclusive innovation pathways
• Support the development of solutions grounded in real-world experience
• Contribute to the wider shift towards diverse, community-informed innovation ecosystems

For more information, please reach out to Kimberley Frost, our Lead for Women in Health Innovation & Technology.