NHS Fit for the Future: Dementia Challenge
Medical Research Council (MRC), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) · United Kingdom
Funding to support clinical interventions and technological innovations that improve dementia diagnosis, early detection of disease progression and deployment across the NHS by 2029. Invitation-only competition under the UKRI R&D Missions Programme. (UK Research and Innovation)
Summary
Deadline
4 Jun 2026
Updated
16 Oct 2026
Funding to support clinical interventions and technological innovations that improve dementia diagnosis, early detection of disease progression and deployment across the NHS by 2029. Invitation-only competition under the UKRI R&D Missions Programme. (UK Research and Innovation)
Eligibility
Applicant types
See eligibility requirements
Industries
Healthcare, MedTech, Digital Health, Diagnostics, Dementia Care, Medical Devices, Life Sciences.
Match funding
Not specified.
Eligible applicants
UK businesses, healthcare practitioners, NHS organisations and researchers based at eligible UK organisations.
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
Fully funded real-world evaluation for successful projects. Funding value not specified. (UK Research and Innovation)
Total fund available
Not specified
Funding intensity
Fully funded real-world evaluation for selected projects.
Payment type
Not specified
Eligible scope
Projects must develop clinical interventions or technologies that shorten dementia diagnosis times, improve early detection of clinical change after diagnosis, and demonstrate readiness for NHS deployment from 2029.
Application and risks
Application platform
UKRI Funding Service
Competitiveness
Not scored
Decision timeline
Outcomes expected within 10 days after interviews.
Assessment process
Eligibility check, lived experience review, expert assessment, possible shortlisting and interview. Portfolio approach used for final funding decisions.
Application sections
- Lay case for support, methodology, applicant capability, resources, stakeholder engagement, ethics, implementation roadmap and project management.
Application components
Not specified
Decision risks
Applications may be rejected if eligibility, invitation requirements or assessment criteria are not met.
Timeline and partners
Opening date
23 Apr 2026
Project duration
Real-world evaluation expected to begin January 2027 and run for up to 2 years.
Project start
Not specified
Project end
Not specified
Co-funders
Not specified
Collaboration rules
- Collaborative applications involving researchers, clinicians, healthcare providers and industry are encouraged where appropriate.
Consortium requirements
Not specified
Additional guidance
Document research last revised 2026-08-05.
Research Category
Clinical research, translational research, healthcare innovation, medical technology.
Interview Stage
Yes. Interviews expected 28 to 30 July 2026. (UK Research and Innovation)
Key Requirements
Applicants must have received an invitation following the mandatory EOI stage. Technologies must be scalable, evidence-based and suitable for NHS implementation.
Important Notes
Status: Closed. This was an invitation-only competition following a mandatory EOI. UKRI has not yet announced the next round of the Dementia Challenge. Monitor future UKRI Health Mission funding calls for any reopening. (UK Research and Innovation)
Application deadline in source document
4 June 2026, 4:00 PM UK time
Official source
Quick facts
- Status
- Closed
- Deadline
- 4 Jun 2026
- Funding amount
- Fully funded real-world evaluation for successful projects. Funding value not specified. (UK Research and Innovation)
- Funding band
- Not specified
- Funding type
- Other (Innovation Challenge)
- Payment type
- Not specified
- Audience
- See eligibility requirements
- Industry
- Healthcare, MedTech, Digital Health, Diagnostics, Dementia Care, Medical Devices, Life Sciences.
- Last updated
- 16 Oct 2026
- Published
- 22 Apr 2026