Delivered by Anglia Ruskin University and part of the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC), the programme is cited as the biggest entrepreneurial workforce development programme of its kind, and is open to all of NHS Scotland’s staff.

The programme itself is underpinned by support from a coordination group consisting of InnoScot Health and other partners across Scotland. The partners include the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI), Scottish Enterprise, NHS Education Scotland, Scottish Health and Industry Partnership Group (SHIP), and the Scottish Government.

“We want to encourage NHS Scotland staff with great ideas that are at any stage of development to get involved in the programme and maximise their learning, in turn accelerating the introduction of ground-breaking treatments and diagnostics. This is a great time to apply,” said head of project management at InnoScot Health, Gillian Henderson.

Last month, InnoScot Health hosted a webinar, “Empowering healthcare professionals to transform services through innovation,” which discussed the experiences of entrepreneurs who partook in previous CEP cohorts.

The year-long programme is free to join, and offers mentoring, bespoke commercial education, customer matching, resources, development tools and access to a community of like-minded individuals and industry experts.

Dedicated learning on how to build a startup or develop an intrapreneurial idea is delivered as a series of educational events, known as “pit stops,” which can be attended either virtually or in-person.

The most recent pit stop took place in Glasgow on the evening of October 11th, providing a platform to take stock of progress and encourage networking while also offering an opportunity to hear from founders, industry experts, and CEP partners DHI. It was followed by a second, full day of learning.

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“It has been inspiring to be part of this inclusive, progressive programme and it will be rewarding indeed to see a new Scottish cohort go from strength to strength for innovation benefits that can be adopted back into our NHS. This is an exciting time for all involved,” Henderson continued.

“We enjoyed meeting budding applicants at the programme taster in Glasgow and hearing what they hope to achieve. Likewise, our aim will be to make a valuable contribution to their success by lending our own innovation expertise and support alongside other key organisations.

“Fundamentally, CEP is an exceptional opportunity to empower the diverse NHS Scotland workforce during this important period of recovery, renewal, and transformation by creating a space where NHS staff can develop their innovation or idea without having to leave the health service.”

The coordination group will assist Scottish candidates on their innovation journey and help them to identify support, while also providing networking and collaboration opportunities across the wider Scottish innovation and entrepreneurial landscape.

Applications for the eighth cohort are encouraged before 29 October.