NICA Healthy Ageing AcceleratorCopy Link

The KTN Innovation Exchange programme is supporting NICA and Oxford Innovation Advice (OIA) to find innovative UK companies who are ambitious to grow their business. We seek innovators with new product or service ideas that can support people to stay healthy and active to help people remain mobile and connected as they age. Applicants must be UK Registered companies. Any applications from companies outside the UK will not be considered.

The free-of-charge NICA Healthy Ageing Accelerator programme is targeted at high-growth potential companies of any size and from any part of the UK. It will provide expert support to help companies to maximise their business growth including assisting participants to explore the fast-growing China Market. Successful applicants will benefit from 9 weeks of tailored fully funded support from NICA, Oxford Innovation Advice, and KTN experts. The first week of the programme will require full-time “in person” participation in Newcastle upon Tyne. We are now recruiting the second group of ten participants. The first group are currently undertaking the programme and deriving significant benefit.

These activities are funded through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Fund for International Collaboration (FIC), delivered by Innovate UK part of UKRI.

The healthy longevity market is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world. The market in China is the largest geographically-defined opportunity for this. Our Accelerator Programme includes a de-risking pathway to enter this (China) market and make UK businesses competitive as well as growth and export-ready.

Eligibility Form

As the Innovate UK funding for this programme was secured before December 2020 we have an obligation to verify compliance with EU State Aid rules as a condition of funding. We also need to collect some additional standard information about your company to help us with the selection process.

It is essential that you provide this additional information at the same time as submitting your online Application or your Application will not be considered.

To comply with this mandatory requirement, please download and complete this document in full and attach/upload it via the 'Attachments' section of the online application.

The Healthy Ageing Market 

Increasing numbers of people are living longer. However often this results in more years of life experiencing the negative aspects of ageing meaning we often need more support to maintain quality of life. More years lived in great health is our objective.

Maintaining our health at an older age is fundamental to quality of life allowing us to remain independent, to work or remain active in our local community. It also allows us to maintain and build our social connections and family life and to do the other things that give us all meaning and purpose. 

Although this programme will explore many aspects of business growth including raising investment, and will also examine healthy ageing in the round, and there will be a specific focus on the fast-growing healthy longevity market in China, the potential commercial opportunities for British products and services there and ways to work towards accessing that potential. 

Information related to the size of Chinese Market:

• Over 190m people 65+ in China and set to DOUBLE in next 30 years
• 'Silver economy' has potential to hit £1.88 trillion by 2025
• By 2035 elderly care is expected to replace real estate as China's largest industry
• For a further more detailed assessment please read the recent NICA Horizoning Report into Functional Mobility and Gait in China.

The opportunity areas addressed through this Accelerator programme are as follows: 

Mobility 

Mobility is a vital component of daily living since it underpins independence and self-worth. It is essential to connect to family and community enabling continued contribution for all individuals across a range of social and physical aspects of daily living. Collectively, these, and a myriad of related factors, support both physical and mental fitness. Mobility is increasingly discussed in the sectors of transport and leisure and subsets thereof, including 'active travel' and 'personal mobility'.

As a consideration within this challenge, we must also pay attention to the integration of, and equality of access to, novel mobility solutions, sports, hobbies and social situations (restaurants and events etc), and to psychological factors that underpin self-confidence amongst other ‘enablers’.

Functional Mobility

Functional mobility refers to the physical and cognitive capability of individuals to navigate environments such as dwellings, immediate surroundings but also covering their ability to visit further afield. This in turn opens the related topics of urban / neighbourhood and rural access and further opportunities to both exploit and improve physical capabilities and gain vital mental stimulation. 

Gait 

The subject of 'gait' is linked directly to physical capability but is also a strong indication of fitness levels and risk models associated with frailty and falls. As both an indicator and measure as well as a key aspect of people ageing, a focus here can be applied to 'improvement'. This component of the overall mobility challenge rightfully deserves drawing out.

Another subset of potential interest as part of functional mobility is 'dexterity and grip' both of which are essential for maintaining independence/quality of life. Fine motor skills, muscle strength and 'shake' all contribute and are potential areas for innovation.

Any innovation that can encourage participation, prevent exclusion, continue engagement, or create new demand for services from citizens across the types of activities and social/health challenges discussed above would potentially qualify an innovative business to participate. 

Having read what we are looking for you may have more ideas within your product or service offer that could support the ambition to help improve lives in this domain.  You can tell us about them in your application. This is not an exhaustive or comprehensive description above and many other ideas can also be considered. 

As we age, we may need support to remain confident to move around in order to go out into the community safely and find appropriate routes and transport modes. Dwellings also need to make consideration for impairments which may be less obvious to casual observation such as hearing and vision challenges.

This Accelerator programme is open to businesses with any ideas for products or services that may help a person (of any age) to live a complete and mobile life and be confident of being able to go out safely as well as safely return to their own home and again, have the confidence to move around and do tasks in their own home safely and competently. Products and services which help us retain or further develop existing mobility levels are also welcomed.