Announcement of a prestigious award shortlisting for the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme (CEP) is ‘true testament to its dedicated support for the workforce,’ says one of its Scottish partners

InnoScot Health is part of a collaborative group of organisations supporting Scottish participation and believes that a nomination in the ‘Best Educational Programme for the NHS’ category of the 2026 Health Service Journal (HSJ) Partnership Awards pays tribute to CEP’s sustained hard work.

The awards showcase “collaborations and partnerships driving transformation and improving patient outcomes across the NHS” and CEP has been singled out for its successes in those areas.

Organisers of the free-to-access programme are delighted to be recognised once again, having previously won the same category in 2024, celebrating partnerships which improve NHS staff skills, capacity, and patient care, with judges looking for clear links between education and improved outcomes.

CEP is shortlisted alongside seven others, all of whom will be judged by senior NHS figures.

The eight nominees will deliver virtual presentations to the judges between 26 January and 3 February before the winner is announced at a glittering London ceremony on 19 March.

InnoScot Health’s Head of Innovation Commercialisation, Gillian Henderson said: “This is fantastic news for CEP to kick off 2026 with.

“Ultimately, the shortlisting equates to outstanding recognition from the NHS — the very audience we are aiming to reach — for collaborative, educational achievements.

“CEP has a strong track record of moulding Scotland-based healthcare innovators through its learning programme, representing a crucial step towards a more self-sustaining health service that is empowered to innovate from within.

“We remain proud to be playing a collaborative role in honing innovative ideas and mentoring the people who come up with them for the betterment of NHS Scotland.

“Partner working which draws on multidisciplinary expertise across Scotland’s triple helix of NHS, industry, and academia is key to that success, turning inspiration into reality for those with fresh thinking whilst providing the assistance needed to balance other commitments.”

InnoScot Health believes that staff already have a strong base of skills and knowledge to draw upon, and CEP can supplement that further with the tools needed to develop and scale their ideas, learn commercial acumen, and identify the right collaborators to take their ambitions to the next level.

Since launching in 2016, CEP — the biggest entrepreneurial workforce development programme of its kind — has been a pioneering initiative, open to both clinical and non-clinical NHS staff, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, managers, and support staff.

InnoScot Health supports Scottish participation alongside The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI), NHS Education for Scotland (NES), Techscaler, Scottish Enterprise, and the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) of Scottish Government.