A new open call to Scotland’s digital health innovators from the UNITE programme is getting ready to launch next week with over £5m in funding available

A first call from the £17m UNITE pan-European Regional Innovation Valleys programme opened last year with almost £3.5m on offer and over 1,000 organisations responding.

Leading healthcare innovation body InnoScot Health — a proud member of the UNITE consortium — says the launch of a second call on Thursday 10 September expands that ambitious scope with significant financial support available “to help promising digital health solutions move closer to real-world deployment”.

Ultimately, the aim of the new £5m call — co-funded by the EU — is to identify “breakthrough solutions that will transform European healthcare”.

In a bid to help tackle two pressing challenges, digital health innovators are invited to put forward:

• Deep-tech innovations which aim to “secure equal health for the entire population”, addressing issues such as fragmented healthcare services, disparities in access, and the need for more personalised care
• Digital solutions which could help to overcome health workforce challenges such as reducing administrative burdens, improving workflow efficiency, and addressing skills and training gaps

Head of Innovation Commercialisation at InnoScot Health, Gillian Henderson said: “We would urge Scottish consortia to apply with innovative, high potential deep-tech projects bringing together everything from startups, scaleups, and universities to research centres, hospitals, and healthcare providers.

“If you are developing exciting ideas which could improve healthcare across regions, now is the time to build your consortium, connect with partners, and submit your solution for validation, potentially turning it into an interregional reality that is poised for full deployment.

“Up to six projects could receive funding of as much as £850,000, while funding for individual beneficiaries is available up to around £500,000, subject to applicable regional conditions. That represents a substantial, transformative opportunity — both for your own consortium’s growth ambitions and for improved patient outcomes.”

Scottish companies are welcome and encouraged to participate in UNITE open calls and may be eligible to receive financial support from Scottish Enterprise – among organisations selected to take an international lead — when participating in projects that demonstrate clear economic benefits for the country.

Scottish Enterprise’s UNITE project team can help direct companies to tailored matchmaking opportunities with compatible European organisations, curated events and networking activities, as well as support to transform ideas into compelling cross-border project proposals.

An online information session will be hosted by UNITE from 1pm on Wednesday 30 September to help guide interested applicants.

• Register to attend

Participants are invited to learn more about the UNITE project, its objectives, and the two challenges featured in the open call. The session will further outline the application process, eligibility criteria, and evaluation steps.

Additionally, attendees will be introduced to the B2Match platform, which supports networking, matchmaking, and consortium building among participants. InnoScot Health believes it represents a valuable opportunity to find, connect, and network with relevant partners across other UNITE geographies.

Organisers say the session “will provide valuable insights and opportunities to connect with potential partners and prepare strong proposals for the open call”.