Glasgow innovators must take advantage of a £25 million funding call amid projected 300% growth for the health and life sciences sector over the next decade, an NHS Scotland partner has urged

Glasgow City Region reportedly now supports over 10,000 jobs in the sector, equating to a 47% increase in employment between 2019 and 2023.

Scottish Enterprise further forecasts 300% growth in turnover nationally by 2035, and Glasgow City Region already accounts for almost 60% of that.

Formal NHS Scotland partner InnoScot Health insists the launch of the challenge seeking out transformative local projects is “an unmissable opportunity amid the strong prospect of a booming sector”.

The organisation’s Innovation Commercialisation Manager, Frances Ramsay said: “The announcement of this open call is very exciting news and should be greeted with real enthusiasm given just how much it could help to accelerate ambitions and improve patient outcomes.

“Accelerating the commercialisation of cutting-edge research or turning it into product development, prototyping, tech transfer and patents, requires support, partners, and good resources.

“I would therefore urge relevant parties across the eight member councils to quickly get involved and put not only Glasgow City Region on the map, but Scotland too, for collaborative innovation that changes lives.”

She added: “Major funding calls like these don’t come around often so please do take advantage before the February submission deadline.”

Scotland’s MedTech, BioTech, and Pharma and Biopharma-sub sectors are considered to be particularly strong, and it is thought the £25 million initiative can help to give high-potential innovators the support they need to scale faster and bring new technologies to market.

Frances continued: “Proposals for funding are advised to evidence high impact — whether through patents, commercialisation, product development, prototyping, or tech transfer.”

Cllr Susan Aitken, Chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet and Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: Health and life sciences is an example of a dynamic sector where Glasgow is at the forefront.

“Benefitting from an ecosystem with unparalleled access to clinical expertise, the city has become a live testbed for new health technologies and treatments.”

She added that “funding will be awarded to health and life sciences projects moving research from the laboratory into real-world use”.

The funding call forms part of the wider UK Government Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) which is set to invest up to £500 million into the development and scaling of high-potential innovation clusters across the UK.

Applications can be made through the Glasgow City Region Open Call website and must be submitted by Friday 20 February, with a shortlisting process expected to be completed in March 2026.

An Online MS Teams event for bidders to ask questions will be held on Monday 15 December at 4pm. Contact Glasgow City Region for details and a link.