For the last five years, Innovate UK’s ‘Women in Innovation’ campaign has shone a spotlight on the pioneering female entrepreneurs who have set out to tackle some of the biggest societal, economic and environmental challenges we face – from climate change to cleaner transport and better healthcare – creating a collaborative community of female role models, sharing knowledge and encouraging entrepreneurial growth for women throughout the UK.      

Launched in June 2016 to address the then-glaring lack of female entrepreneurial engagement with Innovate UK, this phenomenally successful initiative has seen the number of female applications for Innovate UK funding increase by 70% – with those inventors and entrepreneurs who are successful at the annual Women in Innovation Awards (Women in Innovation – KTN (ktn-uk.org) securing a £50,000 cash award, as well as receiving industry-best coaching and mentoring, to develop their ideas and innovations to the full.

We’re providing funding for any female-led innovation project, anywhere in Cardiff Capital Region, that wins an Innovation UK award

Jon Wood, Head of Innovation & Cluster Development at CCR, welcomed the partnership:

“It’s testimony to the Innovate UK belief that great ideas are everywhere – and an inspired inventor can be ‘anyone’ – that they made an astonishing 40 Women in Innovation awards in 2020, with one of those awards being secured by a Woman Innovator in Wales.

“Given the creativity, initiative and entrepreneurial spirit shown by women of all ages and in all communities across the Cardiff Capital Region, we believe there’s huge potential to grow the South East Wales female representation in this year’s awards – and that’s why CCR is investing as a regional partner of Innovation UK: looking to showcase the ideas and fund visions of female entrepreneurs who have an outstanding innovation project and need support to bring it to fruition.

“We’re proud to be investing in the Woman in Innovation Awards – as well as investing in the Young Innovator Awards that offer funding to young entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds” concluded Jon “and I would urge anyone in our region to back their brilliant ideas by entering these competitions.”

The competition goes live on 23rd August and closes on 13th October, with valuable funding awards there to be won 

The 2021/22 Women in Innovation Awards is open for entry from 23rd August to 13th October – and we want this year’s entry to empower the best female-led innovation from across our region.

So if you have an inspirational innovation that can change our world for the better, step up to your future right now, at: Competition overview – Women in Innovation Awards 2021/22 – Innovation Funding Service (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk)