2026 Innovation Seed Fund now open
Funding for your practice improvement ideas
Innovation doesn’t always start with a big idea. It often begins with small changes made every day to improve outcomes, services or experiences. If you’ve tried something new in your practice, you already have an improvement journey worth sharing.
This is your opportunity to explore an evidence-based service improvement idea further, find peer support and group learning, access personalised coaching and apply for up to £2,000 from our Innovation Seed Fund.
Applications open from 8am, Monday 5 January–11.59pm, Tuesday 31 March 2026.
You’re already an innovator
According to our Workforce Survey, 84% of OTs report they sometimes, often or very often lead or take part in improvement activity – that’s a lot of new ideas that should be being shared.
Applying to the Innovation Seed Fund takes around 30 minutes and focuses on describing your idea, the evidence behind it and the difference you expect it to make.
What the fund offers
Successful applicants will receive:
- up to £2,000 to test an evidence-informed improvement idea
- improvement coaching to support delivery and evaluation
- peer networking and group learning through the Innovation and Improvement Hub on RCOT Communities
- opportunities to share learning across all four nations, supporting the wider occupational therapy community.
Even if your application is not successful for funding, the process can help clarify thinking, strengthen pitching and project-planning skills and add to your CPD. We’ll also be able to help guide your idea further.
Who can apply
The fund is open to all professional RCOT members, at any career stage. You can apply as an individual or as part of a team, and your idea does not need to be fully developed. We’re looking for well-informed ideas grounded in real challenges from practice.
If you’re doing something different, we want to hear about it. By sharing your improvement journey, you’ll help build the evidence base for occupational therapy, connect with peers and extend the reach of your work.
Apply for the Innovation Seed Fund by 11.59pm, Tuesday 31 March 2026.