Nineteen local businesses have been announced as finalists in a £1 million competition, the Mayor’s big ideas challenge, that was launched in February this year by West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracy Brabin as part of her plan for growth. The challenge aims to support West Yorkshire-based businesses in accelerating innovative products and services that combat health inequalities among communities across the region.
Each of the 19 finalists has secured a £20,000 grant and skills-building package to support their 9-month innovation journeys. The challenge, delivered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and supported by global challenge expert, Challenge Works, encourages the creation of innovative solutions, products, or services that have the potential to overcome health inequalities among communities in West Yorkshire.
The 19 finalists’ solutions include an AI wellbeing companion for neurodivergent women, a digital training service for pharmacists, and a language platform to improve children’s communication skills. These businesses represent the best of West Yorkshire’s talent, ingenuity, and determination to drive positive change.
In March 2026, after facing a vigorous few months of testing and refining, three businesses will then be selected as winners of the challenge and awarded a further £100,000 to support the commercialization of their innovations.
The Mayor’s big ideas challenge is a direct response to data which demonstrates deep deprivation in some areas of West Yorkshire, meaning that health outcomes can vary widely. Life expectancy in Yorkshire and the Humber stands at one year and ten months lower than the average in England, and 4.7% of working-age people are economically inactive due to ill health – 0.6% above the average.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “These finalists represent the very best of West Yorkshire’s talent, ingenuity, and determination to drive positive change. Through bold, innovative thinking, each of these businesses is tackling serious health challenges, and we’re supporting them to turn their creative ideas into concrete action. This is what building a stronger, fairer region looks like, and I’m incredibly proud to support their journeys as they work to transform lives and boost the well-being of our communities.”
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is actively supporting the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan, which will see the NHS move from treatment to prevention to alleviate pressure on frontline services. As preventative solutions, the 19 finalists present compelling opportunities to ease this pressure.
Kathy Nothstine, Director of Cities and Societies, Challenge Works, said: “Innovation is the key to unlocking brighter futures for those living in West Yorkshire. Faced with high levels of deprivation and limited access to spaces and services that support well-being, the region is battling high levels of health inequality, leading to economic inactivity and levels of productivity that trail the national average.”
The Mayor’s big ideas challenge finalist innovations include:
– An AI wellbeing companion platform designed by and for neurodivergent women. MAGI is an AI platform offering accessible tools to help neurodivergent women navigate burnout, overwhelm, or hormonal shifts. From emotional regulation to daily decision support, the platform is both highly accessible and personalized.
– A digital training platform for the region’s pharmacists. The West Yorkshire DPP Support and Prescribing Support Platform is a digital platform offering the region’s pharmacists training, mentorship, and peer support. This empowers pharmacists to improve patient access, deliver safer prescribing, and directly tackle local health inequalities, strengthening primary care for everyone across West Yorkshire.
– An AI-powered speech and language platform for children. Polly is an AI-powered speech and language platform helping young children in low-income, multilingual, or underserved communities develop core communication skills. Co-designed with therapists, Polly delivers personalized, playful therapy sessions in schools and homes, making early intervention accessible, scalable, and effective. With children in some disadvantaged areas of the UK having to wait up to four years for support, this technology will enable all children to have the same opportunities, ensuring that they do not fall too far behind at school and beyond.
Other finalist solutions include platforms to bolster mental health, a digital tool to support community carers, and skill-building programs for those living in underserved communities, granting opportunities that otherwise might not exist.
For media inquiries, please contact Sophia Houston and Bella Weetch at westyorkshire@seven-consultancy.com.
About the Mayor’s big ideas challenge:
The Mayor’s big ideas challenge is a £1 million initiative designed to accelerate innovative solutions, products, or services that address health inequalities among communities in West Yorkshire. Launched by West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracy Brabin, as a key part of her plan for growth, the challenge aims to spur innovation and support the growth and success of small and medium-sized businesses. Through development grants of up to £100,000 for successful firms, this challenge will help bring new technologies to life, create skilled jobs, and put more money in people’s pockets.
About The Combined Authority:
The West