NIHR-NHIC Joint Funding Call
New UK–Singapore partnership to accelerate healthcare innovations
Last updated on 21 October 2026
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) (opens in new tab) and the National Health Innovation Centre Singapore (NHIC) are teaming up to fast-track healthcare innovations across the UK and Singapore that address unmet, shared clinical needs.
Launched on 14 October 2026, the i4i-LeapX cross-border funding opportunity from NIHR's Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme and NHIC’s LeapX is designed to support the development and use of later stage health innovations towards clinical impact and commercialisation.
By funding activities such as clinical validation, regulatory clearance, health economics and real-world evaluation, i4i-LeapX will help generate the necessary clinical and commercial evidence. This will enable innovations to navigate regulatory pathways, de-risk, and support market entry within both healthcare systems, ensuring patients in both nations benefit from cutting-edge research and transformative health solutions.
Driving shared national health priorities
The UK and Singapore face similar healthcare challenges arising from ageing populations, rising chronic disease burdens, and increasing healthcare needs.
This funding opportunity is designed to support the development of solutions that address these shared challenges faced by both nations as well as deepen collaborations between the UK and Singapore.
While proposals that clearly address an identified unmet clinical need are eligible, i4i-LeapX is specifically looking for projects that align with national health priorities for both nations.
For the UK, this includes supporting the 10-Year Health Plan’s 3 core shifts (moving care from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and treatment to prevention) or using 'big bet' technologies such as data, AI, genomics, wearables, and robotics.
For Singapore, this includes aligning with the Ministry of Health (MOH)/National Medical Research Council (NMRC)’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2030 priorities, including Healthy Longevity and Population Health, Precision Health, Epidemic Preparedness and Response, and Priority Disease and Conditions for Research (including multi-morbidity), which strengthen national initiatives such as Healthier SG. Artificial Intelligence and Data, as well as Translation and Innovation, are key enablers supporting these focus areas.
By backing these priorities, the funding opportunity aims to position supported technologies for long term success and adoption within both healthcare systems.
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), said:
"In our 20th anniversary year, this partnership with Singapore underscores the NIHR’s commitment to driving innovations that transform patient care. The i4i-LeapX cross-border funding opportunity will directly support the UK’s 10-Year Health Plan by leveraging AI, digital and preventative technologies to shift care from hospitals into the community. Together, we are fast-tracking groundbreaking healthtech to get proven treatments to patients faster and improve lives in both nations."
Associate Professor Henry Ho, Executive Director, NHIC, said:
“Singapore has made great strides in building a strong, vibrant ecosystem for healthtech innovations to incubate and flourish. Our continued investment in developing, diversifying and sustaining innovations is critical to keeping Singapore at the forefront of healthtech innovation. Through partnerships such as the i4i-LeapX funding opportunity, we can bring together expertise and capabilities across borders to deliver better healthcare outcomes globally.”
Bringing together UK and Singapore expertise
The funding opportunity requires joint applications from collaborators in the UK and Singapore, ensuring projects benefit from the unique strengths of both health systems.
Eligible technologies include later stage medtech, in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) and digital health technologies originating from the UK or Singapore.
Projects can receive up to £500,000 for the UK component and SGD $750,000 for the Singapore component over 24 months to undertake clinical validation to support adoption in either or both countries, with the UK component funded by DHSC via NIHR and the Singapore component by NHIC.
For detailed information about the call including key dates, please visit i4i - LeapX joint funding opportunity - October 2026 | NIHR ↗ (opens in new tab)
View our launch webinar
Note: If you are from a local public healthcare cluster, please use your personal device to access the video.
