Real-world Evaluation and public testing of
HealthTech Innovations

What We Do

Connecting HealthTech Innovation with Communities

We provide inclusive public and patient engagement, real-world evaluation and testing of HealthTech innovations, connecting innovators with diverse communities and healthcare networks.

Through 67 trusted community groups, our network reaches more than 15,000 members across a wide range of cultures, religions, ethnicities, abilities and socio-economic backgrounds. Through our established GP practice network, we also have access to over 260,000 patients.

Our innovative approach enables HealthTech companies to gather high-quality lived-experience insight and real-world evidence, reaching communities often missed by traditional engagement methods while saving time and resources.

We work in partnership with the NIHR, NHS, Medilink, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and numerous HealthTech innovation companies, creating connections between innovators, patients, communities and healthcare organisations.

What We Offer

Public & Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE)
Real-world evaluation and public testing
Lived-experience research and data collection
Access to diverse communities and patient populations
HealthTech promotion and marketing
NHS and stakeholder engagement
Access to grants and private investment opportunities
Market development and UK market access

Our aim is simple: to help HealthTech innovators test, validate, promote,

fund and bring their innovations successfully to the UK market.

Our Community Partners

We have an extensive, diverse and continually growing community network, M-CEN (Marginalised Community Engagement Network), designed to reach deep into the heart of marginalised and seldom-heard communities. Through trusted community organisations, M-CEN helps ensure that the voices, experiences and needs of these communities are heard and reflected in health research and innovation, contributing to the reduction of health inequalities.

Working with communities of interest is vital to effective health research. Community groups provide valuable insights into the specific health needs, experiences and concerns of their populations, helping ensure that research addresses relevant and meaningful issues. Their involvement also supports the development of studies and innovations that are culturally sensitive, inclusive and appropriate, while building trust between researchers, innovators and the communities they seek to engage.

Meaningful community engagement can also improve the recruitment and retention of participants. People are more likely to engage with research when they see trusted community organisations involved and understand how their participation can benefit their communities. This can lead to more representative participation and stronger, more meaningful evidence.

Our community partners can also play an important role in communicating research findings, helping translate complex information into clear and accessible messages that communities can understand and use.

M-CEN can support engagement throughout the research and innovation journey — from research design and public involvement through to participant recruitment, real-world testing, evaluation and dissemination.

By connecting researchers, HealthTech innovators and healthcare organisations with diverse communities, we help create a more inclusive, equitable and impactful approach to health research and innovation, ultimately contributing to better evidence, improved health outcomes and reduced health inequalities.