University of Liverpool CHI-Zone Small Grants Programme now open and seeking applications

The University of Liverpool CHI-Zone is seeking CareTech developers with bold ideas to help transform adult social care provision across the Liverpool City Region (LCR) and beyond.

The Adult Social Care Small Grants Programme is programme offers a unique opportunity to accelerate innovative solutions that respond directly to some of the adult social care sector’s most pressing challenges. With funding, technical guidance and access to the Adult Social Care Testbed – successful applicants will benefit from the expert support needed to explore, develop and test their ideas in real-world settings.

Innovation with Purpose

Each annual grant cycle invites applicants to help tackle key issues facing adult social care providers in our Testbed which have been identified through surveys, interviews and workshops with them.

For 2026, the CHI-Zone are seeking applicants interested in enhancing the lives of carers, care professionals and people who draw on formal care and support to improve their quality of life – for example, projects could develop solutions that address one of the following questions:

How might we use data and technology to facilitate access to pertinent advice and guidance and reduce the administrative and coordination burden on unpaid carers (appointments, benefits, medications, information-sharing), so they can spend more time on what matters to them?
How might we support the recruitment, training, wellbeing and retention of care professionals using data and/or technology in a sector facing severe workforce pressures?
How might we make better use of data and AI to anticipate needs and intervene early (e.g. predicting deterioration, falls or crises) while keeping people safe and in control of personal information about them?
How might we use assistive technology to improve peoples’ experience of care and support, enabling greater independence, wellbeing and connection?
How might we use technology to help people who draw on care and support stay connected to their communities, relationships and interests, reducing loneliness and isolation?

Supported by the University of Liverpool’s Civic Health Innovation Labs (CHIL) and Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC), grant awardees will work with NCF and our not-for-profit care provider members, and play a vital role in shaping the future of social care provision, ensuring data and technology are harnessed in ways that are tailored to meet the needs of the care workforce, enhance productivity, and improve the quality of care they are able to provide.

Technical Support

Successful applicants will have access to technical expertise from the VEC, helping to accelerate the development of innovative CareTech solutions. Support may include AI and data analytics, digital twins, virtual prototyping, proof of concept development, process simulation, automation, digital strategy and access to specialist facilities. The VEC works with businesses to reduce technical risk, validate ideas and support the development of commercially viable products. For a full overview of the VEC’s capabilities, download the capability summary here.

What the CHI-Zone are looking for

We want to support the development of ambitious and imaginative data and technology solutions, that empower care professionals and people who draw on care and support, whilst enhancing the quality of care provided across the Liverpool City Region and beyond. Proposals should point towards the next generation of Digital Care Technologies, going beyond incremental improvements to existing solutions to transform the lives of people in receipt of care and the professionals who provide it.

Eligibility Criteria

You must be:

A registered, not-for-profit adult social care provider with an operational presence in the Liverpool City Region; OR
A UK-based technology company or industry partner developing solutions for adult social care; OR
A consortia involving both registered, not-for-profit care providers in the Liverpool City Region and UK-based technology companies / industry partner(s).

The lead applicant must be a legal entity with a UK bank account that can accept grant funding. This organisation will manage the grant, coordinate project delivery, assume responsibility for reporting, and provide evidence of spend as required.

Key Dates