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Innovation for Life Challenge Fund

The Innovation for Life Challenge Fund was developed in collaboration with the Social Enterprise Coalition. Launched in 2007, local health and social care commissioners and their partners were invited to propose innovative ways of using social enterprise solutions to meet local health and well-being challenges and to tackle health inequalities.

The purpose of the fund was for commissioners to demonstrate a world class commissioning approach by identifying the needs of their population, gaps in provision and clear strategic outcomes that can be addressed by collaborative social enterprise solutions and third sector/social enterprise provider and market development.

Successful applicants

After a rigorous assessment process, six partnership projects were selected for investment in October 2008, as follows:

  • Gateshead Council received £61,875 to develop a new social enterprise which will train and enable older and disabled people to offer their skills and knowledge to other people who need independent assistance
  • Bristol City Council received £40,000 to establish a cross sector network, bringing together partners from the voluntary, community, social enterprise and public sectors to identify and develop solutions to local health and well-being challenges
  • NHS West Midlands received £100,000 to develop social enterprise solutions to address local health issues that have been identified in three PCT areas (Dudley, Stoke on Trent and Shropshire), such as respite care for disabled young people and their families and improved engagement with groups such as the homeless
  • Birmingham City Council received £63,750 to encourage the development of a framework to support the start-up of local social enterprises
  • Croydon PCT and Croydon Council received £85,000 to support the establishment of the Partnership for Older People’s (POP) Village, which will deliver a range of services identified as a need by older people in the borough, and supporting the personalisation and prevention agenda
  • Kent County Council received £100,000 to establish a Social Enterprise Network in Kent which will engage with and support PCT commissioning from social enterprises.

For further details please view the attached case studies.

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