Deadline: 19-Nov-2025
A substantial new opportunity on the horizon invites NHS organisations across the UK to apply for a share of up to £85 million to pioneer innovative weight management pathways rooted in community and primary care.
Backed jointly by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Lilly, this round allocates a dedicated £36 million to develop new care pathway services aimed at delivering person-centred, clinically appropriate, and resource-efficient care.
The focus of this strand is on creative delivery models that redefine post-referral care. Projects might include pharmacy-led pathways, digital or remote options, or strong integration with existing community-based services. The ambition is to reshape how people access weight support—ensuring that intervention is timely, tailored, and sensitive to health inequalities.
Lead applicants must be NHS organisations with commissioning authority, such as Integrated Care Boards in England or health boards in devolved nations, and propose projects with total eligible costs between £2 million and £4.5 million. Projects should be ready to begin by May 2026 and deliver patient services by August of the same year, running through to March 2029.
Applicants will need to outline full care pathways—from eligibility assessment and clinical governance to patient choice, digital accessibility, discharge, and sustainability plans. Emphasis must be placed on clear data integration, with mechanisms to update patients’ primary health records and report smoothly into existing systems, while also ensuring transparency about pharmaceutical involvement in the programme.
This is a compelling chance for NHS organisations to lead development of transformative, community-centred obesity services. By combining vision and practical strategy, they can help set new standards for accessible, equitable, and scalable weight management in health systems across the UK.
For more information, visit Innovate UK.
