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A report commissioned by Innovate UK was carried out by the Innovation Caucus to explore the barriers, challenges, opportunities and support needs for minority ethnic and disabled people. Read the

Based on the findings, Innovate UK will:

• Collect equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) data on all Innovate UK competitions
• Review our own structures, processes and work environments and the ways that we may be perpetuating barriers in terms of who we represent, who we invite to the table, who we partner with and fund
• Continue to work with partners, and business networks who promote and champion the voice of under-represented communities in innovation by celebrating diverse role models, targeted communications strategies and investigating new models for convening and growing communities
• Work in partnership with YSYS on their ambition to promote more diversity in innovation particularly by championing BAME innovators, investors and communities to create an ongoing dialogue for change. Alongside partners YSYS are striving to place 100,000 diverse people with opportunities in tech by 2023.
• Deepen understanding of the impact of intersectionality on access to Innovate UK funding and support through retrospective data analysis
• Engage with a number of All-Party Parliamentary Groups including the APPG for Disability to listen and connect with partners who are leading in this space and championing innovators with a disability.
• Expand our understanding of the opportunities and challenges faced specifically by neurodiverse innovators and innovators with hidden disabilities.
• Review and update our accessibility policy for applicants to ensure support is holistic and appropriate to disabled people鈥檚 needs

Women in Innovation is the name of our first diversity and inclusion campaign, which aims to get more women innovating in business.

The campaign kicked off in 2016 with research to understand the challenges of being a female entrepreneur, and a women-only competition with awards offering innovation grant funding and a tailored programme of mentoring and business support. The support helped the award holders grow their businesses, while creating new role models for the next generation.

A second Women in Innovation funding competition launched in 2018 to support even more women solving society鈥檚 greatest challenges to reach their full potential.

We announced the 9 winners on International Women鈥檚 Day 鈥� 8 March 2019. Each will receive 拢50,000 funding, plus business support.

We are also holding . These are open to female entrepreneurs and will feature practical workshops to help with grant writing, tackling blocks in the innovation process, market validation and pitching to investors.

We will continue to tackle this issue by reviewing our existing funding programmes to better promote and inspire diversity.

The winners of Innovate UK鈥檚 second Women in Innovation competition were announced on International Women鈥檚 Day 2019. The 9 entrepreneurs are tackling society鈥檚 biggest challenges: clean growth, the future of mobility, an ageing society and AI and the data driven economy.

Read the brochure to find out more about our award holders.

Watch videos and find out more about some of our award holders.

Claire Spencer, CEO, Data Solver, on attending a mission to Boston for women in tech

Fanzi Down, Commercial Director, DPS Design, on changing perceptions of the business

Shakardokht Jafari, CTO and Founder, TrueInvivo, on her drive to innovate new cancer treatments

Becky Sage, CEO, Interactive Scientific, on being a female entrepreneur in digital tech

Beth Dawson, Projects Manager, Fuel Cell Systems, on energy and her role as an 鈥榠ntrapreneur鈥�

Emma Sceats, CEO, CN Bio Innovations, on working in health technology

Ideas mean business is a collaboration between Innovate UK and to engage and inspire young innovators from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Launched in 2017, the campaign is designed to help young people (18 to 30-year-olds) to gain confidence and expertise to innovate and realise their potential, regardless of their background.

This is through a programme of financial support, a package of tools and expert advice to help young innovators to turn their ideas into reality. The winners of the competition were announced in June 2018.

Watch videos with some of the winning young innovators.

Adam Root, 27, on his solution to solve the ocean鈥檚 plastic problem

Laura Niehorster, 27, on her plans to help the UK reduce sanitary waste

George Howell, 19, on innovating in a rural location and driving a change for young people