Seven innovations were awarded in the NHS Cancer Programme Innovation Open Call 3 in England

On July 9, 2025, seven projects were awarded £14.4 million through the third Innovation Open Call funded by the NHS Cancer Programme and supported by the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Healthcare Programme and the NHS England Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC). 

The Innovation Open Call was introduced in 2021 to fast-track high-quality, proven, late-stage innovations for the early detection and diagnosis of cancer and deliver NHS Long Term Plan ambitions (that by 2028, 75% of people will be diagnosed earlier, at stage one or two). Awarded projects aim to produce and evaluate evidence in a real-world setting and build on the value proposition required by providers, commissioners, and regulators for successful adoption and spread. At the end of the project, the innovation should be embedded into practice in several NHS locations. Since 2021, 14 projects have been awarded via first and second calls. 

The third call was open for applications from April to May 2024. Eligible technologies included medical devices, in-vitro diagnostics, digital health solutions, behavioral interventions, software, AI, or new models of care. 

Technologies awarded in Innovation Open Call 3 will be funded over the next 24 months to support the rollout and real-world testing. Some examples are provided below:

• Accelerating Lung Cancer Diagnosis Through AI-Guided Robotic Navigation Bronchoscopy (Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, £2,254,634): A new diagnostic pathway combining AI-powered nodule risk stratification (Optellum) with robotic bronchoscopy (Intuitive ION) to improve early lung cancer diagnosis.
• The Community Pharmacy Assessment for Barrett’s Oesophagus and Reflux Symptoms, COMPASS (Cyted Health, £1,849,778): The project is bringing EndoSign® capsule sponge testing to pharmacies, aiming to find those at risk of oesophageal cancer by tracking reflux medication purchases and reaching underserved communities.

Other awarded innovations concerned digital technologies for diagnosing prostate cancer, laboratory-based alerts in primary care, and screening programs.

See the full details here.

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