Major funding to boost health, wellbeing, and digital businesses
Funding has been approved to drive innovation and support businesses in the health, wellbeing, and digital sectors.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has agreed to provide the council with revenue grant funding totalling £2,023,576.25 via the Government’s Investment Zone initiative to help deliver the Huddersfield Health Innovation Incubator (HHII) programme.
At the Council’s cabinet meeting, members approved to accept the external funding to deliver the programme in partnership with the University of Huddersfield and the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre (3M BIC).
Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration, said:
“The programme will give businesses in health, wellbeing, and digital the support they need to start up or grow. Along with our partners, we are looking forward to providing tailored advice, workspaces, events, and networking opportunities to build a vibrant community of innovators. From businesses and academics to clinicians and professionals we will all be working together to improve health and care outcomes and drive business growth.
“Building on successful projects like the Thrive initiative, the programme will complement the University’s pioneering National Health Innovation Campus and contribute to the wider regeneration of the Station to Stadium Enterprise Corridor.”
Funding for the programme has been secured for a four-year period, ending on 31 March 2029. The business case for the programme was formally approved by WYCA in February 2025.
Businesses in the health, wellbeing and digital sectors that are seeking to start-up or expand will have access to office and co-working spaces at the Glass Box business centre and in the Health Business Innovation Centre (HBIC) in the Emily Siddon Building at the health campus when this opens in 2026.
The HBIC will feature state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and a dedicated health innovation makerspace – one of the few specialist spaces in the UK – providing entrepreneurs with access to professional equipment and expert guidance to design, test, and validate new products.
Businesses will also be able to access space at the existing 3M Buckley Innovation Centre.
Now the external funding from the WYCA has been approved, the council and its partners will move into the implementation phase of the programme.