The Huddersfield Health Innovation Incubator (HHII) is a business support programme for West Yorkshire based pre and early stage start-ups, and growing organisations. Funded by the The West Yorkshire Healthtech Investment Zone, it aims to support those with bold ideas, passion and innovation and will shape the future of the health, wellbeing and life sciences sectors accross our region.
As a HHII partner, Business Kirklees are pleased to share the successful launch of the first “Thrive” cohort, which commenced in October 2025, and announce that applications are now open for the second cohort, due to launch in April 2026. These milestones represent a significant step in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship within the health and wellbeing sector in West Yorkshire.
The inaugural cohort comprises of 18 participants, each bringing forward innovative concepts designed to enhance health and wellbeing. Their projects span a diverse range of focus areas, including:
- Wellbeing support services
- Initiatives to support people with health conditions and managing symptoms
- Advancements in stem cell research
- Solutions to strengthen and support medical services
Each participant has been assigned a dedicated mentor, carefully selected to provide tailored guidance aligned with their individual business needs. This personalised support ensures that participants receive the expertise required to advance their projects. Participants are also able to access a number of networking and themed events, linking them into other members of the healthtech eco-system to share knowledge and experience in their chosen field.
As many participants are at the early stages of their entrepreneurial journey, Thrive provides a structured environment to nurture their ideas and accelerate their progress. Participants have access to The Glass Box office space in Huddersfield town centre, which acts as a collaborative hub designed to encourage innovation and knowledge exchange.
To date, participants have successfully completed three workshops covering the following:
- Business Models and Administration
- Customer Insights and Profiling
- Developing Health and Wellbeing Products or Services
The programme will continue to support the current cohort with four additional workshops and culminate in a pitch event taking place on the 12 Feb 2026, where participants will present their ventures. They will then remain on the programme to access the support until April 2026.
This launch marks the beginning of an exciting journey for the Thrive programme. The HHII remains committed to empowering emerging entrepreneurs and supporting the development of impactful solutions in health and wellbeing.
Applications for the next Thrive cohort are now open, with support commencing April 2026.
If you’d like to apply, you can sign up to become a member of the Huddersfield Health Innovation Incubator via the Huddersfield Health Innovation Incubator website
To find out more, you can contact the HHII team on huddshealthinnovation@kirklees.gov.uk or call 01484 221000 (Ext 78300).
