Overview of the programme

The Clinical Entrepreneur Programme (CEP) is a workforce development programme for clinical and non-clinical NHS staff, run by NHS England’s Innovation, Research, Life Sciences and Strategy group and delivered jointly with Anglia Ruskin University.

It is the biggest entrepreneurial workforce development programme of its kind, aiming to provide the commercial skills, knowledge and experience needed to successfully develop and spread innovative solutions to the challenges facing the NHS for the benefit of patients, staff and the wider NHS. Our Clinical Entrepreneur’s Programme is the world’s largest entrepreneurial workforce development programme with over 1200 frontline staff who have created around 500 start-ups, representing over 7% of the UK life science industry. These innovations have benefited over 130m patients and professionals and raised over $1bn in funding.

The programme offers expert mentoring, exclusive networking, and bespoke training to develop innovative ideas into products and businesses to benefit NHS patients. The curriculum covers all aspects of setting up and running a small business, including attracting investors, applying for funding, and ensuring appropriate corporate governance. Training on how to build a start-up, and operate within the NHS is delivered as a series of educational events attended by industry mentors. The programme allows entrepreneurs to pursue their innovation without having to leave the health service, providing a wider benefit to economic growth through inward investment in the health, social care and life science sectors.

The programme welcomes applications from a diverse range of clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals with an interest in entrepreneurship and innovation – could this be you or someone you know?

Patient Entrepreneur Programme

The NHS CEP Patient Entrepreneur Programme is a pilot programme launched in 2024, aimed at people with lived experience of a condition who have developed an innovation to improve patient care. The programme aims to give these individuals the skills and knowledge to develop their innovation, while giving them access to a network of mentors, healthcare experts and patient support.

Delivered by the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme, this pilot allows patients to join an established innovation learning and development programme with wrap-around support from NHS England’s Patient and Public Involvement team. The programme is free and successful applicants will have access to the CEP curriculum.

Find out more about the programme on the Patient Entrepreneur Programme website.