Wellcome Mental Health Data Prize UK

Funding Opportunity for Doncaster Organisations

The Wellcome Mental Health Data Prize UK is now open for applications, offering a major funding opportunity for Doncaster‑based organisations working with data, digital innovation, and mental health research. Delivered in partnership with Social Finance, the programme supports teams to create scalable digital tools using existing mental health data, with the aim of driving earlier and more effective intervention for anxiety, depression and psychosis in young people.

What the Prize Offers

This UK‑wide innovation programme provides substantial funding across two competitive phases, helping teams develop, prototype and scale their digital tools:

• Prototyping Phase: Up to £100,000 for up to six teams to build working prototypes.
• Sustainability Phase: The three most promising teams can receive up to £300,000 to further develop and embed their tools.

The prize also delivers expert support, including access to data, technical guidance, lived experience integration, and collaborative learning sessions led by Social Finance and Wellcome.

Who Should Apply?

The programme is ideal for:

• Universities and research groups
• Digital and data‑focused SMEs
• Health organisations
• Non-profits working with mental health
• Cross‑sector collaborations combining data science, digital development, mental health expertise and lived experience involvement

Lead applicants must be based at an eligible UK organisation and able to hold the award for the full duration.

What the Prize Aims to Achieve

The Wellcome Mental Health Data Prize aims to:

• Unlock new insights from existing mental health datasets
• Improve early intervention approaches for anxiety, depression and psychosis
• Accelerate innovation through multidisciplinary collaboration
• Increase responsible and impactful use of mental health data across the UK

Application Deadline

Applications for the UK prize are open now and close on 8 May 2026 at 12pm.

Why This Matters for Doncaster

This funding provides a strong opportunity for Doncaster’s digital, academic, clinical and community sectors to collaborate on high‑impact innovation. Successful applicants can bring significant investment into the region while contributing to cutting‑edge national work that improves mental health outcomes.