AI wellbeing companion for neurodivergent women and digital training platform for pharmacists among £1m Mayor’s big ideas challenge finalists

31 July 2025

• 19 local businesses have been announced as finalists in the £1 million Mayor’s big ideas challenge, each securing a £20,000 grant and skills-building package to support their 9-month innovation journeys.
• The challenge supports West Yorkshire-based businesses to accelerate innovative products and services that combat health inequalities among communities across the region.
• An AI wellbeing companion for neurodivergent women, a digital training service for pharmacists, and a language platform to improve children’s communication skills are among the 19 innovations.
• The mayor’s big ideas challenge is delivered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, and supported by global challenge expert, Challenge Works.

19 local businesses spearheading innovative solutions to some of the region’s most pressing challenges have been announced today (31 July) as finalists of a £1 million competition for businesses to build a brighter West Yorkshire that works for all.

An AI wellbeing companion designed by and for neurodivergent women, a digital training service for pharmacists to improve primary care, and a language platform to improve children’s speaking skills, are among the 19 innovations that have each been awarded a £20,000 development grant, as finalists of the West Yorkshire Mayor’s big ideas challenge.

The £1 million challenge was launched by Mayor Tracy Brabin in February this year as part of her plan for growth, to spur on innovation and support small and medium-sized businesses to grow and succeed.

Through development grants of £20,000 for the 19 successful firms, the challenge will help to bring new technologies to life while helping businesses to grow, create skilled jobs and put money in people’s pockets.

In March 2026, after facing a vigorous few months of testing and refining, three businesses will then be selected as winners of the challenge and awarded a further £100,000 to support the commercialisation of their innovations.

The challenge, delivered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and supported by global challenge expert, Challenge Works, encourages the creation of innovative solutions, products or services that have the potential to overcome health inequalities among communities in West Yorkshire.

Aimed at local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the region, the challenge empowers those closest to the issue to drive change, and the 19 finalists’ solutions showcase immense talent and entrepreneurial spirit.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:

“These finalists represent the very best of West Yorkshire’s talent, ingenuity and determination to drive positive change.

“Through bold, innovative thinking, each of these businesses are tackling serious health challenges, and we’re supporting them to turn their creative ideas into concrete action.

“This is what building a stronger, fairer region looks like, and I’m incredibly proud to support their journeys as they work to transform lives and boost the wellbeing of our communities.”

The challenge is a direct response to data which demonstrates deep deprivation in some areas of West Yorkshire, meaning that health outcomes can vary widely. Life expectancy in Yorkshire and the Humber stands at one year and ten months lower than the average in England, and 4.7% of working age people are economically inactive due to ill health – 0.6% above the average.

With the region trailing the UK’s productivity levels by 16.8% due in part to poor health, tackling health inequalities will have a ripple effect on the region, accelerating social and economic change, and supporting West Yorkshire to flourish.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is actively supporting the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan, which will see the NHS move from treatment to prevention to alleviate pressure on frontline services. As preventative solutions, the 19 finalists present compelling opportunities to ease this pressure.

The Mayor’s big ideas challenge finalist innovations include:

An AI companion platform designed by and for neurodivergent women – MAGI is an AI platform offering accessible tools to help neurodivergent women navigate burnout, overwhelm, or hormonal shifts. From emotional regulation to daily decision support, the platform is both highly accessible and personalised.

Digital training platform for the region’s pharmacists – The West Yorkshire DPP Support and Prescribing Support Platform is a digital platform offering the region’s pharmacists training, mentorship and peer support. This empowers pharmacists to improve patient access, deliver safer prescribing, and directly tackle local health inequalities, strengthening primary care for everyone across West Yorkshire. 

An AI-powered speech and language platform for children – Polly is an AI-powered speech and language platform helping young children in low-income, multilingual or underserved communities develop core communication skills. Co-designed with therapists, Polly delivers personalised, playful therapy sessions in schools and homes, making early intervention accessible, scalable, and effective. With children in some disadvantaged areas of the UK having to wait up to four years for support, this technology will enable all children to have the same opportunities, ensuring that they do not fall too far behind at school - and beyond. 

Kathy Nothstine, Director of Cities and Societies, Challenge Works, said:

“Innovation is the key to unlocking brighter futures for those living in West Yorkshire. Faced with high levels of deprivation and limited access to spaces and services that support wellbeing, the region is battling high levels of health inequality, leading to economic inactivity and levels of productivity that trail the national average.

“The 19 finalists have come up with inspiring answers to these challenges. Rooted in personal stories and experiences, the innovations range from products such as wearables that reduce hospital visits, to programmes for teens that combat poor body image, and support groups to aid the recovery of those who are healing from traumatic experiences. There is real potential for these solutions to not only improve health inequality across the region, but to effect broader economic, social and civic change”.

Other finalist solutions include platforms to bolster mental health, a digital tool to support community carers, and skill-building programmes for those living in underserved communities, granting opportunities that otherwise might not exist.

To find out more about the Mayor’s big ideas challenge and the 19 finalists, visit: https://www.wybusiness-skills.com/business-support/growth-support/innovation-hub/mayors-big-ideas-challenge-for-smes/