The NHS Patient Entrepreneur Programme (PEP)

Sharing on behalf of Alice Williams, Head of Patient and Public Involvement (NHS England)



We’re delighted to share that applications for Cohort 4 of the NHS Patient Entrepreneur Programme (PEP) will open on 19th October 2026. Applications will close on 20 November 2026,

Find out more and apply: www.nhscep.com/pep

The PEP is a free, 12 month learning and development programme designed for patients and carers who have used their lived experience to develop a healthcare innovation. Delivered through the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme (CEP) and supported by NHS England’s Patient and Public Involvement team, it offers access to:

  • CPD-accredited learning and development sessions on innovation pipeline and development topics
  • Mentoring and expert clinics
  • Business planning, innovation funding and pitching opportunities
  • A supportive, inclusive community of innovators

We will also be hosting an application preparation and information webinar on 15 October , 5–6:30pm - open to all who’d like to learn more about the programme. You can register for the webinar here: PEP Prep Application Session 2: Get Application Ready - Understanding the Application Process. | NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme

We’d really appreciate your help in spreading the word by:

  • Share the opportunity as widely as you can across your patient, community and voluntary sector networks
  • Including information about the programme in your newsletters, bulletins, or websites
  • Sharing our social media posts or creating your own using #nhsceppatient

Thank you for your continued support in empowering patients and carers to shape the future of healthcare innovation.