Small business from the UK, Australia and New Zealand have chance to pilot their programmes across Bupa’s network of care homes
Bupa is calling on startups in a bid to bring further innovation to the aged care sector. As part of its Bupa B Table programme, pitches need to be designed to benefit older people, either by supporting nurses and carers working in Bupa homes, or through supporting independent living.
Applications are open now, and successful candidates will be mentored by senior Bupa business leaders and technology experts. They will also have access to space in Bupa’s offices to develop their ideas, and potential investment from Bupa to help develop their products.
Once the ideas have been developed they will be piloted in Bupa’s network of care home, with options across Australia, New Zealand and the UK. This will allow them to gain feedback from residents and colleagues.
Joan Elliott, Managing Director for Bupa Care Homes in the UK, said:
“The wellbeing of our residents and colleagues is our priority. Being at the forefront of innovation will help us find new ideas which could benefit the thousands of residents we care for. This is a great opportunity for budding entrepreneurs to develop their businesses, while benefiting the lives of older people across the world.”
John Moore, Director of Bupa’s Customer Lab added:
“With an increasing ageing population globally, we have an opportunity to help people age well. The Bupa B Table programme is a chance for us to work and share our expertise with innovative startups and small businesses to get a new perspective on our own business, and enhance the services we provide to our customers and our people all over the world.”
Now in its second year, the Bupa B Table is run by Bupa’s Customer Lab, which was established last year to explore new ways of delivering high quality, comprehensive health and care services which meet customer needs, by harnessing digital technology.
This year, there are two briefs for applicants to choose from, both centred around aged care. Pitches should address one of the following challenges:
- How can we use new technologies and innovation to support and enable the ageing population to live independently for longer, and to allow family members to help?
- How can innovative solutions to help support Bupa’s professional carers as they go about their working day?
Applications are open now and will close on 18th April 2018. Entries will be shortlisted during May, before finalists are invited to pitch to a panel of Bupa’s experts this summer.
