Priten Chauhan, founder of Sanera Innovations Ltd. scoops a national award for innovation
Innovate UK is delivering a £6.2 million* boost to the UK’s future innovation leaders.
233 high-potential entrepreneurs from every nation and region of the UK receive funding and tailored business support.
Priten Chauhan from Leicester is among the award winners, aiming to promote the importance of device hygiene through innovative, sustainable solutions.
Priten, founder of Sanera Innovations Ltd from Leicester has scooped the Unlocking Potential award, from Innovate UK, the UK’s Innovation Agency. The prestigious award will support him to grow his innovative business idea with support from industry specialists.
Building on the success of Innovate UK’s targeted programmes, like Women in Innovation and Young Innovators, this latest funding is designed to find and support the fresh innovation talent the UK needs.
“The Innovate UK Unlocking Potential Award is a two-strand pilot competition to empower today’s untapped innovators and businesses to increase investment in diverse talent across the UK. This competition aims to level the playing field and unlock potential for innovation by supporting and funding innovators from groups that are currently underrepresented and/or overlooked in innovation”.**
Priten is among 233 high-potential innovators who have either been awarded a £5,000 grant with a £10,000 contribution to living allowances or a £50,000 grant, to support their innovations, conduct role modelling activities and develop their businesses. To further support this, they will also receive 12 months of tailored business support to help them grow, stimulating the UK’s economy.
Priten’s innovation addresses the importance of device hygiene, by offering a simple yet effective solution to encourage regular sanitisation to prevent bacterial transmission from device to user. His solution requires no electronics, maintenance or specialist training. Praise for the product has already come from the industry with a Cambrigeshire-based ophthalmologist teasing that the product is ‘visual, satisfying and slick’ and a Leicestershire-based registrar emphasising that the idea ‘would be much more effective than our current solution’.
In receipt of this award, Priten said, ‘I’m thrilled to have received this fantastic award and to have the opportunity to take my innovation forward. From what started as a project during the final year of my Product Design (BSc) degree at Nottingham Trent University, my idea now has the resources behind it to be refined and perfected for the market. Not only does the award support the business itself but also provides a great platform for me to action one of my company values to support the next generation of innovators, prioritising those from underrepresented backgrounds within the design industry. Unfortunately, the number of students taking up design and technology is on the decline*** however, through schemes and awards such as this, I believe we can make a positive impact to reverse the decline and act as an inspiration to future designers, innovators and entrepreneurs.’
In line with the UK’s growing appetite for innovation, this new award programme was amongst the most highly engaged funding competitions Innovate UK has ever delivered - with over 2,100 entrepreneurs applying for funding and business mentorship. There is an urgent need to transform the UK’s skills and talent pipeline, through inspiring and connecting people to new opportunities and pathways into innovation. Innovate UK estimates that, to achieve the UK’s full economic potential, 400,000 more innovators need to be supported, from entrepreneurs to engineers.
Coinciding with the Awards announcement, Innovate UK has joined forces with over 150 partner organisations to launch its free and accessible No Limits digital platform, which makes it easy for aspiring innovators to discover new career paths, sharpen their skills and access opportunities to develop life-changing innovations and future-proof the UK economy.
If you’re an aspiring innovator, or a business looking to connect with new talent, check out nolimits.ukri.org to find support and inspiration.
Press contact: Priten@sanera.co.uk
*based on individual grants of £5,000 plus a £10,000 contribution to living allowances or £50,000 grant.
**extracted from Innovate UK Unlocking Potential Award: Begin FAQs: Link
***https://epi.org.uk/publications-and-research/a-spotlight-on-design-and-technology-study-inengland/