Ripple Women’s Digital Health Challenge 2025

The number of innovators we select for the cohort will be based on the quality and strength of the applications and resources required to ensure the quality of support that is given to all successful entries.

During the selection process, two applicants will be identified as winning ideas. These winners will receive more tailored support from the Health Innovation Network (HIN) and additional media coverage.

The cohort participants get access to a 12-month complimentary programme designed to turn their proposals into pilot-ready apps. The cohort participants:

• Join a step-by-step app-build programme with training, guided milestones and expert support.

• Gain 12 months’ access (starting 2 February 2026) to the Cogniss no-code platform to design, build, and refine their app in a secure, compliant environment.

• Get their app published within a “super app” that’s available for restricted use via app stores, enabling real-world testing, demonstrations to stakeholders and use for funding or pilot discussions.

• Receive technical, regulatory and adoption guidance from the Health Innovation Network, including pathways into NHS piloting and evaluation.

• Benefit from mentorship, networking, and promotional opportunities.

Two winners additionally will receive more tailored support from the HIN and additional media coverage.

The Challenge is designed to support patient and consumer-facing digital health solutions that drive direct health outcomes for women and girls, across prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management. It is not intended to support tools serving the administrative side of digital health, such as booking systems and EHRs. 

These are the kind of digital health solutions that are suitable for the Challenge:

• Digital therapeutics and interventions

• Health education and informational products

• Remote patient monitoring solutions

• Assessment and diagnostic tools

• Diagnosis and treatment support tools

• Mental health support products including addiction treatment

• Decision support tools for clinicians

We are looking for solutions that can be built on the Cogniss platform without any additional custom development.

For this Challenge, women’s health refers to all aspects of health that affect women and people with lived experience of women’s health needs, across physical, mental, and social wellbeing.

This includes reproductive, maternal, gynaecological, and menopause-related health, as well as conditions where women typically experience distinct symptoms, care pathways, or outcomes.

The Challenge also recognises that trans men, non-binary people, and others may share women’s health needs or face related inequities, and all solutions should be designed with inclusivity, respect and sensitivity.

A strong application will focus on the core 3 features that will drive the health outcomes your app is looking to solve, rather than an exhaustive list of functionality and complex integrations. Technically simpler solutions often are the most practical to create and distribute, and can often result in significant measurable positive outcomes. We are looking for projects that have a realistic pathway to successfully piloting and getting into the hands of users. Entries that focus on being ‘cutting edge’, are more technically complex or are reliant on an exhaustive feature list are less likely to be selected due to the lower chance of being deliverable or ultimately successful.

Supporting documents are not mandatory and will not be a primary factor in shortlisting. However, you’re welcome to include supplementary materials, such as diagrams, frameworks, or a short pitch deck if they help clarify or strengthen your concept.

Absolutely. Ripple encourages solutions targeting specific communities or underserved groups. For example, women in remote communities, culturally diverse groups, or those facing condition-specific inequities.

Yes. If you already have an app or prototype in pilot or R&D stage, you may apply. However, selected applicants will rebuild their solution on the Cogniss platform to take advantage of its compliance, scalability and support ecosystem. This ensures a consistent framework for evaluation and adoption.

Yes. Applications from individuals are welcome. Whether applying as a team or a solo applicant, what matters most is your ability to deliver and the strength of your support network to help your app reach end patients. Researchers, clinicians, founders and experts from healthcare and social impact spaces are encouraged to apply.

Yes. Strong ideas that need refinement are welcome, as long as they can be developed during the programme. The organisers may reach out for further clarification after reviewing your application. Applicants may email challenge@cogniss.com before applying to discuss suitability.

Yes. Cogniss supports integration with external data, content sources and other systems. However, what can be included within the scope of this programme depends on the specifics of the integration required. Applicants are encouraged to contact the team for technical scoping. Proposed solutions that are less reliant on external integrations for their version 1 product are more likely to be selected due to the lower technical risk and less reliance on the applicant's own technical skills. Where possible, we recommend architecting your solution such that a version 1 product can be delivered with minimal or no integrations, with any required integrations forming part of future versions of the product.

All intellectual property (IP) of the solutions developed on Cogniss is 100% owned by the app creators.

Participation itself does not guarantee a pilot. However, the Health Innovation Network will provide guidance on evaluation and adoption pathways, and help identify potential NHS partners where appropriate. The final decision to pilot or adopt solutions rests with individual NHS organisations, integrated care boards or other health systems.

Yes. The Challenge is open globally and welcomes innovators from any country. All participants receive access to the full 12-month programme, including use of the Cogniss no-code platform, training, mentorship, and visibility through partner networks. 

However, the Health Innovation Network’s adoption support and NHS pilot pathways are based in the United Kingdom.

International applicants may use their learnings to pursue pilots or partnerships within their own health systems or regions.

Strong applications show a clear, realistic plan for building a pilot-ready women’s health solution within 12 months.

Judges will assess:

• How well your solution addresses a clearly defined women’s health need with a meaningful digital health approach.

• Evidence of relevant knowledge, personal insight or experience related to the challenge area

• Whether you or your team can realistically develop your pilot-ready app through this programme.

• How likely the solution is to be piloted, adopted and make a measurable difference for intended patients or service users.

Yes. Applications from for-profit organisations are welcome, provided the proposed solution aligns with the Challenge’s mission to improve women’s health outcomes and demonstrates clarity of thought, as well as meeting all application criteria.

Yes. The Health Innovation Network’s mission is to improve health outcomes for patients, whether through the NHS, social care, education or other settings. While deployment within the NHS is encouraged where appropriate, it is not a requirement for participation in the Challenge.

Yes. The Health Innovation Network will consider opportunities for patient and public involvement as part of the support offered to selected participants. Where appropriate, the Health Innovation Network can help connect innovators with patient groups to support real-world testing and evaluation.

If you’re accepted into the programme, the time commitment depends on the complexity of the digital health solution you plan to build. As a guide:

• 40–50 hours over a 6-week period to develop the initial version of your app.

• Around 20 hours over an 8-week period for testing and iteration.

• Ongoing time for app and user management will vary depending on the sophistication and needs of your solution.

If you decide to redevelop your solution after the programme ends, you’re free to do so at any point. You can download all of the data, content and logic into a JSON file.

However, we are not responsible for migrating your app to another platform. Also, you do not get access to Cogniss source code, which is our IP.

Our aim is to make your solution sustainable, both for you and for the health systems, so it can reach more patients and make an impact.

One of the objectives of the programme is to help you secure funding to support your Cogniss app beyond the initial 12 months and to help you find commercialisation pathways.

After the programme ends, you can keep your app in a sandbox environment until you secure funding. You’ll be able to access and download all your app data and content at any time. A generic login will be provided so you can continue to access and demo your app to buyers and funders. During this time, with your consent, we can also actively promote your product via the Cogniss Marketplace to health providers who subscribe to Cogniss. This will give you a potential path to commercialisation that does not require you to pay Cogniss fees.

If you wish to continue developing your app, we offer innovator-friendly pricing that scales with your needs. 

If your app is adopted by an NHS organisation, a health system, a charity, or launched independently via app stores, the adopting organisation will need to pay for a Cogniss subscription. 

If you wish to sell or distribute your product directly to health consumers, you’ll need an active Cogniss subscription once that begins. This is likely to be the most cost-effective and least resource-intensive option for you. 

Please reach out to us at challenge@cogniss.com if you have further questions.

If you would like to discuss the details of your submission and assess alignment with Cogniss, please email us at challenge@cogniss.com.

If you have any other questions or would like to chat with us before applying, feel free to email us at challenge@cogniss.com.