TEDI Innovation Fund: Writing a Strong Application
Now that we're moving from Expressions of Interest to full applications, we wanted to share a few thoughts based on the conversations we've had so far.
First of all, thank you to everyone who submitted an Expression of Interest. We've been genuinely excited by the range of ideas that have come forward. We've seen proposals involving digital platforms, AI-enabled tools, community services, educational resources, data-sharing solutions, and lots more besides.
Every project is different, but there are a few things that came up again and again during the EOI stage that are worth thinking about as you develop your application.
Before diving in, it's worth remembering how applications will be assessed. Applications will be scored across five areas:
Study Design, Feasibility and Value for Money (30%)
Co-production and TEDI Alignment (25%)
Equity and Inclusion (20%)
Impact and Translation (15%)
Team Capability (10%)
With that in mind, here are some tips that may help strengthen your application.
Start with the problem
Many of the ideas we've seen involve interesting technologies. That's great because TEDI is a technology-focused fund!
But before you tell us about the technology, tell us about the problem.
What challenge are people living with dementia experiencing? Why does it matter? How does it affect their ability to remain independent?
Once you've explained that, it's much easier to understand where the technology fits and why it's needed.
A useful test is whether somebody could read the first few paragraphs of your application and understand the problem, even if you removed every mention of the technology.
Keep independence front and centre
TEDI exists to support people living with dementia to remain independent for longer in their homes and communities.
That sounds obvious, but it's surprisingly easy to lose sight of that when you're writing about research methods, software development, recruitment plans, or implementation pathways.
As you're writing, keep coming back to a simple question:
How will this help a person living with dementia remain independent?
The clearer that connection is, the easier it will be for the panel to understand why your project matters and why it fits the aims of the fund.
Make it obvious why this is a TEDI project
A good application shouldn't leave the panel guessing why it fits the fund.
By the end of the first page, it should be clear that:
the project supports people living with dementia themselves;
it focuses on maintaining or enhancing independence;
technology has a meaningful role to play;
the focus is on living with dementia after diagnosis; and
the work is relevant to people living in their homes and communities.
During the Expression of Interest stage, we saw some really interesting ideas that sat slightly outside the remit. Common examples included projects focused primarily on supporting carers, projects centred on care home populations, or projects focused on dementia diagnosis and risk prediction.
These are all important areas, but applicants may wish to think carefully about how their work directly supports people living with dementia to remain independent and live well following diagnosis, as this is the primary focus of TEDI.
If your project also involves carers, that's absolutely welcome. However, make sure the benefit to the person living with dementia remains central throughout the application.
Similarly, if your work takes place in care homes, consider whether there are opportunities to extend the learning to people living independently in the community.
Co-production should run through the whole project
Co-production accounts for a quarter of the assessment criteria, so it's worth giving this section plenty of attention.
One thing we were really pleased to see in many EOIs was a commitment to involving people with lived experience. For the full application, we'd encourage applicants to think beyond consultation alone.
For example:
Were people with lived experience involved in developing the idea?
Will they help shape project decisions?
Will they have a role in refining the technology or intervention?
Will they help interpret findings and decide next steps?
How will their views influence the direction of the project?
We're looking for meaningful involvement throughout the project, rather than a single consultation activity at the beginning or end.
Don't leave inclusion until the end
Equity and inclusion account for 20% of the assessment criteria, so they're worth thinking about from the start rather than trying to squeeze them into a paragraph at the end of the application.
TEDI has a particular interest in projects that address inequalities experienced by people living with dementia, including those living in the North East of England and North Cumbria. However, applicants from outside the region are very welcome to apply too.
If your project isn't based in the North East or North Cumbria, think about what inequalities it is addressing within your own context and what lessons might be relevant elsewhere.
As you're developing your proposal, it can be helpful to ask:
Who is most likely to benefit from this project?
Who might struggle to access it?
Which groups are currently under-served?
Could this project unintentionally create new barriers?
What practical steps will we take to make participation easier?
This might involve working with trusted community organisations, offering different ways to participate, adapting materials, providing support with technology, or designing around barriers linked to geography, disability, language, culture, or socioeconomic disadvantage.
It's not enough to simply acknowledge that inequalities exist. We want to understand what your project will do about them.
Be ambitious, but be realistic
TEDI projects can run for a maximum of 12 months.
That's enough time to do something meaningful, but not enough time to solve every challenge associated with dementia and independence.
A focused project with a clear aim is often more convincing than a project trying to achieve ten different things at once.
When putting together your timeline and budget, be honest about what can realistically be delivered. The panel will be looking carefully at whether the plans match the time, resources, and expertise available.
Think about:
whether recruitment targets are realistic;
whether the team has the right expertise;
whether key risks have been identified and managed; and
whether the budget is proportionate to the work being proposed.
Tell us what success would look like
One question that every reviewer is likely to ask is:
"What difference will this make?"
Don't be afraid to be specific.
What will be different for people living with dementia at the end of the project? What evidence will tell you whether the project has been successful? What have you learned that wasn't known before?
The clearer that picture is, the easier it is for the panel to understand the value of the work and its potential impact.
Think beyond the end of the grant
TEDI funding is designed to help develop promising ideas, not to be the final destination.
You don't need a detailed five-year roadmap, but it helps to explain what could happen next.
Could the work be adopted by a service? Could it be tested at a larger scale? Could it lead to a future funding application, a new partnership, or a route into practice?
We recognise that not every project will be ready for implementation within 12 months, but we'd like to understand how this work could contribute to longer-term change.
Finally, remember your audience!
Your application will be reviewed by researchers, people living with dementia, charities, and local authority representatives.
Not everyone will be an expert in your field.
If you find yourself using lots of technical language, acronyms, or specialist terminology, ask whether there's a simpler way of saying it. Asking someone outside your discipline to read your application before submission can be a useful exercise.
Some of the best applications are not necessarily the most complicated. They're the ones that explain a good idea clearly and make people care about the problem they're trying to solve.
Good luck, and thank you again for your interest in the TEDI Innovation Fund. We're looking forward to reading your applications.
For further information about the TEDI Innovation Fund, click here.