Events calendar

Innovation in weight management: Obesity

Obesity is a condition where a person carries too much body fat, often measured using Body Mass Index (BMI).

A BMI of 30 or above usually indicates obesity, although different ethnic groups may have lower thresholds. It's a common issue in the UK, affecting about 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 5 children aged 10 to 11 years.

This measurement helps to assess risk, as obesity can be linked to serious health conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, some cancers, and breathing or joint problems.

The main cause of obesity is consuming more calories than the body needs, often alongside low physical activity. Other factors like genetics, certain health conditions, medications, and environmental influences (e.g. access to healthy food or places to exercise) can also play a role. Emotional and mental health issues, such as depression or low self-esteem, may both contribute to and result from obesity.

Preliminary market engagement

Autumn 2025

Innovation in obesity pathways

NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) is preparing to bid for grant funding under the Obesity Pathway Innovation Programme (OPIP): Strand 3-Combined Access and Management for Healthy Ageing and Tackling Obesity , a national innovation competition jointly funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Eli Lilly and Company Limited, with up to £85 million available across the UK. A single ICB cannot be awarded any more than £8million in total.

The OPIP Strand 3 competition seeks to fund innovative, community and primary care-based weight management pathways that are:

• Clinically appropriate and resource-efficient.
• Capable of recruiting significant patient numbers.
• Aligned with NICE guidelines and national standards.
• Designed to be sustainable beyond the grant period.

Successful projects must demonstrate readiness to deliver services by August 2026, with clear governance, data reporting, and transition plans for long-term commissioning. Consequently, if NHS Kent and Medway is granted funding, we will very soon afterwards launch a procurement process for service delivery. 

To inform our competition response, we are launching a market engagement exercise to explore innovative ideas, technologies, and service models that could inform our competition entries and shape future service opportunities in obesity prevention and management in our ICB. Our competition submission areas of innovation focus are intended to be:

Maternal Health/Postnatal and 0-5

• Family based lifestyle interventions.
• Age appropriate, multidisciplinary care models.
• Improved access to obesity support and prevention services.

Prehabilitation and weight reduction before operations 18+

• Targeted, non-pharmaceutical interventions.
• Improved access to pre-op weight management services.  

Why are we engaging now?

This engagement is designed to:

• Inform our grant application by identifying innovative, scalable, and sustainable solution ideas that could be incorporated into our pathway competition submission and subsequent service specifications.
• Understand market readiness for delivering new models of care aligned with OPIP Strand 3 requirements.
• Ensure our grant application proposals reflect lived experience, address health inequalities, and integrate with existing NHS and local authority systems.

Who should participate?

We welcome input from:

• Health and care providers.
• Technology and digital health companies.
• Charities and community organisations.
• Academic and research institutions.
• Innovators with relevant expertise.

We are particularly interested in:

• Digital platforms and remote care models.
• Behavioural and peer-led support.
• Community-based interventions.
• Novel clinical pathways.

Next steps

Organisations interested in participating in this engagement can confirm their interest in one of the following ways.

Option 1: Book a 30-minute session with us.

Date of event: Friday, 31 October

Sessions start on the hour (e.g. 9am, 10am, 11am) and run until 5pm.

Sessions held via MS Teams.

Email jo.foulger@nhs.net to book your session.

Please provide:

• Your organisation's name.
• Preferred time slot(s).
• Names of participants.
• If appropriate, you may use the slot to provide a demonstration of your offer via MS Teams.

Slots will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Confirmed participants will receive joining instructions and further guidance.

Option 2: Submit a written summary

If you are unable to attend or prefer not to book a session, you can email a one-page written summary of your ideas or solutions to jo.foulger@nhs.net.

If you wish to provide a demonstration video, please state this in your email and share the link to it.

Important notes

Videos must not contain any patient-identifiable information.

If individuals appear in the video, you must obtain their consent and submit evidence of this consent.

Submitted content will be used for analysis. Summaries of pathway considerations and service solution themes will be published on this page.

All submitted materials will be deleted after analysis is complete.

Closing dates

• Closing date for slot requests and written submissions is Wednesday, 29 October.
• Market Engagement presentation slots close on Friday, 31 October.