THE CHALLENGE

Innovate UK is the government’s innovation agency, which supports and funds business-led innovation across all sectors and technologies. 

Women in Innovation is an annual programme from Innovate UK, which gives trailblazing women entrepreneurs the support they need to contribute to pressing societal, environmental or economic challenges. Up to 50 winners receive a £50,000 grant, plus tailored mentoring and business support.

The Women in Innovation programme has kickstarted real change across the innovation ecosystem, helping to democratise access to funding for female entrepreneurs by investing £7.6 million to date. 

However, underrepresentation within innovation is still an ongoing issue. The aim for the 22/23 programme was to reach a more diverse audience across the UK, to ensure all women innovators had a fair chance of winning funding – regardless of their background and location.

THE PROCESS

Inkwell was asked to create a suite of assets and content to support the launch of the Women in Innovation 2022/23 programme, with the goal of driving exposure and increasing the diversity of applicants. 

Our experience of running The Pitch helped to inform our approach. Changes we’ve made to improve inclusion have resulted in a nearly 50:50 gender split at each competition stage – half of our 2022 finalists came from BAME backgrounds.

We know that digital accessibility, clear language and diverse visual representation are critical. Applicants have to be able to see themselves reflected in programme participants and feel like the opportunity is both relevant and attainable for them. 

Creating engaging video content

Videos were a core element of the Women in Innovation campaign, from testimonial videos that raised awareness of impact to FAQ videos that provided practical guidance on creating a successful application.

We used lo-fi video across the board, which allowed participants to dial in remotely from their home or workspace using the app Riverside. This not only reduced filming time, but made the videos feel more relaxed, intimate and relatable. It gave them a higher chance of resonating with audiences that may feel excluded from glossy, corporate content around innovation.

Video interviews with previous award winners included innovators from a range of backgrounds, abilities, ages and regions. We created a script that was clear and conversational, using emphasis markers to help with sentence rhythm, inject energy in the right places and highlight key messaging. 

Knowing not everyone would be comfortable in front of the camera, we shared the script in advance so no one felt put “on the spot” on the day.

Driving action through the Partner’s Pack

The Partner’s Pack aimed to make it easy for people to raise awareness of the Women in Innovation programme across their networks. With the goal of increasing diversity in mind, we knew the Partner’s Pack would be pivotal to reaching and inspiring new communities across the UK.

Our approach included:

• Educating readers on the existing challenge and the impact Women in Innovation has had so far, supported by statistics

• Featuring a diverse range of women innovators in photography and case studies

• Using actionable language to create a sense of urgency 

• Making readers feel like a crucial part of the mission (“Together, we can continue to drive positive change and help women innovators take their groundbreaking innovations to the next level”)

• Sharing pre-written social media posts and cards to remove barriers to posting

• Emphasising how easily promotion could slot into their existing marketing (“The following posts can be quickly shared through your social channels, and can also be repurposed for newsletters and community forums. Feel free to tweak the copy to best engage your audiences.”)

The results

The Women in Innovation application round for 2022/23 saw a record high number of applications, with over 900 women applying. Each marketing and support video was watched hundreds of times, with the testimonials video from previous Award winners receiving nearly 2,500 views.

The 50 winners for 2022/23 included:

• Sara Berkai, founder of Ambessa Play, which aims to fuel STEM learning among displaced children

• Samantha Payne, co-founder of Open Bionics, which creates 3D-printed, multi-grip bionic hands for below-elbow amputees

• Zijing Li, co-founder of Mimicrete, which is developing self-monitoring concrete for a more sustainable future