Area of investment and support

Mindset extended reality (XR) for digital mental health programme

Innovate UK’s Mindset XR programme aims to grow the UK’s nascent immersive digital mental health sector by:

• investing in innovative research and development projects which deliver immersive digital mental health therapeutics
• creating a supportive ecosystem which will help companies bring these innovations to market

• Budget: Total programme budget is almost £20 million with close to £12 million allocated in grant funding. Alongside three rounds of Investor Partnership funding, an additional three collaborative research and development funding opportunities have been delivered, including a final round in January 2025.
• Duration: Extended by a year, this multi-stranded programme, running from 2022 to 2027 is delivering three core workstreams to help catalyse growth in the XR mental healthcare sector.
• Partners involved: Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) MindTech MedTech Cooperative

The scope and what we're doing

Mindset will comprise opportunities to grow the UK’s nascent immersive digital mental health sector through investment in projects which can deliver digital mental health therapeutics. The programme will also create a supportive ecosystem which will help companies bring these innovations to market, gain adoption and scale.

Providing support for innovators and stakeholders in the immersive technology and mental healthcare sectors, Mindset’s objective is to encourage fusion between the immersive technology sector and formal mental health providers. This will enable more people with mental health needs to be treated more quickly, cost efficiently and effectively through immersive digital mental health therapies.

XR refers to extended reality and in main covers:

• augmented reality (AR)
• mixed reality (MR)
• virtual reality (VR)
• immersive audio
• haptics
• interfaces
• platforms
• software

The above are often referred to as immersive technologies.

In addition to grant funding, Mindset includes:

• support and thought leadership from specialists and experts to optimise and accelerate innovation for use at any point in the healthcare pathway
• advice, signposting and support to access markets, including the formal health care market (NHS), local authorities, education, corporates, direct to consumer and more
• an Investor Partnerships scheme

The Mindset-XR Innovation Support programme is funded by Innovate UK and run by HIN South London. It brings together innovators, organisations, experts, investors and policymakers who are involved or interested in growing the UK’s nascent immersive digital mental health sector, supporting the development of innovative solutions, through shared learning, accelerated development, collaboration and connections.

Why we're doing it

To address current mental health needs across the life course in the UK by stimulating impactful digital mental health immersive therapeutic innovation.

Opportunities, support and resources available

Visit the Mindset XR-Innovation Support programme web page to:

• learn about the innovations our projects are developing
• discover the latest funding opportunities from across the ecosystem
• find out about support and resources

Who to contact

Ask a question about this area of investment

Mindset Innovation Lead

Email: jane.guest@iuk.ukri.org

Include ‘Mindset Programme’ in the subject line.

We aim to respond within five working days.

Last updated: 21 October 2025