30 projects selected for funding through Q Exchange, the Q community’s collaborative grant programme

30 projects have been selected for funding through Q Exchange, the Q community’s collaborative grant programme.

Q Exchange aims to activate the knowledge of improvement experts across the UK by providing a space where teams can collaboratively develop ideas for improvement projects and submit bids for up to £30,000 of funding. This round, Q asked teams to develop ideas under the theme ‘Embedding positive changes emerging through new collaborations or partnerships during COVID-19.’  

The final projects were selected using the expertise of the community through member-led panels, who reviewed 122 submitted proposals to select 30.  

Each project is committed to tackling the challenges of COVID-19 using a range of quality improvement methods. From projects looking to harness staff learning from COVID-19, to stopping children with a disability being admitted to the care system when their normal care is disrupted, these projects will help build on the incredible new partnerships and collaborations developed during the pandemic from around the UK and Ireland.  

Each team will receive funding of up to £30,000 for projects that will run for 12 months.  

Q Exchange would usually invite the Q community to vote on the 30 projects, and funding would be awarded to the top 20 projects. However in response to the exceptional circumstances the health and care system is facing, and the amount of time required by the project teams to input into the voting stage, Q reassessed how Q Exchange could best support the Q community and the system at this time while making a valuable contribution to furthering positive and collaborative changes, and took the decision to fund all 30 projects. 

This means that this year we're providing funding to 50% more projects than usual to support the health system to respond to COVID; investing in supporting positive changes at a time when it’s needed most. 

Tracy Webb, Associate Director for Collaborative Change – Q, said:  

‘We’re delighted to be able to provide funding to 50% more projects this year to support the health system to respond to COVID; investing in supporting positive changes at a time when it’s needed most.’ 

Find out more about the projects.

Q is an initiative connecting people who have improvement expertise across the UK and Ireland. It is delivered by the Health Foundation and supported and co-funded by partners across the UK and Ireland. Q Exchange is part funded by the Health Foundation and part funded by NHS England and Improvement.