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The 2025 TBAT Innovation Challenge: Celebrating Design, Collaboration, and Innovation
Each year, the TBAT Innovation Challenge brings together some of the UK’s brightest innovators - founders, engineers, and entrepreneurs shaping the future of technology, healthcare, and sustainability.
For OPD, supporting the Innovation Challenge is part of our commitment to nurturing the innovation ecosystem - helping ideas grow from concept to commercial reality.
As long-time supporters of the Challenge, we were delighted to sponsor the first TBAT Innovation Challenge Design Award, which recognises creativity, usability, and the power of design in turning ideas into impactful solutions.
A shared commitment to innovation
OPD’s partnership with TBAT reflects our shared belief that great ideas thrive with the right support. TBAT’s combination of business mentoring, funding insight, and strategic workshops mirrors OPD’s own hands-on approach to helping innovators navigate the product development journey.
This year’s Challenge featured four interactive online workshops designed to guide early-stage businesses through every step of their growth - from team building and funding, to product development and protection.
Our Head of Medical, Steve Green, joined the panel for Workshop 2: Building Your Dream Team, sharing his insight on using external expertise to strengthen start-up teams. Later, Andy Last, OPD’s Principal Industrial Designer, presented in Workshop 3: Product Development and Protection, offering a real-world look at the product development process and how consultancies like OPD can accelerate progress.
“The Innovation Challenge workshops are an excellent way for young companies to gain confidence and perspective. Here at OPD, we strive to work as an extension of our clients’ teams - bringing technical depth, structure, and experience that helps their vision take shape.” - Steve Green, Head of Medical Group at OPD
The awards night
The 2025 awards evening, held at The Renaissance at Kelham Hall, celebrated an exceptional group of finalists. More than 200 UK-based companies applied, representing an incredible range of technologies and ideas.
Boost Innovations, the winner of the Design Award sponsored by OPD, impressed the judges with their thoughtful approach to design and innovation. Their eco-conscious breast form offers a lighter, breathable alternative to traditional prostheses - combining sensitivity and science in equal measure.
Design is at the heart of innovation. The TBAT Innovation Challenge reminds us that great design isn’t just about aesthetics - it’s about solving real human problems. Supporting this award allows us to celebrate teams that are doing exactly that.
Rupert W.Managing Director, OPD
Why design matters
The Design Award highlights OPD’s commitment to putting users first. Whether developing medical devices, industrial systems, or consumer products, we believe that design has the power to make complex ideas usable, accessible, and commercially successful.
Our involvement with TBAT helps extend that message - inspiring founders to embed design thinking early in their journey.
“We’re proud to have OPD as a longstanding supporter of the TBAT Innovation Challenge. Their sponsorship of the Design Award and continued work with previous winners shows their genuine commitment to helping innovators succeed beyond the competition. This partnership plays a key role in supporting impactful, design-led innovation, and continues to strengthen the programme." - Sam Stephens, Director at TBAT
Collaboration in action
Boost’s success story captures the spirit the Challenge promotes. Staying user-focused has allowed them to develop a product that genuinely enhances confidence and comfort.
“Winning this Design Award was such an amazing experience. I’m so proud of what our small team has achieved. As well as the recognition that the award brings, one of the best parts for us is the opportunity to work with the OPD team as part of the prize - something we couldn’t have afforded to do without the award. We can’t wait to get our project underway! My advice to other female founders is to apply for the TBAT Challenge - the evening was an incredible celebration of innovative businesses and certainly a night to remember.” – Sam Jackman, Boost Innovations
Looking ahead
As we look forward to next year’s Challenge, OPD remains committed to supporting UK innovators who are solving meaningful problems through great design. Events like these remind us that innovation isn’t just about technology - it’s about people, collaboration, and purpose.
If you’re a start-up or SME with a great idea and want to learn how design can accelerate your success, we’d love to hear from you - Get in touch
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