Things are hotting up for the nine Challenge Prize finalists as they enter their second month of the six month development and testing phase of the prize.

In May this year a judging panel made up of national experts and chaired by Professor Alistair Burns, shortlisted nine ideas from over seventy national applications. Each of the ideas shortlisted was identified as having the potential to change the day to day life of people living with dementia and to help keep them connected to the people and places around them.

Between what is turning out to be a scorching July and the end of November this year, our nine finalists will be working with people living with dementia, their families and care providers to test, develop and evaluate their prototypes before presenting their business cases back to the same judging panel in the hope of securing the £100,000 investment on offer.

Each of our nine finalists has written a blog post that charts their journey through the early stages of the prize. To find out more about each of the finalists, their ideas and how they are progressing follow the link http://challenge-prizes.essex.gov.uk/meet-the-finalists/

Essex County Council are the first Local Authority to establish a Challenge Prize programme to seek new and innovative ways to tackle existing problems.

Delivered in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society, PA Consulting, techUK and the University of Essex the prize has been widely supported by organisations nationally and held up as real opportunity to challenge the normal commissioning and procurement processes.

Nicole North and Benjamin Mann who run the programme for Essex County Council said ‘This is our second challenge prize and our first national search for ideas. We have been overwhelmed by the support of people from across Essex who live and work with people living with dementia. Without their involvement and backing we would never have been able to create such an ambitious opportunity’

To find out more about the thinking behind the Challenge Dementia prize visit the Essex Challenge Prize website or contact Ben and Nicole at essex.challengeprize@essex.gov.uk