Innovation in Action: Highlights from our Award Winners
Since September, six winners of the FEA Innovation Award have begun their part-time incubator journey to develop, sustain and scale their innovations. Having completed this transformative phase, they are now fully immersed in the next stage of the programme, dedicating themselves full-time to their initiatives. This involves building on the strong foundations they have established, with a focus on financial sustainability, communications, and team development. Through tailored workshops, peer-to-peer collaboration, and one-on-one mentorship, the incubator continues to create a thriving space for innovation and growth.
Jenna and Sean getting stuck into problem research
“Your support has been invaluable to help us look again at what we have and make sure we know we have strong foundations to work from. Without this, I think we would have been moving forward based on a lot of assumptions which may have come back to bite us in the future.”
Meet the Award Winners
Meet our Award Winners and explore their projects:
From Vision to Impact
A key focus of the part-time incubator was developing a theory of change and conducting problem research, equipping Award Winners with tools for measuring impact. Yasmin from The Aspiring Medics shared, “The impact evaluation session helped us rethink how we assess impact and value.” Alaya from First Gen added, “The past six months have allowed me to dive into a theory of change. I now feel confident in articulating our impact goal and communicating it with our directors and advisory board.”
For Sean from PLACE at Tees Valley Education, the programme’s sessions have been “greatly insightful,” enabling his team to refine their implementation strategy. He remarked, “The support provided by this programme is far more than just a fiscal boost for our project. It’s urging us to be far more mindful in our implementation, proving valuable not only for TVEd as an organisation but also for our local communities and, arguably, the sector as a whole.”
The Power of Peer Support
The collaborative element of the cohort has been a highlight for our award winners.
“I think this has been the best part of the programme—connecting with the other winners and getting to hear their perspectives, learn from them, and see them as inspirations for what we do. The knowledge-sharing has been really special.”
This sense of community has been enhanced by the tailored support provided through one-to-one mentoring and expert assistance. Charly from The Early Years Movement has appreciated this dual approach and praised the expert guidance from FEA members like Bates Wells. Their support has been invaluable in helping her navigate important areas, such as legal structures and operational timelines.
Milestones to celebrate
Since September, our Innovation Award Winners have achieved remarkable progress:
PLACE (Tees Valley Education): Successfully engaged over 2,000 families and 400 school leaders through CPD workshops, securing more than £63,000 in funding last term.
Body Happy Schools: Delivered sessions to 322 children and began pilots of their peer advocacy programme, "Body Happy Heroes."
The Firefly Project: Launched workshops for 23 young people and collaborated with Voice21 to make an impact in 1,000 schools.
The Aspiring Medics: Supported 1,000 students from widening participation backgrounds and generated £25,000 in traded income.
First Gens: Developed a comprehensive Theory of Change and clear problem statement, enhancing their impact strategies.
The Early Years Movement: Refined a recruitment plan, and established key connections and partnerships across the FEA membership.
Looking ahead
With a salary and biweekly incubator sessions, the Award Winners can focus on their initiatives, thanks to support from Bloomberg. They will continue to have one-to-one sessions with Soizic, our Head of Innovation, as well as discussions on corporate partnerships, fundraising, and sales strategy, all aimed at ensuring long-term financial sustainability. They will also work closely with a Bloomberg mentor to advance their ideas and create an even greater impact in addressing educational inequity across the sector.