Macmillan Q Lab opens for applications

Today we’ve opened applications for a really exciting opportunity. In partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, we are delivering an innovation lab focused on creating fairer cancer care closer to home.

The Macmillan Q Lab will bring together teams from local health and care services and communities across the UK to come up with solutions to one big question: ​“How might we collectively reimagine holistic cancer care closer to home?”

Q Lab supports teams to explore a problem, design ideas and test early prototypes. Participants will take part in workshops, facilitated peer learning and coaching on a design process. The Lab also provides access to expertise from Q and Macmillan and helpful tools to support your thinking.

There are two ways to get involved: as an individual, or as a team.

• Teams are made up of community organisations and public sector organisations working together. Teams will be given £75,000 for 9 months, with an opportunity to apply for up to £200,000 more to put their ideas into practice over a further 12-month period. 
  Applications are open from 27 July to 14 September 2026. 
   
• Individuals can join the Lab to learn about the topic and share their experience and knowledge, either from lived experience of cancer or caring for someone with cancer, or from professional experience. Expressions of Interest for individuals will open from 8 September to 7 October 2026. 

Joining a Lab is not about having a specific expertise: it is all about having the right mindset. We are looking for people who are curious, open to new ways of thinking, inspired by making cancer care fairer, and motivated by bringing care closer to home. 

At Q, we’ve been running innovation labs since 2017 and have a track record of impact. So far we’ve covered themes such as reducing waits, and improving care for people living with both poor mental health and persistent back and neck pain. 

If you’re curious about the impact an innovation lab can have, watch our video.

Q and Macmillan will host an information call on 5 August 2016 12.00 – 13.00 to answer your questions. There’s no need to register, just join our Microsoft Teams call on the day. 

If you can’t make it, we’ll also be adding a video sharing the questions and answers that came up afterwards. 

More details are also available in the information packs and on the Macmillan Q Lab application page. 

Visit the Macmillan website to find out more. The teams application process is an online form on their website, with a follow up conversation. 

If you think this opportunity could be relevant to your colleagues, partners or networks, we’d really appreciate it if you could share this page with them.