Aims/priorities: The Macmillan Q Lab will be a collective effort to rethink how care is designed and delivered – reducing inequities and improving experiences for people with cancer in underserved communities across the UK.
The funding is for 4 to 6 teams and 15 to 18 individuals from across the UK to come up with a solution to the question: "How might we reimagine holistic cancer care closer to people's homes?"
Teams:
- Will be made up of people from different organisations working together.
- Must include at least one community organisation and at least one public sector organisation
- May include more than two organisations, and collaborations that include organisations outside of the public and third sector.
- Will also work meaningfully alongside people with lived experience
Individuals (looking for around 15 to 18 people to take part):
- Individual contributors join the workshops to offer expertise and act as critical friends to the system teams.
- Expertise can be lived experience, someone who has been affected by cancer, either directly, or they are a carer for a family member or friend.
- They may have expertise from working in a grassroots organisation, or in participatory research, community engagement, data and insight, evaluation and/or policy.
- They are passionate about the topic, want to learn new innovation and collaboration skills, and willing and able to help teams.
Who can apply? Applications are invited from community organisations, public sector organisations and individuals located in the UK who meet the following criteria:
- Already working on neighbourhood-led cancer care, an element of bringing cancer care closer to home, or are highly motivated by the topic.
- Curious, open to new ways of thinking, and willing to challenge the status quo.
- Have a desire and energy to work collaboratively.
- Believe that thinking collectively across systems, regions, and team will help their work.
- Able to commit to working on this topic from December 2026 to September 2027.
- A team made up of community organisations and public sector organisations working together.
- An individual with experience of cancer either from personal lived experience, caring for someone with cancer, or from professional experience.
Grant amount: There are two stages:
- Stage 1 Discovery and Ideation (9 months) - grants of £75,000
- Stage 2 Implementation (12 months) - grants of £200,000
Application process: The information pack with full details on how teams and individuals can apply is available on the Macmillan Q Lab webpage.
Contact Macmillan for further information.
Deadline: Monday, 14 September 2026.
Contact information: Tel: 020 7840 7840, Email: qlabmacmillan@macmillan.org.uk