How it works
The course is extremely flexible. Each organisation I have run it for has incorporated it into their own programme.
The three days teaching can be delivered over three consecutive days, three separated days, or each of the four main sections (Prepare, Create, Test, Opportunity) extended to give four days teaching.
It is important for participants to hear about the organisational / local / regional support available in the future as potential innovators as well as have the Dragon's Den pitches.
In terms of format, it is completely up to you depending on time tables, staff availability and so on.
The subsections below outline some of the ways that have worked well in the past. However, I will work with your organisation at all times before, during and after the course to ensure that it works and that the learning is delivered. If you want to discuss a different format simply get in touch.
Participants
Need
People need to want to come on the course. It does not work so well if people are told they have to attend. It has been designed to replicate the intensity of real product / service development and requires teamwork and commitment outside of the workshops. For the most part the host organisation advertises internally through their own channels and include an application form asking people why they want to come on the course, their interest in innovation and how they think it may help their career / research. There is also team-based evening project work.
Incentive
Where most successful, the host organisation has charged a minimal entrance fee to discourage people not turning up or dropping out. This fee has been used to reinvest in the course to buy prizes for the runner up and winning teams after the Dragon's Den Pitch.
Numbers
So that everyone participating can get the maximum opportunity to speak, contribute, and that each team gets an opportunity to deliver a first rate pitch, the maximum number on any run of the course is 36. This makes 6 teams of 6.
Teams
The Course Director and Tutor is Dr Fabian Seymour. Having no prior knowledge of the participants, he will create team mixes depending on discipline / specialty area / level / department / organisation. This maximises the chances that people work with and get to know strangers rather than sitting in already established social groups. It also brings together different expertise, ideas and ways of doing things. One comment the Dragons coming in at the end have all made is how well bonded the teams are after only a few days working together having been total strangers at the start.
Facilitators
Relevant internal staff are welcome (and encouraged) to attend and help facilitate during exercises. The course is a dialogue so other experiences and expertise (including from the participants & facilitators) is encouraged. There is no right or wrong answer and the bigger the range of experiences around each topic discussed the greater the value of the course.
Design and Timetabling
This is not a conference with a set agenda. Due to the extremely interactive nature of the workshops where teams apply elements of the taught sessions to their projects, it is really only coffee breaks that can be time-tabled!
For the greatest impact, each of the four sessions are run on a separate day with time built in for teams to work together after the session. This is followed by the fifth day being the Dragon's Den.
The most truncated version would have Prepare / Create on a day, and Test / Opportunity each on a separate day with the Dragon's Den as day 4. Of course, there are other options that can be discussed. The Course will be offered as a module in a Masters Degree in 2026! The final Dragon's Den day usually runs as follows:
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There is usually short talks from supporting departments to outline ongoing support for inventors (e.g. Technology Transfer, Student Enterprise, Service / Quality Improvement etc) as well as regional organisations such as Health Innovation Networks (formerly the AHSNs), a keynote talk from an entrepreneur, and then the Dragon's Den
Fabian can help source speakers and Dragons if needed and it is good to include some internal entrepreneurs as well as some from different external industries. Please note that some may need their travel / accommodation reimbursed if applicable.
The multi-day format can be delivered in a block, or over a series of weeks (a day a week) with project 'homework' for teams in between. This is the best format for NHS staff who may not be able to get away for a whole chunk of a week. Day 1 (Prepare & Create) can be delivered as a stand alone course.
What's Included
Fabian will work with you to ensure that whatever format we agree on will work. Ultimately, it's the learning for the participants which is why we are doing this and that's the biggest consideration. We want people to understand innovation. We can't teach people to be entrepreneurs but by experiencing and understanding the process:
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Those who are natural innovators will be able to flourish
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Management can create processes to support them
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Ultimately this can allow a culture shift toward being more open to new innovations and talking to industry in the NHS, better collaborations, easier adoption and spread of new innovations from elsewhere, empowerment of new staff, and better facilitation between innovators and support agencies.
Fabian will print and bring all of the materials. There are accompanying handbooks for each day which will be emailed out to participants. The materials together provide a useful future resource. He will also provide the team projects - these have been crafted to ensure that teams spend more time considering how they will be developed, implemented, adopted and spread rather than the technical aspects. They are based on real clinical unmet needs. Where possible however, real clinical unmet need from a local area can be used - although in these circumstances Fabian will need to do a bit of commercial due diligence to ensure they will work.
Electronic pdf copies of all the materials will be available to all participants for their own personal use.
Fabian is happy to liaise with external organisations to source speakers and Dragons. He will work with you beforehand and after (if needed) to ensure that the content runs smoothly and for follow-up review.
It is expected that the host organisation can provide Post-It Notes (loads) and A3 Table-top flip charts as well as general presentation facilities (Projectors, screens etc).