# Mental Health Award: Transforming Early Intervention

**Funder:** Wellcome
**Budget:** £200,000 for the Foundation Phase; £5 million–£8 million for the Impact Phase
**Duration:** 12 months (Foundation Phase); up to 5 years (Impact Phase)
**Consortium:** Required — team of at least 3 applicants (lead + 2 coapplicants) including one early-career researcher and one implementation partner as coapplicants
**Application:** 2-stage: Foundation Phase (£200k, 12 months) → Impact Phase (£5M-£8M, up to 5 years), by invitation to Foundation Phase awardees
**Frequency:** One-off
**Official call:** https://wellcome.org/research-funding/schemes/mental-health-award-transforming-early-intervention
**Last updated:** 18 Oct 2026

## Eligibility & scope

Funds definitive effectiveness studies and implementation/scaling strategies for psychological and/or social interventions for early intervention in anxiety, depression and psychosis in people aged 10-30, in the UK or LMICs. Administering organisation can be anywhere except mainland China; commercial organisations cannot be the administering organisation.

## Summary

The Wellcome Mental Health Award: Transforming Early Intervention funds teams testing and scaling psychological or social interventions for anxiety, depression and psychosis in young people aged 10-30, in the UK or low- and middle-income countries. It runs in two phases: a £200,000, 12-month Foundation Phase to prepare a definitive effectiveness study, followed by an Impact Phase of £5M-£8M over up to 5 years for teams invited to continue. This is a one-off call requiring a consortium of at least three applicants, including an early-career researcher and an implementation partner.

## Who should apply

- Research teams planning definitive effectiveness studies on anxiety, depression or psychosis interventions
- Consortiums led from the UK or an LMIC, or anywhere except mainland China
- Teams including a named early-career researcher as coapplicant
- Teams partnered with a named implementation organisation as coapplicant
- Non-commercial administering organisations

## Key dates

- Foundation Phase opens week commencing 28 July 2025
- Impact Phase opens February 2027, by invitation to Foundation Phase awardees only
- Foundation Phase runs 12 months; Impact Phase runs up to 5 years

## Tips for applicants

- Use the Foundation Phase to build the implementation partnership and early-career researcher role explicitly into the study design, since both are mandatory coapplicant slots.
- Only Foundation Phase awardees are invited to apply for the Impact Phase, so treat the first phase proposal as the main gatekeeping hurdle.
- Since the administering organisation can be based almost anywhere except mainland China, LMIC-led consortiums should confirm their host institution's eligibility early.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much funding does the Wellcome Mental Health Award provide?

The Foundation Phase provides £200,000 over 12 months, and the Impact Phase provides £5 million to £8 million over up to 5 years for teams invited to continue.

### Who is eligible for the Wellcome Mental Health Award: Transforming Early Intervention?

Consortiums of at least three applicants (lead plus two coapplicants, including an early-career researcher and an implementation partner) working on interventions for young people aged 10-30 in the UK or LMICs.

### Can commercial organisations apply for this Wellcome award?

No, commercial organisations cannot be the administering organisation, though the administering organisation can be based almost anywhere except mainland China.

### How do I get to the Impact Phase of this Wellcome award?

Only teams that complete the Foundation Phase are invited to apply for the Impact Phase, which opens in February 2027.

### Is the Wellcome Mental Health Award a recurring call?

No, this is a one-off call with the Foundation Phase opening the week of 28 July 2025.

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Source: [The Great Grantsby](https://grantsby.eu/grants/wellcome-mental-health-award-transforming-early-interventio-2026) — EU grant monitoring for academic researchers. Always verify details on the funder's website before applying.

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