2022 Heywood Prize entry deadline extended

The new deadline will allow people to submit their ideas until the 28^th February 2023 and be in with the chance to win one of several cash prize up to £25,000.    

The Prize is seeking submissions for innovative and impactful ideas with the potential to improve UK public policy. Entries can be in multiple formats and the winning ideas will receive the Foundation's full backing for fast-tracking with UK government policymakers.

The competition is open to all ages, but this year The Heywood Foundation is particularly keen to encourage proposals from younger generations, with a number of dedicated prizes to be awarded to any winner under the age of 21.

Last year's top prize went to a proposal to establish an NHS Reserve Force, a reserve 'army' of medically qualified volunteers to support the UK's health service. This idea was quickly shared with government and has since been implemented by NHS England.

"This is an amazing example of how our contestants can see their ideas rapidly translated into substantive policy and real-world actions that can change many people's lives in the UK for the better" said Suzanne Heywood, Chair of the Heywood Foundation, adding

"Building on the success of the inaugural Heywood Prize in 2021, in 2022 we also want to tap into the often unseen and unheard insights and creativity of our younger generations. Never has the need to bring their bold, new ways of thinking to the attention of policymakers been more important than it is today."

The prize was created by the Heywood Foundation to reward the most impactful and innovative ideas for improving public policy in the UK. The Foundation believes that the best ideas sometimes come from unexpected people and places, so our institutions and public dialogue need to be as open and inclusive as possible. The prize is broken down into the main prize and, new for 2022, a youth prize. For the main prize the top award is for £25,000, second is £10,000 and third is £5,000. There are also 15 runners up awarded £1,000 each. The youth prize has a top prize of £5,000 and 10 runners up of £500 each. Youth entries will all be entered into both the main and youth prizes.

Jeremy Heywood served 4 UK Prime Ministers and was Cabinet Secretary, the UK's most senior Civil Servant – until 2018. Jeremy was extremely open to new ideas and always sought out alternative perspectives. He was more interested in the quality of an idea than the rank or seniority of the person who proposed it. He would make a point of regularly getting out of Whitehall to spend time in 'frontline' settings, from job centres to charities, to seek out innovations and unusual perspectives. 

The Foundation seeks to continue that spirit of inclusivity and innovation. The Heywood Foundation was set up in Jeremy's memory to support innovation in public policy and diversity within the public sector.