About the TIED Initiative 

Targeted Interventions for Early Diagnosis (TIED) is a CMCA initiative that aims to identify and support ideas that lead to earlier cancer diagnosis.

7.jpgWe want to engage with system partners and help develop ideas through:

  • Funding
  • Project support
  • Connection to the wider system to successfully deliver your project

CMCA TIED Offer for the Third Sector

The latest CMCA TIED Offer for the Third Sector are for projects which have a focus on cancer and deprivation.

Finding cancer early can save lives but health services often find cancer later in people living in poorer areas. Symptoms are sometimes noticed or reported later, which can lead to worse results.

To improve results for everyone, CMCA wants to:

  • Raise knowledge of the signs and symptoms that could mean cancer
  • Support people to get the right care as soon as possible
  • Raise awareness of ways to help lower the risk of some cancers.

To achieve this, we are looking to work in partnership with one or more Voluntary, Community, Faith, Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisations, to deliver projects in the most deprived areas. To support this, we are offering a grant of up to £20,000.

Proposal Criteria

If you are a VCFSE organisation that meets the following criteria and have ideas to support early diagnosis for patients in deprived areas, we would like to hear from you.

  • You’ve been operating for three years or more
  • You have a turnover above £250,000 per year
  • You have a track record of working with healthcare providers to deliver projects.

Successful proposals will also need to meet the following:

  • Will work in areas of significant deprivation within Cheshire and Merseyside, particularly index of multiple deprivation (IMD) areas of 1-3
  • Projects within Cheshire are particularly encouraged, though applications across Cheshire and Merseyside are welcome
  • Following successful delivery of the project, will produce a detailed impact assessment report that can be shared across the local system.

Applications will also meet one or more of the following conditions:

  • Partnership work with a PCN and/or local GP practice to develop a project which reduces barriers communities face when it comes to accessing healthcare and cancer services
  • Faith-based organisations exploring ways to improve early diagnosis rates for cancer
  • Use of creative and innovative ideas that help raise awareness of early diagnosis and to gain an understanding of barriers and ways to overcome these.

Applications for the following cannot be supported:

  • Funding to support recruitment or extend current contracts of employment
  • Capital funding for premises or equipment including digital hardware (laptops etc) and software (subscriptions or licences etc).

Successful applicants will be required to share their governing documents, e.g. charity number, end of year accounts and recent bank statements. Successful applicants may also be required to share insurance and safeguarding policies. 

Application Process

The application process will be in two stages:

  • Stage 1: Tell us your idea by completing our 'Expression of Interest Evaluation' form (see below))
  • Stage 2: Successful applicants will be invited to an MS Team’s meeting with CMCA for further discussion

At Stage 1, applicants are asked to complete an MS Word Document 'Expression of Interest Evaluation' form explaining what the idea is, how it will lead to earlier diagnosis, who you will be working with, how long it will take to complete, and how much funding the project will require.

Once complete please email your document to ccf-tied@nhs.net

Upon our review we will score applications to determine the general feasibility of the proposal and if it will progress to Stage 2. The team will respond by email to let you know the decision and arrange a MS Teams meeting if successful.

The deadline for completing submissions is January 16th, 2026.

For further information or an informal discussion about the grants, please contact the team via email: ccf-tr.tied@nhs.net

Get in touch

Sign up to the mailing list here to receive guidance, funding details, and application updates. For more information about TIED opportunities, email: ccf-tr.tied@nhs.net

Thank you for your interest in the TIED initiative. Together, we can make a difference in patient outcomes.