Launch Innovation Programme 2026

We believe collaboration with start-ups and scale-ups helps us solve customer challenges faster, unlock new opportunities, and deliver the next generation of customer experiences.

What is the Launch Innovation Programme?

 

Launch is our collaborative innovation programme focussed on delivering a faster route to experimentation with potential partners.

Why join?

  • Collaborate with our dedicated team to define and scope experiments.
  • Validate value propositions and tackle key strategic challenges.
  • Progress to a commercial proof of concept for the most successful ideas.
  • Potential to move into a longer term partnership.

Who we're looking for

Ambitious companies, start ups / scale ups and individuals ready to solve one of our business challenges. If you believe your solution can help, we want to hear from you, regardless of your industry.

Don't miss out on this chance to innovate, benefit from mutual learning and make a real impact! 

What we look for in applications​

Meet the challenge. Show how your proposition addresses a Launch 2026 challenge and advances our goals.​

Stand out. Show what sets your solution apart and the value it creates for customers.

2026 key dates

  • Open for application: Monday 7 September 2026
  • Applications close: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
  • Shortlist invited for demonstration and Q&A: Weeks commencing 12 and 19 October 2026
  • Cohort announced: October 2026

Apply now

The challenges:

Homes

Help customers get the most out of their journey to home ownership and beyond, through smarter decisions, simpler experiences and personalised support across the entire home lifecycle.​

Challenge detail​s

Mortgage Brokers​

Help our brokers and Lloyds Banking Group spend less time on administration and more time supporting customers by streamlining data capture, improving system interoperability, automating manual processes and providing real-time visibility throughout the mortgage journey.​

Challenge detail​s

Ecosystems​

Help customers better manage the essential services, experiences and subscriptions that power their daily lives, creating seamless journeys across travel, mobility, home energy and digital connectivity.

Challenge detail​s

Wealth

Help customers move from saving to investing with confidence by making it easier to build, understand and manage investment portfolios through personalised guidance, market insight and portfolio health intelligence.​

Challenge detail​s

Wildcard​

If you have a proposition that doesn’t fit these challenges but you believe will help us achieve our strategy then let us know through the Wild Card challenge.​​

Please note these applications will be reviewed separately and we’ll be in touch by the end of 2026 if they are of interest​.​

Apply now

Launch success stories

 


  • Launch Challenge:     Helping customers through their life moments

    Proposition: MyPocketSkill empowers young people to become financially capable. Their digital platform supports over 120k 13-24 year olds to connect with earning opportunities beyond typical employment routes and grow their financial capability.

    How we are working together: We are working with MyPocketSkill to financially empower Gen Z. In 2025, we offered students at 4 UK universities access to the tool, and in 2026 we have expanded this activity to offer students access through our mobile banking app. We areseeing great results with over 6,500 sign ups and £150,000 already earned by students referred by Lloyds Banking Group, demonstrating the tool’s ability to help students earn, save and have more control over their money whilst studying.


  • Business challenge:     Improving our customer's financial lives

    Proposition: Caura’s payment platform enables car-owners to manage tolls, city charges, MOTs, vehicle tax, and insurance all in one place. Customers can make vehicle-related payments in seconds and get competitive insurance from curated partners.

    How are we working together: Following Caura’s participation in the Launch programme and LBG’s subsequent investment in the platform, we completed an initial successful test of the capability via referral of Lex Autolease customers into the Caura app. We have since expanded the collaboration, and earlier this year launched the Lex Autolease app, white-labelling the Caura proposition and offering customers broad car management capability, allowing them to take control of their car-related needs (road tax, MOT, insurance, servicing, parking, congestion and clean air charges, and tolls), manage their Lex contracts and toreceive exclusive special offers.  

    The app has already had over 8,000 downloads and we’ve successfully on-boarded nearly 4,500 Lex customers.​


  • Business Challenge:     Help with all my home-related jobs​

    Proposition: Planna’s platform helps homeowners care for their most valuable asset, their home, through a number of tools including Neighbourhood Guide, which provides insights into areas of interest, and Homescore, which helps customers assess condition of their current property and receive tailored improvement tasks to support home maintenance​

    How we are working together: We are currently using Planna’s platform to provide our customers with a free Neighbourhood Guide. People looking to move to a new neighbourhood will be able to use this tool to research a local area’s living costs, average house prices, transport, schools and much more. All provided in one place, making the job of finding a dream home even simpler. ​

    ​


Business challenge: Financial Planning and Added Value Services that meet customer needs

Proposition: Aptap connect banks with Merchants, enabling a streamlined financial management experience, partnership building and the negotiation of exclusive deals that save customers money.

How are we working together:  After their participation in the Launch programme, we initially teamed up with ApTap to launch our Bill Switcher proposition, supporting customers to save money on their bills by comparing and switching energy, broadband, hand set and sim card deals. We have since expanded our work with ApTap to launch a discounts and rewards marketplace within our app​.

Apply now

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