£75k · Grant · Consumer · York, UK
PetPact, a York-based digital service that helps owners plan who will care for their animals if they die, lose capacity or separate from a partner, has received a £75,000 Innovate UK Women in Innovation grant. BusinessCloud reports that founder Rachel Roche will use the award to test how the product can reach pet owners at scale through vets and insurers.
PetPact was launched in 2025. Its online flow asks an owner to name a guardian, record practical care instructions and have the document signed electronically by both parties. The company says the plan can cover up to three pets and records details such as routines, dietary needs and veterinary contacts.
Turning legal planning into a distribution product
The product packages a sensitive legal-planning task into a short, fixed-price consumer purchase. PetPact currently lists individual and couples versions at £45 and £55. The document does not replace a will: the company's FAQ says it is a written record of wishes rather than a legally binding contract, while binding provision for a pet belongs in a will.
That distinction shapes the commercial opportunity. The direct product is simple enough to buy without a solicitor, but customers still need to recognise the risk before they search for it. Vets and pet insurers already meet owners in trusted settings where long-term care, health and financial contingencies are discussed. Distribution through those channels could therefore bring PetPact closer to the moment when the problem is visible, rather than relying only on consumers to discover a new legal category themselves.
The grant is funding a test of that route, not proof that distribution partnerships are already in place. PetPact will need to show that vets and insurers see enough value to introduce the product, that owners complete the planning flow, and that the boundary between practical instructions and binding legal advice remains clear. Those measures matter more than simple traffic because the product's value depends on both the owner and the proposed guardian completing and keeping the plan current.
A grant tied to commercial validation
Roche is one of 61 Women in Innovation award winners reported by BusinessCloud. The award also includes a year of business support, training and networking. Innovate UK Business Connect says projects in the 2025/26 competition run for 12 months and grant payments are staged against project progress.
For PetPact, that structure fits the work ahead: the product already exists, but the company is testing whether professional pet-care and insurance channels can produce repeatable demand. The next milestone is evidence that those partners can move owners from awareness to a completed, mutually signed care plan without turning a low-friction product into a complicated legal sale.
Sources checked:
BusinessCloud · Innovate UK Business Connect · PetPact website · PetPact FAQ · PetPact company profile · Tech.eu Funding Explorer
