Diffusion of Excellence announces 2023 VHA Shark Tank finalists

The VA Shark Tank Competition returns for its ninth season, bringing frontline innovators into an exciting shark tank-style pitch competition to help spread their work and impact more Veterans lives.

Shark Tank winners have had a measurable impact on Veterans. 2022 Finalists like Contraception on Demand and the White Noise Project have already changed the way Veterans receive and experience care from VA.

This year’s competition reeled in 355 applications from VA frontline employees. Program office leaders from across VA and the Quality Enhancement Research Initiative team reviewed 100 semifinalist applications to select this year’s 15 finalists.

View the full list of this year’s finalists on Diffusion Marketplace.

What happens next?

Through October, finalists prepare to pitch their innovation live at the 2023 VHA Shark Tank Competition on day two of VA Innovation Experience (iEX). Finalists pitch their innovations to a panel of VA Leadership Sharks and compete to become a Diffusion of Excellence Promising Practice.

Promising Practices return to the stage day three of iEX to announce their chosen Shark bid. They will work with Diffusion of Excellence over the next year to implement their innovation at the selected VHA facility.

Want to attend the 2023 VHA Shark Tank competition?

This year’s iEX will be held in person Oct. 31 – Nov. 2, 2023, in Washington, D.C. VHA Shark Tank Competition occurs on the afternoon of Nov. 1, and Promising Practices will choose their bid on Nov. 2. If you are unable to attend iEX in person, VHA Shark Tank Competition will be livestreamed. The competition and bid announcements are the only livestreamed iEX events.  

• Register to attend iEX in person here.
• Register to watch the VHA Shark Tank Competition livestream here.

Learn more

To stay hooked, visit the VHA Shark Tank Competition page on Diffusion Marketplace. If you have questions, please contact VADiffusionSupport@va.gov.