Overview

SBRI Healthcare provides a mechanism to signal the challenges that the NHS and the wider system face and invites entrepreneurs to deploy innovative solutions to deliver improved outcomes of care and efficiencies in women’s health. Our individual competition themes are scoped by working in close collaboration with the Health Innovation Network and frontline NHS and social care staff.

At early stage, the SBRI Healthcare programme offers a two-phased development approach; projects start with initial feasibility and subject to funding can then move on to more detailed product development. Phase 1 contracts for technical and commercial feasibility testing are valued at up to £100,000 (NET) and last for six months. Phase 2 contracts for prototype development and early clinical evidence are worth up to £800,000 (NET), subject to budget availability, over one year.

Scope

The SBRI Healthcare Competition 25 Phase 1 funding competition invites breakthrough technologies to address challenges in Women’s Health and aims to identify innovative solutions which have the potential to enter the NHS, social care and the wider market, tackling:

1. Gynaecological Conditions and Hormonal Health
2. Mental Health
3. Chronic Conditions and Long-term Health

Applicants are asked to consider the impact of their innovation on the whole system and to be aware of the competitive environment, even considering working together with other companies and organisations to bring forward solutions that can make a real difference. Solutions which address any challenges associated with health inequalities, such as demographic and geographic disparities, and show a strong commitment to contribute to the NHS carbon reduction ambitions are particularly welcomed.

The SBRI Healthcare Phase 1 funding competition invites outstanding entrepreneurs to put forward breakthrough innovations which address a clearly articulated challenge faced by the NHS and/or the social care community. The aim of the open tender is to facilitate the development and validation of such innovations and build on the value proposition required by commissioners and regulators for NHS adoption and wider commercialisation.

Phase 1 proposals concentrate on activities which will significantly contribute to proving the technical and commercial feasibility of the proposed innovation. If successful at Phase 1, and subject to budget availability, projects are eligible to apply for further funding at Phase 2, which will allow teams to undertake prototype development and generate clinical evidence. At the end of Phase 2, it is intended that the proposed solution will be ready for the next stage of development (e.g., manufacturing, regulatory approvals, etc), NHS adoption and/or wider commercialisation.

Challenges

Applicants are expected to respond to one or more of the categories and should consider if their solution is specific to or can be tailored to one of the categories, whilst being mindful of the broader impact.

In line with national strategies and reports, this funding competition seeks innovative solutions to improve Women’s Health outcomes. Emphasis will be placed on addressing the needs of marginalized and underserved populations, including women from ethnic minority communities, those facing socioeconomic challenges, individuals with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.

Care pathways run from awareness of a health issue to access to services and preventive care, timely and accurate diagnosis and effective treatment and follow-up. At each segment of individual pathways, inequalities exist, especially for women who are disadvantaged in ways beyond their gender. Under the overall theme of “Women’s Health”, the following 3 sub-challenges have been identified:

• Gynaecological Conditions and Hormonal Health
• Mental Health
• Chronic Conditions and Long-term Health

Bidders must be cognizant that female life course and associated problems (menarche-puberty, fertility, menopause, older adulthood etc) are strongly linked. Solutions that take a women’s centred and holistic approach, by demonstrating that female voices have been considered throughout the proposal (from problem definition to identification of solution), will be crucial.

Tools that increase awareness from healthcare personnel on how and when health conditions manifest in different subgroups of women, technologies that enable improved tracking and monitoring of health conditions and patient reported outcome measures and interventions that help women to self-manage and identify thresholds for care increase and access to screening programmes would be welcome across all the proposed challenges.

For further information on the challenge, please see here