Key Features
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.
Programme: SBRI
Award: Share of up to £800,000
Opens: 17th Jul 2024
Closes: 28th Aug 2024
SBRI Competition 25 – AMR 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. 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.
The SBRI Healthcare Competition 25 Phase 1 funding competition invites breakthrough technologies to address challenges in antimicrobial resistance and aims to identify innovative solutions which have the potential to enter the NHS, social care and the wider market, tackling:
1. Point of care diagnostics, monitoring, and susceptibility testing
2. Prescribing decision support and risk stratification
3. Novel care delivery methods
4. Infection prevention and control (IPC)
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.
Health inequality and equity of access to care should be a central pillar of any successful innovation as well as a commitment to contribute to NHS net zero ambitions.
Antimicrobials are used to treat a broad range of diseases and are also used routinely prior to carrying out surgical procedures to prevent infection at the surgical site. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when the microorganisms that cause disease (including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites) are no longer killed by the antimicrobial medicines (such as antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics) that we use to prevent ortreat the disease.
With an increase in AMR, more people will suffer for longer as infections become more difficult to treat, hospital stays will lengthen, routine surgical procedures will become more dangerous, and diseases previously controlled with antimicrobials will increasingly result in death.
AMR can be addressed by both reducing the overall use of antimicrobials, developing alternatives to current antimicrobials, as well as reducing inappropriate use of antimicrobials through the following:
• prevention of infections
• timely, accurate diagnosis
• appropriate prescribing and use of antimicrobials only when there is an infection for which they are the most appropriate treatment
• effective management of infections
• development of alternatives to current antimicrobials.
AMR affects all, but not equally. Incidence rates across all infections were higher in the most deprived areas of England. Infections requiring antibiotics particularly affect older adults and young children. Antibiotic exposure in children can adversely affect the normal development of the immune system increasing susceptibility to infections later in life.
Challenges
Under the overall theme of “Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)”, 4 sub-challenges have been identified via consultation with clinicians and other stakeholders working in provision of care across the spectrum.
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.
Emphasis should be placed on how the technology/solution will address any challenges associated with health inequalities, such as demographic and geographic disparities, and it is expected that applicants provide details on how they will address these e.g. provide details on the care pathway the intervention will affect and how it can improve this
For more information on each of the challenges, see here.
The competition is open to single organisations (contracts are executed with individual legal entities) based in the UK or EU from the private, public, and third sectors, including companies (large corporates and small and medium enterprises), charities, universities and NHS providers, as long as a strong commercial strategy is provided. Organisations based outside the UK or EU with innovations in remit for this call can apply as subcontractors of a lead UK/EU based organisation or via a UK or EU subsidiary.
Collaborations are encouraged in the form of subcontracted services as appropriate.
There are a number of technologies or types of solutions which are already available or will not make a significant impact on the challenges addressed in this brief. These are listed below.
• Any technologies that negatively impact staff workloads and do not support the workforce pressure, and that require high upfront capital investment by clinical services will be excluded.
• Systems and solutions that will not easily integrate or communicate with NHS/community setting systems.
• Technologies that will exacerbate health inequalities (including digital exclusion or data inequalities) and inequity of access to care e.g., digital technologies that are inaccessible to certain communities that experience digital poverty.
● Public awareness campaigns (including for education settings)
At the end of Phase 1, projects are expected to have established the technical merit, feasibility, and commercial potential of the proposed technology.
Examples of exit points include:
• Feasibility technical study
• Market validation
• Business plan developed
• Clinical and/or social care partners identified
• Evidence generation plan for adoption
• Development of patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) strategy
• Development of net zero strategy to demonstrate environmental impact
• Health inequalities impact assessment
Following successful completion of Phase 1, projects can apply for further funding at Phase 2 to continue development, subject to budget availability. It is expected that at the end of Phase 2, some of the following will be achieved:
• Minimum viable product developed
• Early clinical evidence gathered to demonstrate safety and accuracy
• Developed commercialisation strategy
• Health economics
• Evidence gathered towards regulatory approval
• Implementation plan for adoption
• Strong involvement and engagement with patients and the public
• Projected carbon savings of the proposed innovation and methodology used to estimate the carbon impact
• Timeline and strategy to comply with the requirement set out in the NHS Supply Roadmap, including the development of a Carbon Reduction Plan
• Next stream of funding identified / investment readiness.
This SBRI Healthcare competition is funded by the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) in partnership with the Health Innovation Network to identify innovative new products and services. The projects will be selected primarily on their potential value to the health service and social care system and on the improved outcomes delivered for those in receipt of care.
The competition runs in two phases (subject to availability of budget in 2025/26):
• Phase 1 is intended to show the technical and commercial feasibility of the proposed concept. The development contracts will be for a maximum of 6 months and up to £100,000 (excl. VAT) per project.
• Phase 2 contracts are intended to develop and evaluate prototypes or demonstration units over a maximum of 12 months with up to £800,000 (excl. VAT). Only those projects that have successfully completed Phase 1 will be eligible for Phase 2.
Projects will be 100% funded and suppliers for each project will be selected by an open competition process and retain the intellectual property rights (IPR) generated from the project, with certain rights of use retained by the NHS.
Book an appointment to speak to one of our advisors to discuss your eligibility to apply for this Grant Funding opportunity.
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