Digital Health Technology Catalyst 2017 round 1

Innovate UK is to invest up to £8 million in projects that develop new digital technology solutions to healthcare challenges.

Digital health is evolving at a rapid pace and this is having a profound impact on healthcare delivery. Digital health uses data and technology to:

• improve patient outcomes
• improve access to healthcare
• make more targeted and personalised health interventions
• transform service delivery
• deliver new treatments and translational medicine

The aim of this competition is to speed up the development of new digital solutions to healthcare challenges and grow the industry.

The types of digital health projects we will fund include (but are not limited to):

• informatics
• data analytics and advanced visualisation
• clinical decision-making support
• technologies that, for example, improve access to healthcare or help treatment compliance
• emerging digital health technologies with a demonstrated healthcare benefit, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, augmented reality, blockchain and the Internet of Things
• digital technologies and products which help overcome privacy challenges of managing data
• digitally-enabled medical technologies

Projects should focus on the feasibility or development of digital health or digitally-enabled medical technologies. These should have the potential to achieve one or more of the following:

• improve patient outcomes
• transform healthcare delivery
• enable more efficient delivery of healthcare

You may design these technologies for use in both clinical or non-clinical everyday settings. Projects must be innovative, collaborative (unless a feasibility project), and demonstrate how they will address needs of the healthcare system.

For feasibility projects, the grant enables the exploration and evaluation of the commercial potential of an early-stage digital health concept, through (but not limited to):

• assessment of the business opportunity
• validation of the initial concept
• potential conceptualisation
• scoping for further development

For industrial research and experimental development, the grant enables the development of new and innovative digital health solutions, through (but not limited to):

• technology development
• design and prototyping
• demonstration of effectiveness
• market testing
• evaluation

Proposals must also improve business growth, productivity and/or create export opportunities for at least one UK SME involved in the project.

Eligibility

To lead a project you must:

• be a UK based SME
• carry out your project in the UK

Feasibility study projects can be from an SME working alone or in collaboration.

Industrial research and experimental development projects must be collaborative.

Funding and project details

Up to £8 million is available to fund projects in this competition. Projects must speed up the development of new digital technology solutions to the healthcare challenges outlined in the scope.

Feasibility studies:

• total project costs must range in size from £50,000 to £75,000
• projects can be from a single SME or you can work with other businesses or research organisations
• you must complete your project within one year

Industrial research and experimental development:

• total project costs must range in size from £500,000 to £1 million
• projects must be collaborative and include at least 2 grant-claiming organisations.
  you must complete your project within 3 year

For technical feasibility studies and industrial research, you could get up to 70% of your eligible project costs if you are an SME.

For experimental development projects or work packages which are nearer to market, you could get up to 45% of your eligible project costs if you are an SME.