The Office for Life Sciences has up to £1.5 million to invest in business projects that evaluate innovative medical devices, diagnostics and regulated digital technology in real-world NHS settings.
Life sciences opportunities
The life sciences sector plays an important role in the UK economy with a turnover of £63.5 billion in 2016. It also has a critical role in providing new medicines and treatments that will improve patients’ lives.
More than 95% of companies in the sector are micro, small and medium-sized businesses, which often find it difficult to gain the real-world evidence they need to have their innovative technologies adopted.
This competition aims to help businesses gather that evidence.
Projects must address NHS priorities
Funding is for:
- smaller projects that develop plans for evidence-gathering in the NHS
- larger projects that collect clinical evidence on the performance and impact of a medicine or device in the NHS. Medical and diagnostic devices and digital health technologies must have a CE mark but must not have been marketed for more than 5 years
Projects should be able to show evidence of relevant discussions with organisations such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the NHS.
Projects should aim to address NHS priorities including to:
- reduce cancellations or unnecessary appointments
- reduce the burden on A&E services
- improve patient safety and avoid patient harm
- speed up diagnosis
- enable earlier diagnosis of cancer
- support management of long-term conditions, such as diabetes, chronic pain, cardiovascular disease, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Competition information
- the competition opens on 2 July 2018, and the deadline for applications is at midday on 22 August 2018
- projects must be led by an SME working alone or with other businesses or research organisations
- we expect projects to range in size up to £250,000 and to last up to 12 months
- only the lead partner can claim a grant
- businesses could attract up to 50% of their project costs
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