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Innovation

Innovation is essential for many businesses to improve productivity and competitiveness. Funding is available to individuals and businesses to help stimulate innovation and business growth. Click on the links below for more details.

Innovation

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Wellcome Trust: The Health Innovation Challenge Fund

Category
Innovation

Value/contribution level
£100 million five-year parallel funding partnership

Closing date (if applicable)
Preliminary application deadline: 1 October 2010 (by 17.00)

Name of organisation
Wellcome Trust

Description
The Health Innovation Challenge Fund (HICF) is a £100 million, five-year parallel funding partnership between the Wellcome Trust and the Department of Health. The funders are collaborating to stimulate the creation of innovative healthcare products, technologies and interventions, and facilitate their development for the benefit of patients in the NHS and beyond. The HICF will have a succession of thematic calls for proposals, each selected to focus on unmet needs in healthcare relevant to the NHS, and will support innovative developments that are within three to five years of launch or adoption.

The Department of Health is uniquely placed, as both a healthcare system provider and a major R&D funder, to pioneer the evaluation of innovative products within the context of the patient treatment pathway at all levels of healthcare, including the community.

Priorities for the HICF are:

• encourage innovative products for patient benefit
• improve the uptake of new technological advances into patient management pathways
• integrate the clinical, research, informatics and product development communities.

Eligibility
Please note that the ‘Lead Applicant’ for all HICF awards must be a UK organisation or company.

The following types of organisation (singly or in collaboration) will be eligible for funding:

• NHS organisations (including NHS Trusts and NHS Foundation Trusts), and equivalent UK authorities
• universities, and research institutes and not-for profit organisations
• start-up companies founded to capture and develop intellectual property of relevance to healthcare
• biotechnology, pharmaceutical, bioinformatics, engineering or other companies.

A collaboration between two or more of the entities detailed above is also eligible and encouraged where it strengthens the overall proposal.

Key dates
•   Preliminary application deadline: 1 October 2010 (17.00)
•   Shortlisting of proposals: early November 2010
•   Full applications submitted: 10 January 2011 (17.00)
•   Funding decisions: April 2011

To further details and to download the application documentation, click here:
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/Technology-transfer/Awards/Health-Innovation-Challenge-Fund/index.htm

The Health Foundation - Shine 2011 Call for proposals

Category
Innovation

Value/contribution level
£75,000 for successful projects

Closing date (if applicable)
See call for key milestones. Final application deadline 4th October 2010

Name of organisation
The Health Foundation

Description
The Health Foundation is an independent charity working to continuously improve the quality of healthcare in the UK. We want the UK to have a healthcare system of the highest possible quality – safe, effective, person-centred, timely, efficient and equitable. We believe that in order to achieve this, health services need to continually improve the way they work.

Shine is an annual programme from the Health Foundation that focuses on innovation, with the aim of improving the quality of care. Each round of the scheme focuses on a particular aspect of healthcare quality reflecting a key issue facing the UK health service. Shine is open to applications from healthcare teams based in any of the four countries of the UK: NHS, independent and third sector organisations are invited to apply.

The Shine challenge this year is:

To find new approaches to delivering healthcare that reduce the need for acute hospital care while improving quality and saving money.

We will invest £75,000 in each successful project. Teams will be expected to develop and test their approach, putting it into practice and gathering the evidence about its impact and effectiveness.

To download a copy of the call, click here.

Next steps
If you are interested in applying for the Shine programme, you should now complete the Shine screening tool. This is designed to help you identify whether your proposal is eligible before you start to complete the full application form. You will be able to access the full application form if your proposal meets the eligibility criteria.

http://www.health.org.uk/shine_tool

It is recommended that you book a place on one of the information calls in order to ensure that you have all the information you need to complete your application.

http://www.health.org.uk/shine

You can send any further enquiries you may have to the Shine team at shine@health.org.uk

Living well with Dementia (CLOSED)

Category
Innovation

Value/contribution level

Closing date (if applicable)
9 September 2010

Name of organisation
NHS South East Coast / Small Business Research Initiative

Description
NHS South East Coast is seeking new innovations to enable people with dementia to live more independently. The desired outcomes of the proposed technology development must cover at least one or more of the following areas:-

• Ensuring people with dementia are able to maintain independence
• Supporting carers by reducing the burden of care placed upon them
• Ensuring equality of healthcare and access to healthcare for people with dementia.

About dementia
There are approximately 700,000 people in the UK living with dementia, only about one third of whom currently receive a formal diagnosis. Dementia is a terminal condition that someone can live with for seven to twelve years. It is characterised by a progressive decline in functioning, including memory loss and the ability to carry out every-day activities. It is also associated with behavioural and psychological symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, aggression and wandering. Dementia is predominately a disease of old age; generally, onset of dementia is during a person's late 70s and 80s. One in five people aged over 80 has a dementia and are likely to have co-morbidities.

Health and social care needs
People affected by dementia require health and social care and support at all stages of the pathway - from encouraging well-being and access to information, diagnosis and care in the community, to hospital and care homes and end of life care. This brings challenges for providers to deliver integrated, personalised care.

Dementia is one of a number of long term conditions (such as Parkinson's disease, COPD, stroke, arthritis, MS and heart disease) and, as such, it shares a number of common characteristics, e.g. risk of falls, isolation, difficulties with continence.

Scope
The desired outcomes of the proposed technology development must cover at least one or more of the following areas:-

• Ensuring people with dementia are able to maintain independence
• Supporting carers by reducing the burden of care placed upon them
• Ensuring equality of healthcare and access to healthcare for people with dementia.

To download the brief and application documentation, click here. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/competition/sbri/living-well-with-dementia.ashx

Contact details

Email: support@innovateuk.org

Call: 0300 321 4357

Website: www.innovateuk.org

Wellcome Trust: Translation Awards 2010 (CLOSED)

Category
Innovation

Value/contribution level

Closing date (if applicable)
23 July 2010

Name of organisation
Wellcome Trust

Description
Translation Awards are response-mode funding designed to bridge the funding gap in the commercialisation of new technologies in the biomedical area.

Projects covering any aspect of technology development from a range of disciplines - including physical, computational and life sciences - will be considered. Projects must address an unmet need in healthcare or in applied medical research, offer a potential new solution, and have a realistic expectation that the innovation will be developed further by the market.

Eligibility
Projects must address an unmet need in healthcare or in applied medical research, offer a potential new solution, and have a realistic expectation that the innovation will be developed further by the market. To find out more about eligibility for institutions, companies, overseas organisations and Principal applicants and co-applicants, click here.

Application process
A preliminary application form must be completed and sent to Technology Transfer by the published deadline - click here for the application documents.

Preliminary applications are subject to a triage for shortlisting for the full application stage.

Applications will be considered by the Technology Transfer Challenge Committee (TTCC), which meets twice a year.

Full applications will be invited following the triage meeting.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit a full application and will be subject to international peer review and due diligence.

Applicants will be expected to make a presentation on their proposal to the TTCC. Unless otherwise advised, this will be at the next scheduled meeting of the TTCC.

Deadlines
Preliminary applications are considered four times a year.

The upcoming 2009 and 2010 deadlines for preliminary applications, together with their corresponding review dates, are set out below:

Preliminary deadline:                                      TTCC meeting (applicant presentations):
8 January 2010                                             July 2010
23 July 2010                                                 March 2011

All applications received by 17.00 GMT on the deadline date will be considered. Full applications will be invited following the relevant triage meeting.

Shortlisted applicants will be expected to make a presentation on their proposal to the Technology Transfer Challenge Committee. Unless otherwise advised, this will be at the next scheduled meeting of the Committee.

Contact details
Technology Transfer
Wellcome Trust
Gibbs Building
215 Euston Road
London
NW1 2BE

T +44 (0)20 7611 8202
F +44 (0)20 7611 8857
E techtransfer@wellcome.ac.uk

Innovation Voucher Scheme

NHS Yorkshire and the Humber - Regional Innovation Fund 2009/10

Category
Innovation

Value/contribution level
£22million over next 5 years (subject to yearly confirmation of allocation)

Closing date (if applicable)
First tranche of applications - 31 October 2009
Second tranche of funding closing date – 31 January 2010
Future tranches of funding will depend on confirmation of funding from the DH for 2010/11

Name of organisation
NHS Yorkshire & Humber

Description
The strategic aims of NHS Yorkshire and the Humber (NHS Y&H) are to improve the health of the population, to reduce inequalities, and to improve the quality of health services in our region.

Through the implementation of High Quality Care for All (Department of Health 2008), the SHA has a new legal duty to promote innovation. To support the SHA in their approach to promoting innovation in NHS Y&H, a Regional Innovation Fund (RIF) is being established, funded through the Department of Health (DH). The RIF consists of £1.94 million in 2009/10 and £5 million a year for the following 4 years, subject to annual confirmation from the DH.

The key intentions of the NHS Y&H RIF will be to:

Invest to save; ensuring better services and outcomes for less cost
Enable widespread access to evidence based practice, research and development
Enable a systematic approach to the widespread adoption and diffusion of evidence based practice

Eligibility
The funds are designed to attract as broad a range of applicants as possible – these could be individuals, a team, an organisation or a consortium/partnership. We are keen to encourage applications from the NHS, Third Sector, community and private providers, business community, education providers and other partners seeking to innovate to improve the quality and efficiency of health and healthcare in Yorkshire & the Humber.

Further information and a copy of the application form can be downloaded by clicking on the links below:
Innovation Application
Innovation Guidance

The list of successful applications from the first round of
funding can be seen below:
Call 1 successful applicants

Contact details
Laura Hibbs
Innovation and Improvement Lead
07879 898152
Email
Website

Yorkshire Forward Access to Finance (YFAFHT)

The White Rose Technology Seedcorn Fund

Category
Innovation

Value/contribution level
up to £500,000

Closing date (if applicable)
n/a

Name of organisation
The Fund is supported by Yorkshire Forward, the Universities of York, Leeds and Sheffield and managed by Maven Capital Partners

Description
This is an early stage seedcorn fund, which invests in exciting new technology emerging from the Universities of York, Leeds and Sheffield. Our portfolio of investee companies represent the commercialisation of high quality science and technology combined with professional management teams to produce investor-ready and partner-ready opportunities.

The £9m Fund provides venture capital funding of up to £500,000 to enable the transition from promising research to commercial reality. We help growing companies with management input, advice and experience and bring an investor’s viewpoint to bear at an early stage.

We are flexible in how we approach the opportunities given to us and are very happy to discuss good ideas at an early stage.

Eligibility
The White Rose Technology Seedcorn Fund is looking for opportunities that meet the following criteria:

a spin-out company or project based on high quality research or development at one or more of the Universities of York, Leeds and Sheffield;
technology which is already, or is capable of being protected, normally in the form of Patents, Copyright and/or protectable know-how;
a clear commercial opportunity with demonstrable market need and growth potential; where the Fund can make a return on its investment;
a convincing commercial plan (including key defined milestones), which would take the company to being self financing or attractive to third party investors; and
the Fund will look at opportunities in the form of spin-out companies or in the form of projects provided it is clear how the project will be commercialised.

Contact details
Leeds: Gordon Matthewman -0113 343 7261
Sheffield: Richard Birtles - 0114 222 1511
York: Sue Final - 01904 434 401

Website

Early Growth Fund

Screening for Drug Drivers (CLOSED)

NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) Programme: 5th Call for proposals: Stream 1 - i4i Feasibility studies (CLOSED)

Category
Innovation

Value/contribution level
Funding to a total of £100k is available

Closing date (if applicable)
Proposals to be submitted no later than 5.00pm on Friday 5 March 2010

Name of organisation
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)

Description
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) would like to invite project proposals of up to 12 months under its i4i Programme to determine first if prior basic research or an innovative use of an existing technology can be used to meet an existing or emerging healthcare need. There should be the potential for a device, based on the technology or technologies, to be developed through further applied R&D. The study must also identify the barriers that would need to be overcome before implementation. Funding to a total of £100K is available.

Stream 1 - i4i feasibility study: Up to one year investigation led by a clinician or an academic research group, to determine first if prior basic research or an innovative use of an existing technology can be used to meet an existing or emerging healthcare need, and then to identify the barriers that would need to be overcome before implementation. There must be a potential for any device based on the technology investigated to be developed through further applied R&D. The study must also identify the barriers that would need to be overcome before implementation. Funding to a total of £100k is available.
*formerly i4i FPD1

All applications must show innovation and must have relevance, impact and potential to contribute to future health gain for patients and the general population. This programme is open to all research providers in the UK academic and NHS communities.

Proposals must be submitted through the NIHR CCF website no later than 5.00pm on Friday 5 March 2010. Successful applicants will be notified of award of grants by mid July 2010.

Contact details
Further information may be obtained from the i4i Secretariat at: NIHR CCF, PO Box 407, Teddington, TW11 0XX or e-mail: i4i.Programme@nihr-ccf.org.uk or direct from the website: www.nihr-ccf.org.uk/site/programmes/i4i

NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) Programme - 4th Call for Applications i4i Funding Streams 3 and 4 (CLOSED)

Category
Innovation

Value/contribution level
dependant on project

Closing date (if applicable)
no later than 5.00pm on Friday 21 May 2010

Name of organisation
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)

Description
The NIHR's Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme would like to invite submissions of applications to funding streams 3 and 4.

Stream 3 applications must include collaboration between at least one industry and one research (academic or clinical) partner aiming to determine the commercial viability of a proposed device or technology, with the development of a robust route to market and a strong, appropriate consortia serving as key deliverables. Primarily expected to be the first stage of a full collaborative applied research project, total project costs can be no more than £100K in total, of which 75% funding is available.

Stream 4 applications should build on the results of a completed assessment of feasibility and must also have collaboration between at least one industry and one research partner (academic or clinical). This will provide further evidence of the capability to deliver improved healthcare outcomes and commercial opportunity, delivering an advanced prototype along with plans for commercial and intellectual property exploitation.

Lasting no longer than 3 years, successful projects will be funded to a maximum of 50% of the total project costs, with £100K-£300K per year in funding available.

All applications must show innovation and must have relevance, impact and potential to contribute to future health gain for patients and the general population. This programme is open to research providers in the academic, NHS communities and industry across the UK.

For further information on eligibility and to submit an application please visit http://www.nihr-ccf.org.uk/site/programmes/i4i/ or email any questions that you may have to i4i.enquiries@quotec.co.uk

Applications must be submitted via the NIHR CCF website no later than 5.00pm on Friday 21st May 2010. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by late July 2010.

Health Technology Assessment Clinical Evaluation and Trials funding stream and grants (CLOSED)

Category
Innovation

Value/contribution level

Closing date (if applicable)
The next cut off-deadline is Tuesday 13 April 2010 - 1pm

Name of organisation
NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme

Description
The HTA programme is funded by the NIHR, with contributions from the CSO in Scotland and WORD in Wales. HTA Clinical Trials has expanded its remit to become the HTA Clinical Evaluation and Trials funding stream and grants are now available for evaluation studies falling within the remit of the HTA programme, as well as normal clinical trials.

Outline proposals for the HTA Clinical Evaluation and Trials workstream to assess the effectiveness of treatments and tests within the NHS are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Forthcoming cut-off deadlines for research proposals:

• Tuesday 13 April 2010 - 1pm with a topic focus on palliative and supportive care*
• Thursday 1 July 2010 - 1pm
• Thursday 7 October 2010 - 1pm with a topic focus on learning disabilities*

We are interested in receiving proposals addressing any health problem in areas not otherwise well covered in our portfolio. However, for the next cut-off date of 1pm on 13 April 2010, the programme is particularly interested in receiving proposals in the area of palliative and supportive care.

*Please note those wishing to submit an application to be considered as part of a topic focus need to ensure it is submitted during the relevant funding round (i.e. after the previous cut-off date and before the cut-off date for the topic focus).

Further information about the research and the assessment process can be obtained from the specification document.

How to apply
This is an on-going opportunity to submit outline proposals to the HTA programme.
We intend to consider applications four times a year and there will be cut-off deadlines for proposals to reach our offices for the assessment process. For details on how to apply and to access the application form visit the Applying for HTA Clinical Evaluation and Trials page.

The Clinical Evaluation and Trials commissioning timelines
For further details on this commissioning process and its timelines please see the Clinical Evaluation and Trials flowchart.

The next cut off-deadline is Tuesday 13 April 2010 - 1pm. Proposals are assessed for importance to patients and the NHS before being considered at the next available meeting of the HTA Clinical Evaluation and Trials Board, which is made up of around 20 senior academics.

Shortlisted research teams are invited to submit more detailed full proposals for consideration by the Board. The Board assesses the scientific merit, feasibility and value for money of the proposals before making funding recommendations.

Contact details
For more details contact the HTA Clinical Evaluation and Trials Team by:

Tel: 023 8059 6974 (24 hour answer phone)
Fax: 023 8059 5639
Email: htacet@soton.ac.uk

Fighting Infection Through Detection - Call opens January 2010 (CLOSED)

Category
Innovation

Value/contribution level
Dependant on project undertaken (up to £7.5 million)

Closing date (if applicable)
Call opens 18 January 2010 and closes 25 February 2010

Name of organisation
Technology Strategy Board

Description
The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) are launching a competition with up to £11m available to fund feasibility studies, fast-track projects and larger R&D projects. The TSB will invest up to £10m, and the Department of Health (DH) will invest up to £1m.

The purpose of this competition is to reduce the impact of infectious agents by supporting the development and uptake of diagnostic devices that are clinically useful and commercially viable. It is split into three different project types:

Feasibility studies - up to £2.5m funding: designed to explore novel solutions to DIIA and to lead to the development of rapid/POC devices. Competition opens: 18 January 2010 and closes 25 February 2010.

Fast-track projects - up to £1m funding: to test devices in the environment for which they have been developed to encourage the adoption and uptake of rapid/POC devices into clinical practice. Competition opens: 18 January 2010 and closes 25 February 2010.

Larger R&D projects - up to £7.5m funding: to span from development through to pilot schemes to test devices in the environment for which they have been developed. This is a two-stage competition; it will open on 18 January 2010 and expressions of interest (EOI) must be submitted by 25 February 2010. The second stage for invited applications will open on 22 March 2010 and close on 29 April 2010.

The competition will focus on the development of high-quality POC devices and rapid tests that encompass, for example, tests in mobile units, bench-top systems close to wards, and handheld devices. The critical factor is the time from sampling to decision-making and action, enabling faster intervention and leading to less spread of disease and better patient outcomes.

The Guidance for Applicants explains the application process in detail (see www.innovateuk.org under Competitions). You can download the application form from the Technology Strategy Board website at www.innovateuk.org

The HealthTech & Medicines KTN and the Sensors & Instrumentation KTN are organising an online seminar, on 7th December 2009, to enable organisations to find out more about the competition and to participate in a question and answer session. For more information on the on-line seminar please click here.

Contact details
If you have any queries about the technical scope of the competition or the application process, please contact the competitions helpline on 01355 272155 or email competitions@tsb.gov.uk

Website
Click here for the list of the TSB’s current and forthcoming research and development competitions: http://www.innovateuk.org/deliveringinnovation/forthcomingcompetitions.ashx

Invention for Innovation (i4i) Programme - FPD3a and FDP3b (CLOSED)

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