Notice

Competition brief: biomedical catalyst 2017 round 1, primer award

Updated 22 March 2017

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This competition is no longer open. Search current funding opportunities.

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-competition-biomedical-catalyst-2017-round-1/competition-brief-biomedical-catalyst-2017-round-1-primer-award

1. Dates and deadlines

Competition opens Monday 23 January 2017
Briefing event webinar for applicants Monday 6 February 2017
Registration deadline Midday on Wednesday 22 March 2017
Application deadline Midday on Wednesday 29 March 2017

2. The competition scope

Across the world, we are facing increasing healthcare challenges, both physical and financial. There is a need to provide for a growing, ageing population that has an increasing burden of disease. Healthcare costs are rising. The long-term sustainability of current models of provision is in doubt. The need to provide efficient and effective healthcare has never been more important. To meet these challenges, companies and academics must work together.

The Biomedical Catalyst awards fund innovative solutions to healthcare challenges. The aim of the primer award is to conduct a technical evaluation of your idea through to proof of concept in a model system, using:

  • experimental evaluation (lab-scale)
  • initial demonstration using in vitro and in vivo models (not human clinical trials)
  • potential production mechanisms
  • early-stage prototyping
  • product development planning
  • intellectual property protection

These ideas should be for innovative healthcare technologies and processes that will help provide:

  • disease prevention and proactive management of health and chronic conditions
  • earlier and better detection and diagnosis of disease, leading to better patient outcomes
  • tailored treatments that either change the underlying disease or offer potential cures

We will support projects from any sector or discipline, including (but not limited to):

  • stratified healthcare (both therapy and diagnostic components)
  • regenerative medicine
  • diagnostics
  • digital health
  • enabling medical technologies and devices

3. Projects that we won’t fund

In this competition we won’t fund projects that:

  • include human trials (such as clinical trials of safety or efficacy)
  • we think are too early stage (for example: basic research; generation of pure scientific and technological knowledge; the development of research ideas, hypotheses and experimental designs without application)
  • we think are too close to market or are already at market (for example: evaluations to inform labelling; approval of pharmaceutical/device by relevant authorities; laboratory accreditation; distribution or marketing activity; post-marketing studies; and post-marketing surveillance)

4. Find out if you are eligible to apply

To lead a project you must:

  • be a UK-based small to medium enterprise (SME)
  • carry out your project in the UK
  • work alone or in collaboration with others (businesses, research base and third sector)

If you are a university or research and technology organisation, find out more about academic-led applications.

5. Funding and project details

We have allocated up to £8 million to fund innovation projects in this competition.

You could get up to:

  • 70% of your eligible project costs if you are a small or micro business
  • 60% if you are a medium-sized business

Find out if your business fits the EU definition of an SME.

We expect projects to last up to 2 years. Projects must start by 1 August 2017 and end by 1 August 2019. We expect total project costs to range in size from £200,000 to £1.5 million.

6. How to apply

To apply:

  • register online
  • read the guidance for applicants for this competition, which will be available once the competition is open
  • watch the briefing event recording
  • complete and upload your online application on our secure server

We will not accept late submissions. Your application is confidential.

External, independent experts assess the quality of your application. We will then select the projects that we fund, to build a portfolio of projects that:

  • are high quality
  • reflect a range across the scope of the Biomedical Catalyst
  • reflect the potential for short, medium and long-term return on investment for the company and the UK

Affinity partners will consider co-funding opportunities for high-quality projects that fall within their strategic priority areas.

Innovate UK reserves the right to maximise the funding available across high-quality projects.

Read the general guidance for applicants before you apply. It will help your chances of submitting a successful application.

7. Background and further information

The Biomedical Catalyst supports innovative solutions to healthcare challenges.

Innovate UK, the Medical Research Council and Scottish Enterprise fund Biomedical Catalyst awards.

If you want help to find a project partner, contact the Knowledge Transfer Network.

If you need more information, contact the competition helpline on 0300 321 4357 or email us at support@innovateuk.gov.uk.

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