Notice

SBRI funding competition brief: technology to improve IBD care and management

Updated 10 May 2017

This notice was withdrawn on 21 September 2017

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

1. Dates and deadlines

Competition opens	Monday 20 March 2017
Registration deadline for the briefing event	Midday on Monday 3 April 2017
Briefing event for applicants	Tuesday 4 April 2017
Registration deadline for entering the competition	Midday on Wednesday 10 May 2017
Phase 1 application	Midday on Wednesday 17 May 2017

2. The competition scope

The aim of this competition is to identify and fund innovative technology that enables personalised care, better education and remote monitoring for people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The competition is particularly looking for solutions that:

• improve patient experience and outcomes for people living in Scotland with an IBD diagnosis
• can be applied to other medical conditions

We are looking for innovative digital solutions that include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• enabling citizens to better manage their IBD through better lifestyle and prevention or early intervention approaches, combined with enhanced medication and treatment compliance
• empowering individuals, promoting independence and helping people to be more involved in decisions about their care

Innovations should result in at least one of these outcomes:

• an increase in the use of self-management enabled technologies
• a reduction in the number of routine return appointments, establishing patient-initiated review
• a reduction in the number of emergency hospital admissions

The proposed digital platforms should effectively and securely interface with existing NHS Scotland IT infrastructure. The technology should be flexible enough to accommodate differences in IT infrastructure and stages of core Electronic Health Record development in different Health Boards.

It should be user-friendly and work with the current technologies and devices used by citizens. Digital solutions should be flexible to allow for national and local development of the resource in line with service needs.

3. Projects that we won’t fund

In this competition, we are not funding projects that:

• do not support A National Clinical Strategy for Scotland
• do not work with the current technologies used by the healthcare community and the main patient population in Scotland

4. Find out if you are eligible to apply

To lead a project, you must:

• be an organisation of any size
• work alone or in collaboration with others (businesses, research base and third sector)

5. Funding and project details

NHS Scotland, in conjunction with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish government, have allocated up to £400,000 to fund innovation projects in this competition.

This is divided across 3 phases:

• up to £75,000 is for phase 1
• up to £135,000 is for phase 2
• up to £150,000 is for phase 3

5.1 Phase 1

In phase 1 you will show the technical feasibility of your proposed innovation. Projects can range in size up to a total cost of £15,000 each. Development contracts for feasibility studies should last up to 8 weeks. Phase 1 will have total funding of up to £75,000.

In the phase 1 proposal, applicants should also include their goals and an outline plan for phase 2. This should cover testing in a live NHS system (see below). Proposals should also include an explicit plan for full commercial implementation.

5.2 Phase 2

Phase 2 is only open to applicants that have successfully completed phase 1. In phase 2, you will develop and test prototypes or demonstrators of the more promising projects completed in phase 1. Projects should last up to 6 months. Projects can range in size up to a total cost of £45,000 each. Phase 2 will have total funding of up to £135,000.

5.3 Phase 3

Phase 3 is only open to applicants that have successfully completed phase 2. In phase 3, you will undertake pre-commercial testing to support continued development of the prototype. Projects should last up to 1 year. Projects can range in size up to a total cost of £75,000 each. Phase 3 will have total funding of up to £150,000.

The primary test bed development in phase 2 and 3 must be undertaken in at least one of the following locations:

• NHS Grampian
• NHS Highland

Successful proposals must demonstrate the ability to test at one or more of the above facilities in their phase 1 proposal.

In addition to the primary locations, test bed locations are also available at:

• NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
• NHS Lothian

6. How to apply

To apply:

• the lead applicant must register online. Please note that you must complete a separate registration for each proposal submitted
• read the invitation to tender which will be available on the FTP site after registration
• attend the briefing event for potential applicants in Inverness on 4 April 2017 (optional)
• complete and upload your online application for phase 1. You must complete a separate form for each innovation proposed

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

A panel of selected experts assess the quality of your application. We will then choose the best proposals from those that meet the aims of this competition.

Also, please read the general guidance for applicants. It will help your chances of submitting a quality application.

7. Background and further information

NHS Scotland is working with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Innovate UK to find innovative healthcare solutions that will support the principles of A National Clinical Strategy for Scotland.

The Scottish government has acknowledged the need for transformational change in the way NHS Scotland meets citizens’ health and social care needs by 2020. The underpinning principles include:

• enhancing the future quality of care by providing greater patient safety, better clinical effectiveness and a more patient-centred approach
• guiding proposed service changes with evidence and evaluation before fully implementing
• basing service changes around better support for citizens and staff in general, rather than on the needs of a single disease
• improving population health by allowing people the opportunity to better manage their own health
• providing services locally, where clinically appropriate
• minimising health inequalities by ensuring equitable access to healthcare and social care support
• removing barriers that make people less likely to access care

For inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Scotland’s National Gastroenterology Collaboration (as part of the Scottish government’s Delivering Outpatient Integration Together Programme) is introducing these transformational changes. The group is testing innovative solutions that can be evaluated and applied to other clinical areas.

Collectively known as IBD, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are lifelong conditions that can develop at any age. They most commonly first present in the teens and early twenties (mean age of diagnosis is 29.5 years). They have a profound effect on the life opportunities of patients.

At least 300,000 (1 in 210) people across the UK have IBD. Around 18,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. A large number of patients (30 to 50%) will need surgery. With around 26,000 sufferers, Scotland has the highest prevalence of IBD in the UK. The annual cost to the NHS in Scotland is £72 million per annum.

The traditional mode of delivering care for patients with inflammatory bowel disease is in hospital outpatient departments. Hospital-based clinics require patients to travel, miss school, work and/or find childcare. In the north of Scotland, patients living on the Islands and in other remote communities will have to travel very long distances, the cost of which is borne by the health service.

Unfortunately, many people have difficulty in fully understanding their condition, lifestyle considerations and opportunities to stay healthy. Better communication channels between GPs, hospital-based IBD teams and patients could help to drive behavioural change.

Specific areas of interest to IBD patients include:

• prevention and management of IBD symptoms
• complications related to IBD
• long-term prognosis
• risk of cancer and mortality
• dietary therapies
• risks from pharmacotherapy
• potential new therapies
• fertility

Remote monitoring in chronic disease management can significantly improve an individual’s quality of life. It allows patients to maintain independence, prevent complications, and has the opportunity to reduce costs.

7.1 About SBRI competitions

SBRI provides innovative solutions to challenges faced by the public sector. This can lead to better public services and improved efficiency and effectiveness. SBRI supports economic growth and enables the development of innovative products and services. It does this through the public procurement of research and development (R&D). SBRI generates new business opportunities for companies and provides a route to market for their ideas. It also bridges the seed funding gap experienced by many early-stage companies.

Applications must have at least 50% of the contract value attributed directly and exclusively for R&D services. R&D can cover solution exploration and design. It can also include prototyping and field-testing the product or service. R&D does not include:

• commercial development activities such as quantity production
• supply to establish commercial viability or to recover R&D costs
• integration, customisation or incremental adaptations and improvements to existing products or processes

7.2 Further help and information

Directions on how to enter this competition can be found in the Invitation to Tender document available on the FTP site after registration.

If you want help to find a project partner, contact the Knowledge Transfer Network or Highland and Islands Enterprise.

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

If you need more information on the scope of the competition, please contact: gg-uhb.NHSSOIC@nhs.net. A link to Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) will also be provided via this email address when the competition is open, which will provide further FAQ updates and additional information such as the presentations from the launch event. It is recommended that all potential applicants contact the above email address to gain the link for PCS.