Guidance

Competition Document: Veterans’ Health Innovation Fund

Updated 18 August 2022

1. Introduction:

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), on behalf of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) (Cabinet Office) is seeking proposals that will drive forward better veteran health outcomes, and in the future, contribute to mainstream and sustainable improved treatments for our veterans.

The UK has a strong track-record of developing cutting-edge treatments and technologies to support wounded, injured and sick former service personnel. This competition is seeking innovative proposals to build on existing successes, plug research and knowledge gaps, and develop new research that will seek to advance UK capability to support more veterans. Outputs of this competition will improve UK capability to save lives and support better health outcomes for veterans through advancing technologies, interventions and health treatments, as well as to enable better future commissioning of treatments that could be available on the National Health Service.

Up to £2.7 million is available to fund multiple proposals in this competition. The Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) is expecting a broad range of proposals covering the 4 themes listed below. Further information on the upper funding limit for each proposal is set out below. All projects must be completed within 24 months from award of contract (or less).

DASA will facilitate a full innovation assessment by a Steering Board comprised of senior officials from across Whitehall who have a wealth of experience delivering positive health outcomes for veterans, as well as independent experts. Assessment will focus on the desirability, feasibility and viability of the solution, as per the standard DASA competition process as well as value for money and impact on veteran health. It should be noted that the standard DASA Terms and Conditions will only apply to funded applications from private companies. Successful submissions from academia, charities and Public Sector research institutions will be managed under the OVA Terms and Conditions. Intellectual property ownership, and rights of use therein, shall be specified by the relevant OVA or DASA terms and conditions.

2. Competition key information

Submission deadline

Midday on 31 August 2022.

Where do I submit my proposal?

Via the DASA Online Submission Service for which you will require an account. Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted.

3. Supporting events

Dial-in session

18 July 2022 – A dial-in session providing further detail on the problem space and a chance to ask questions in an open forum. The event will include a Q&A session, where you will have the opportunity to pose questions to the members of the OVA, DASA and possibly others from government or the NHS in an open forum. If you would like to participate, please register on the Eventbrite page.

4. Competition Scope

4.1 Background:

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs was awarded £5m by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the October 2021 Budget [1] to spur and drive forward innovation in techniques and pathways for meeting veterans’ physical and mental health needs; and to ensure that treatment is informed by the very latest research and developments in clinical care.

Veterans are first and foremost civilians. Some veterans endure service-attributable health conditions that affect their ability to fully enjoy civilian life; including employment and leisure activities. The UK provides good statutory support to veterans with both physical and mental health conditions, but we have further to go. For example, the UK’s withdrawal from Afghanistan saw a notable rise in the number of veterans seeking support[2]. On physical health, we know some veterans need continual surgeries and treatments to deal with blast injuries and other major traumas. We have a duty to provide the best care and support possible to our veterans, including through harnessing the latest science and technology.

4.2 Scope:

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), on behalf of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (Cabinet Office), is seeking proposals that will drive forward better veteran health understanding and outcomes. The intended benefits are improvements in the techniques and pathways for meeting veterans’ physical and mental health needs, enabling treatment to be informed by the very latest research and developments in clinical care and that in the future will contribute to mainstream and sustainable improved treatments by the National Health Service.

This competition is looking for innovative proposals that address 1 or more of the following 4 challenge areas: Further details of these competition areas are in Section 5.

A key requirement across all themes will be the need to demonstrate translational impact and value for money. The OVA welcomes bids that give due regard to minority veterans (e.g. women, LGBT+, ethnic minorities etc.) and their unique circumstances. All applications should reference the number of veterans that may benefit from the proposal, including (where possible) quality-adjusted life years.

• Challenge 1: Digital, data and technology: Proposals for digital, data and technology developments to support the creation of treatments and interventions to help veterans with mental and / or physical health needs over the next two to three years. [Maximum value of bids: £300K (inc VAT where applicable)]

• Challenge 2: Surgical technology, bioengineering and rehabilitation for blast injuries: How can government funding enhance existing research and projects that use surgical technology and bioengineering to support veterans with blast injuries? How can we improve rehabilitation for veterans with physical injuries? [Maximum value of bids: £300K (inc VAT where applicable)]

• Challenge 3: Public Health, pain management, hearing loss and visual impairment: How can we improve the available research and evidence to better understand the unique challenges faced by veterans with pain, hearing loss or visual impairment; and what else can we do to support these veterans? What specific difficulties, do veterans face when trying to access existing public health support, and what interventions can support them? [Maximum value of bids:£300K (inc VAT where applicable)]

• Challenge 4: Initiatives to help identify and / or provide solutions to disparities in female veterans’ health and healthcare: How can we better support female veterans’ health needs? [Maximum value of bids:£300K (inc VAT where applicable)]

These proposed solutions, services and/or system(s) will:

• enhance understanding of veterans’ needs
• improve techniques and pathways for meeting veterans’ physical and mental health needs
• improve and focus existing healthcare innovations or develop new research to better meet veterans’ needs

The OVA does not have a stated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for proposals submitted under this competition. However, all applications should indicate which TRL level they intend to meet, and this must fall between TRL 1 and 6.

Submissions should articulate how the proposal could be developed and feasibly adopted across, or drawn on by, the NHS in one or more of the challenge areas. Submissions must be able to demonstrate the technical feasibility of their solutions, systems and services/service concepts capability, and provide strategies for overcoming barriers which might hamper widespread adoption.

Submissions should identify how existing systems/solutions/services could be modified or new systems/solutions/services could be developed in the future to meet the challenge areas (detailed in section 5).

When considering the challenge areas, consideration should be given to:

• data/evidence that shows an improvement in the outcome
• the number of veterans who may benefit and the real-world impact that your project could have on their health outcomes , including quality-adjusted life years (it should be noted that we do welcome bids that only support a small number of veterans, but your application will need to explain the health status of this cohort)
• translational impact – taking scientific discoveries made in the laboratory, clinic or in the field and transforming it into new treatments and medical care approaches to benefit the health of the population.[3]
• an indication of value for money and the cost/ benefit, including if your project resulted in consideration of mainstreaming new or amended clinical treatment pathways or services

We welcome proposals from across the full range of innovators, including academia, charities, microenterprises and medium-sized enterprises and large companies. We also welcome proposals that bring together the strength of different industrial sectors and/or academic partners.

We support collaboration between organisations for this competition. To aid this, we have a short survey to collect details of those who wish to explore collaboration possibilities. Please see smartsurvey for further information.

If your application is part of a consortium, there must be one lead organisation who enters into the grant agreement or contract, submits the application and is responsible for the project. You may wish to consider having an agreement between consortium members regarding how your project, if successful, will be completed. Any changes to the consortium during the life of the project must be pre-approved by the OVA and possibly DASA too. Other suppliers within the consortium need to be listed as subcontractors. For any applications that list international consortium members (i.e. organisations not based in the UK or those operating in the UK but with HQs overseas) the lead supplier must be based in the UK. For Academia/PSRE’s under a grant agreement, the OVA will retain the right to terminate / seek repayment of the grant if the consortium agreement is terminated or materially changed without our consent.

5. Competition Challenges

This competition has 4 challenges.

5.1 Challenge 1: Digital, data and technology [Maximum value of bids:£300K (inc VAT where applicable)]

The OVA is interested in proposals that harness the latest digital and technology capabilities to improve our understanding of veterans’ health needs, as well as options to trial these capabilities to treat veterans with mental and physical conditions. We also want to see applications that look at improving the data on veterans’ health challenges and treatment pathways / interventions.

Examples could include artificial intelligence, machine learning and virtual reality; using data to predict long-term health outcomes for veterans with service-attributable injuries; and exploring how other non-invasive technologies could treat veterans. For non-invasive methods, we are particularly interested in bids that seek to treat severe mental health issues such as PTSD and suicidal intent using artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality therapy, or other technologies. Proposals submitting to this challenge area must provide an evidence base and outcome analysis that highlights an improvement in veterans’ health. For bids proposing to gather new data, applications will need to clearly set out the current data gap, and how the data gathered can support the development of new clinical treatment pathways in the near future.

5.2 Challenge 2: Surgical technology, bioengineering and rehabilitation with blast injuries [Maximum value of bids:£300K (inc VAT where applicable)]

The OVA is interested in proposals that offer improvements in innovative surgical techniques, bioengineering and rehabilitation interventions to support veterans who have been subject to blast injuries. Some members of this cohort face life-long health challenges, and we need to ensure that the latest innovation is being tested and evaluated to scope whether new treatment pathways should be made more readily available via statutory providers. Examples of applications could include clinical research using regenerative engineering and customised prosthetics, as well as projects that seek to evaluate innovative interventions that are available around the world for conditions such as mild traumatic brain injury.

5.3 Challenge 3: Public Health, pain management, hearing loss and visual impairment [Maximum value of bids:£300K (inc VAT where applicable)]

The impact of pain, hearing loss and visual impairment has wide-ranging and disparate effects on veterans. The OVA is interested in proposals that offer innovative improvements in technology and clinical treatments to help veterans who are impacted by these issues, as well as applications that look to improve evidence gaps. We are particularly interested in applications that offer to trial interventions and treatments to improve the health outcomes of veterans.

For public health, we are interested to hear from organisations about how they can improve our understanding of public health challenges for veterans, especially in the areas of addiction, cardiovascular disease prevention, mental health and nutrition. As well as this, we are looking for bids that look to address these challenges through interventions and treatments.

5.4 Challenge 4: Disparities in female veterans’ health and healthcare[Maximum value of bids:£300K (inc VAT where applicable)]

The OVA is interested in projects that could improve our understanding of female veterans’ health challenges, and what care pathways can be put in place to better support them. We are particularly interested in proposals that look at addiction (including alcohol misuse among female veterans), other mental health conditions, including those that result from exposure to trauma, and physical health given the increasing prevalence of women in combat roles. Bids should demonstrate translational impact, particularly how they will help improve understanding of the unique health challenges faced by female veterans, and what can be done to better support them.

6. Clarification of what we want:

6.1 We are interested in novel ideas to benefit veterans. Your proposal should include evidence of:

• robust data analysis to show how your project will lead to improved health outcomes for veterans, the number of veterans who may benefit, and an impact analysis
• theoretical development, method of advancement or proof–of-concept research which can demonstrate potential for translation to practical demonstration
• innovation or a creative approach that has the potential to make a real-world impact over the next two to three years
• clear demonstration of how the proposed work applies to any health context
• the number of veterans who may benefit and the real-world impact that your project could have on their health outcomes, including quality-adjusted life years (it should be noted that we do welcome bids that only support a small number of veterans, but your application will need to explain the health status of this cohort)
• an indication of value for money and the cost/ benefit, including if your project resulted in consideration of mainstreaming new or amended clinical treatment pathways or services

6.2 We are not interested in:

We are not interested in proposals that:

• constitute consultancy, paper-based studies or literature reviews which just summarise the existing literature without any view of future innovation
• offer demonstrations of off-the-shelf products unless applied in a novel way to improve veteran health
• offer no real long-term prospect of being mainstreamed for reasons of risk, political sensitivity or very high cost
• offer no real prospect of out-competing existing technological solutions

7. Accelerating and commercially exploiting your innovation

It is important that over the lifetime of DASA competitions, ideas are matured and accelerated towards appropriate end-users to enhance capability. How long this takes will depend on the nature and starting point of the innovation.

7.1 A clear route for commercial exploitation

For DASA and the OVA to consider routes for exploitation including into the NHS and other health care providers, ensure your deliverables are designed with the aim of making it as easy as possible for collaborators/stakeholders to identify the innovative elements of your proposal.

Whilst early identification and engagement with potential end users during the competition and subsequent phases are essential to implementing an exploitation plan, during the competition phase there should be no correspondence between innovators and DASA/OVA other than via the Accelerator email accelerator@dstl.gov.uk.

All proposals to DASA and the OVA should articulate the expected development in technology maturity of the potential solution over the lifetime of the contract / grant and how this relates to improved capability against the current known (or presumed) baseline.

7.2 How to outline your exploitation plan

Include the following information to help the assessors understand your exploitation plans to date:

• the intended users of your final product and whether you have previously engaged with them, their procurement arm or their research and development arm
• awareness of, and alignment to, any existing end user procurement programmes
• the anticipated benefits (for example, in cost, time, improved capability) that your solution will provide to the user
• whether it is likely to be a standalone product or integrated with other technologies or platforms
• expected additional work required beyond the end of the contract to develop an operationally deployable service or product (for example, “scale up”)
• additional future applications and wider markets for exploitation
• wider collaborations and networks you have already developed or any additional relationships you see as a requirement to support exploitation
• how your product could be tested in a representative environment in later phases
• any specific legal, ethical, commercial or regulatory considerations for translation, where appropriate, into clinical policies and pathways

7.3 Is your exploitation plan long term?

Long term studies may not be able to articulate exploitation in great detail, but it should be clear that there is credible advantage to be gained from the development of your product or service.

Include project specific information which will help exploitation. We may collaborate with organisations outside of the UK Government and this may provide the opportunity to carry out international trials and demonstrations in the future.

8. How to apply

8.1 Submission deadline

Midday on 31 August 2022.

8.2 Where do I submit my proposal?

Via the DASA Online Submission Service for which you will be required to register.

Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted. All proposals will be assessed within a 30 minute period so brevity and clarity are essential. As such, we strongly encourage that you ensure your proposal can be read, in its entirety, within this time. A strict word limit will be imposed; this includes a limit of 750 words for each Desirability, Viability and Feasibility sections, a total of 1250 words for ALL attachments and a 200 word limit for the abstract.

Total funding available

The total funding available is £2.7 million.

For further guidance

Click here for more information on our competition process and how your proposal is assessed. Please be advised that the time allocated for assessment will be 30 minutes and not 90 minutes.

Queries should be sent to the DASA Help Centre – accelerator@dstl.gov.uk

8.3 What your proposal must include

• when submitting a proposal, you must complete all sections of the online form, including an appropriate level of technical information to allow a 30 minute assessment of the bid and a completed finances section
• a clear statement of the benefit to veterans with a healthcare need, the number of veterans who may benefit and the real-world impact that your project could have on their health outcomes, including quality-adjusted life years
• completed proposals must comply with the financial rules set for this competition. Where VAT is applicable, this will need to be made clear in the application form. Proposals will be rejected if the financial cost exceeds this capped level.
• you must include a list of other current or recent government funding you may have received in this area if appropriate, making it clear how this proposal differs from this work.
• a project plan with clear milestones and deliverables must be provided. Deliverables must be well defined and designed to provide evidence of progress against the project plan and the end-point for this phase; they must include a final report.
• if you are awarded an OVA grant or DASA contract, you should plan for attendance at a kick-off meeting at the start of the project, monthly written updates on progress, a mid-project meeting and an end of project presentation to the OVA/DASA and other government departments. Ad hoc meetings may also be requested by the OVA or DASA. All meetings will be virtual or hosted in London and should be planned and costed in proposals.
• your proposal must demonstrate how you will complete all activities/services and provide all deliverables within the competition timescales (24 months). Proposals with any deliverables (including final report) outside the competition timeline will be rejected as non-compliant
• an indication of value for money and the cost/ benefit, including if your project resulted in consideration of mainstreaming new or amended clinical treatment pathways or services

Failure to provide any of the above listed will automatically render your proposal non-compliant.

8.4 What your resourcing plan should include

For any organisation under a DASA contract your resourcing plan must identify, where possible, the nationalities of proposed employees that you intend to work on this phase.

If your proposal is recommended for funding

In the event of a proposal being recommended for funding, DASA and the OVA reserves the right to undertake due diligence checks including the clearance of proposed employees. Please note that this process will take as long as necessary and could take up to 6 weeks in some cases for non-UK nationals.

You must identify any ethical / legal / regulatory factors within your proposal and how the associated risks will be managed, including break points in the project if approvals are not received. If you are a private company applying for funding from a DASA Contract you will need to adhere to and apply for the appropriate MODREC requirements detailed here: MODREC Guidance for Suppliers. Approvals can take up to 6 months therefore you should plan your work programme accordingly.

Any proposal which includes human participation and/or the use of clinical samples or personal data will need to seek the relevant ethical and safeguarding approval from their organisation under the conditions and oversight of the Health Research Authority (https://www.hra.nhs.uk/) before work can commence. Evidence will need to be provided to the OVA and DASA that ethical and safeguarding approval has been granted. Funds will not be released until the sponsor is satisfied that the necessary ethical and safeguarding approval and measures are in place. Examples of such approval could include letters on behalf of your organisation to the Director of the OVA confirming your Head of Ethical Research Committee or CEO is content that all organisational procedures will be followed.

Government Furnished Assets (GFA), for example, information, equipment, materials and facilities, will not be made available to support proposals.

Failure to provide any of the above listed will automatically render your proposal non-compliant.

8.5 Cyber risk assessment

Private companies on receipt of a ‘Fund’ decision, must submit a Supplier Assurance Questionnaire (SAQ). The SAQ allows suppliers to demonstrate compliance with the specified risk level and the corresponding profile in Def Stan 05-138, the levels of controls required will depend on this risk level.

Successful Suppliers will be emailed a Risk Assessment Reference (RAR) number and corresponding risk level, and must use this to complete a SAQ here. The completed SAQ form and resulting email response from Defence Cyber Protection Partnership (DCPP) must be downloaded and returned to DASA. Further guidance can be found at: DCPP: Cyber Security Model industry buyer and supplier guide.

If the SAQ reveals deficiencies then a Cyber Implementation Plan (CIP) is needed and requires approval before a contract can be awarded.

If you any questions please contact accelerator@dstl.gov.uk

8.6 Public facing information

When submitting your proposal, you will be required to include a title and a short abstract. The title and abstract you provide will be used by DASA, and other government departments, to describe your project and its intended outcomes and benefits. They may be included at DASA events in relation to this competition and in documentation such as brochures. The proposal title will be published in the DASA transparency data on GOV.UK, along with your company name, the amount of funding, and the start and end dates of your contract. As this information can be shared, it should not contain information that may compromise Intellectual property. This should also spell out the benefit to the patient cohort, and where appropriate to the family, caregiver and/or wider support ecosystem.

8.7 How your proposal will be assessed

At Stage 1, all proposals will be checked for compliance with the competition document, including word limits, and may be rejected before full assessment if they do not comply. Only those proposals that demonstrate compliance against the competition scope and DASA mandatory criteria will be taken forward to full assessment.

For those proposals that meet the mandatory criteria, 30 minutes will be allocated for assessment. Please ensure your proposal can be read, in its entirety, within this time.

Mandatory Criteria

The proposal outlines how it meets the scope of the competition.

Within scope (Pass) / Out of scope (Fail)

The proposal fully explains in all three sections of the DASA submission service how it meets the DASA criteria.

Pass / Fail

The proposal clearly details a financial plan, a project plan and a resourcing plan to complete the work proposed.

Pass / Fail

The proposal contains a credible test plan where appropriate.

Pass / Fail

The proposal identifies the need (or not) for MODREC or relevant ethic committee approval.

Pass / Fail

The proposal clearly identifies the requirement, or not, of GFA.

Pass / Fail

Maximum value of proposal is £300,000 (inc VAT where applicable).

Pass / Fail

The proposal exceeds the word limit.

Pass / Fail

The proposal demonstrates how all research and development activities/services (including delivery of the final report) will be completed within 24 months from award of contract (or less).

Pass / Fail

The innovator provides unqualified acceptance of the relevant terms and conditions of the contract.

Pass / Fail

Proposals that pass Stage 1 will then be assessed by a Steering Board comprised of senior officials from across Government who have experience overseeing and delivering health care for veterans, as well as independent experts. The Steering Board will assess against the standard DASA Assessment criteria Desirability, Feasibility and Viability as well as Value For Money however in this competition the focus will be impact for the health and wellbeing of veterans and not security. You will not have the opportunity to view or comment on assessors’ recommendations. If we receive a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted by officials from across Government, with their preferred applications going to the Steering Board. Proposals may also be subject to Ministerial review. The OVA welcomes bids that give due regard to minority veterans (e.g. women, LGBT+, ethnic minorities etc.) and their unique circumstances

The OVA and DASA reserves the right to disclose on a confidential basis any information it receives from innovators during the procurement process (including information identified by the innovator as Commercially Sensitive Information in accordance with the provisions of this competition) to any third party engaged by the OVA or DASA for the specific purpose of evaluating or assisting in the evaluation of the innovator’s proposal. In providing such information the innovator consents to such disclosure. Appropriate confidentiality agreements will be put in place.

Further guidance on how your proposal is assessed is available on the DASA website noting that the focus of this competition is the positive impact to the health and wellbeing of veterans and not defence or security. (How your proposal is assesed).

After assessment, proposals will be discussed internally at a Decision Conference where, based on the assessments, budget and wider strategic considerations, a decision will be made on the proposals that will be submitted to Government Ministers and recommended for funding.

Innovators are not permitted to attend the Decision Conference.

Proposals that are unsuccessful will receive feedback after the Decision Conference.

8.8 Things you should know about OVA grants: OVA Terms and Conditions and the Code of Conduct for Recipients of Government General Grants

Public bodies and research institutions please read the OVA Terms and Conditions and Code of Conduct for Recipients of Government General Grants which contain important information. We will require unqualified acceptance of the terms and conditions; if applicable, please ensure your commercial department has provided their acceptance.

Grant recipients from a University or Higher Education: The maximum sum the OVA will pay to grant recipients from these institutions will be no greater than 80% of the Full Economic Cost of the funded activities. The grant recipient must secure match funding for the balance of the Full Economic Cost, details of which must be submitted to the OVA.

Funded projects will be allocated a Project Manager (to run the project) and a Technical Partner (as a technical point of contact). In addition, the OVA team will work with you to support delivery and exploitation including, when appropriate, introductions to end-users and business support to help develop their business.

For this competition, up to £2.7 million is currently available to fund proposals. There may be occasions when additional funding may become available to allow us to revisit proposals deemed suitable for funding. Therefore, DASA reserves the right to keep such proposals in reserve. In the event that additional funding becomes available, DASA may ask whether you would still be prepared to undertake the work outlined in your proposal under the same terms.

8.9 Things you should know about DASA contracts: DASA terms and conditions

Private companies please read the DASA terms and conditions which contain important information for innovators. For this competition we will be using the Innovation Standard Contract (ISC) Terms and Schedules. We will require unqualified acceptance of the terms and conditions; if applicable, please ensure your commercial department has provided their acceptance.

Funded projects will be allocated a Project Manager (to run the project) and a Technical Partner (as a technical point of contact). In addition, the OVA team will work with you to support delivery and exploitation including, when appropriate, introductions to end-users and business support to help develop their business. We will use deliverables from OVA grants and DASA contracts in accordance with our rights detailed in the contract terms and conditions.

For this competition, £2.7 million is currently available to fund proposals. There may be occasions when additional funding may become available to allow us to revisit proposals deemed suitable for funding. Therefore, DASA reserves the right to keep such proposals in reserve. In the event that additional funding becomes available, DASA may ask whether you would still be prepared to undertake the work outlined in your proposal under the same terms.

9. Key dates

Dial-in

18 July 2022

Competition closes

1200 on 31 August 2022

Decision release

01 November 2022, subject to Ministerial agreement

Contracts

To start as soon as possible after decision release and complete within 24 months from start of contract (or less).

10. Help: Contact the DASA Help Centre

Competition queries including on process, application, commercial, technical and intellectual property aspects should be sent to the DASA Help Centre at accelerator@dstl.gov.uk, quoting the competition title. If you wish receive future updates on this competition, please email the DASA Help Centre.

While all reasonable efforts will be made to answer queries, DASA reserves the right to impose management controls if volumes of queries restrict fair access of information to all potential innovators.

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[1] “To ensure that servicemen and women who have been injured in service of their country get the support they need, the government will provide an additional £5 million in 2022-23 for research into surgery techniques for amputees with blast injuries; new treatments for mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder; new technology to enable wounded, injured and sick veterans to rebuild their lives; data and digital projects to explore better use of technology for health; and research and treatment for mild traumatic brain injury.”

[2] The charity Combat Stress saw a 60-125% increase in calls from veterans each day in the days following the start of Op PITTING.

[3] https://tracs.unc.edu/index.php/clinical-translational-research