Six companies receive second round of funding to develop high potential innovations

SBRI Healthcare, an NHS England funded initiative to develop innovative products and services that address unmet health needs, today announced the companies that will share £4.4 million having successfully reached the next phase (Phase 2) of the clinically-led competition. Six companies will receive a second round of funding to further develop their products which in this competition are focused on addressing challenges in a key area of healthcare including Brain Injury, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Diabetic Foot Ulcers, Medical Imaging and Outpatient Services.

From 14 companies awarded Phase 1 funding in May 2015, six have demonstrated best value and greatest technical feasibility to a panel of experts looking for innovative technologies with the highest potential value to patients and the health service. The successful companies will now be supported and fully funded to continue with prototype development and product testing.
With awards of up to £1 million each, the successful companies (and supporting Academic Health Science Network) are:

• Brain Injury - GSPK Design (Yorkshire & Humber AHSN), Obex Technologies (Eastern AHSN)

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health - Advanced Digital Innovations (Yorkshire & Humber AHSN)

• Diabetic Foot Ulcer – CaDScan (North West Coast AHSN)

• Medical Imaging - Gold Standard Phantoms (UCLPartners AHSN)

• Outpatient Services - Message Dynamics (Kent, Surrey & Sussex AHSN)

"It's great to see so many innovations that show sufficient promise to warrant second stage funding," said Richard Stubbs, Commercial Director of Yorkshire and Humber AHSN and management board member of SBRI Healthcare. "The products being developed are going to make care better for patients in really critical areas such as brain injury and children's mental healthcare. As AHSNs across the country we are driving for development and uptake of innovation to improve healthcare and these SBRI-funded ideas are at the heart of that purpose."

Xavier Golay, Director at Gold Standard Phantoms, commented on their award: “As a small, medical technology start-up it is extremely difficult to bridge the gap between an idea and real innovation. SBRI Healthcare's original Phase 1 award gave us the opportunity to do just that by providing funding, resources and access to key stakeholders that have helped to drive our vision forwards into what we hope will enable a step change in medical imaging. Our recent Phase 2 award will further allow us to set this vision into action, fuelling our product development and improving our stakeholder advocacy. Above all, it will support a ‘real world’ test of our technology.”

In 2015, SBRI Healthcare awarded £15 million to 26 companies to support the development of products focused on specific NHS unmet need.

To find out more visit www.sbrihealthcare.co.uk

Contacts:
SBRI Healthcare
Chris Armstrong
Health Enterprise East
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: +44 (0) 1223 597813


About SBRI Healthcare

The Small Business Research Initiative for Healthcare (SBRI Healthcare) is an NHS England initiative, championed by the Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), whose role is to promote UK economic growth by spreading innovation and best practice across the NHS. The SBRI Healthcare competitions are launched on a biannual basis and result in fully funded development contracts between the awarded company and NHS England to meet known healthcare need.

Generally taking a three-phased development approach, projects start with a 6 month feasibility phase and can then move on to more detailed product development. Phase 1 contracts for feasibility testing are valued at up to £100,000 and last for six months. Phase 2 contracts for prototype development are worth up to £1 million over one year. Phase 3 contracts are intended to accelerate product adoption, with up to a further £1 million over 12 months, providing the opportunity for validation in NHS settings. While the public sector has the right to license the resultant technology, its intellectual property (IP) remains with the company, thereby enabling successful businesses to grow.

Funding for SBRI Healthcare has been secured from NHS England. The programme is directed by the Eastern Academic Health Science Network (EAHSN) on behalf of NHS England and the other regional AHSNs. Health Enterprise East is the management partner and supports the EAHSN to handle the applications, assessments and delivery against contracts.

Previous SBRI Healthcare competitions have called for technological and innovative solutions to, for example, change people’s behaviour in order to reduce the impact of obesity and alcohol related diseases, how to live well with dementia and improved medicine management.


About Academic Health Science Networks www.ahsnnetwork.com

There are 15 AHSNs across England. They connect academics, NHS, researchers and industry to accelerate the process of innovation and facilitate the adoption and spread of innovative ideas and technologies across large populations. They are driven by two imperatives: improving health and generating economic growth in their regions. SBRI Healthcare competitions are designed, supported and promoted in partnership with the AHSNs.


About Health Enterprise East and Competition details www.hee.co.uk

Health Enterprise East (HEE) is committed to improving healthcare through the provision of professional business and innovation management services. The HEE team works with NHS organisations nationally and Med Tech companies globally to support the development of innovative products and services which meet currently unmet healthcare needs.

Having pioneered and successfully run the initiative for the East of England since its launch in 2009, HEE now oversees the national SBRI Healthcare programme bringing together businesses, the healthcare industry and the NHS. Information on future competitions can be found on the SBRI Healthcare and the Health Enterprise East websites.