Medical technology companies in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire can apply to cover 50% of their clinical evaluation costs, thanks to a project part-funded by the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and delivered by Medilink East Midlands.

Medical Technology Trial (MTT) grants are available to qualifying companies who need to test and evaluate their products and services in a clinical setting. Medical technology products could include an instrument, apparatus, appliance or software that can prevent, diagnose or treat diseases, improve services for patients or save money by enabling health services to run more efficiently. Many businesses do not have the resources or expertise to set up clinical trials of their products and this programme will assist Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire based companies who have developed innovative devices and want to take them to the next stage of commercialisation.

Trials are essential since they provide the evidence base to demonstrate that innovations have been proven to be effective. With pharmaceutical products there is a clearly defined pathway of trials that can be undertaken to reach a point where a product is deemed safe, tested, proven and ready for market. The companies operating in the pharmaceutical market are also normally able to fund such trials, have a network of clinical investigators and the experience to run them. This is not the case for many SMEs in the MedTech arena. For some this is their first entry into producing a medical product and they do not have developed networks of contacts, often coupled with a very basic understanding of the NHS structure and system. They may also struggle to fund a trial that will produce conclusive, acceptable evidence to clinicians.

These grants are delivered as part of the Inspiring Networking to Stimulate Technology Innovation in Life Sciences (INSTILS) project, a £7.39 million scheme part-funded by ERDF. INSTILS provides free and impartial support and advice to Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire companies working in, or looking to work in, life sciences; to innovate and create new products and services. The East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN) is one of the project delivery partners and are also part funding the project. The other delivery partners are the University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

In addition to INSTILS support, companies who access this grant scheme receive support from the EMAHSN to help get their products and services NHS-ready. This includes one-to-one support during the trials, access to specialist events, support with product development, opportunities to meet with clinical experts, regular opportunities to showcase their products with NHS decision-makers and influencers and one-to-one discussions on completion of their evaluation.

INSTILS is set to run until September 2021. Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire companies who sign up to the INSTILS programme receive wide-ranging business support. This includes help and advice from life science sector specialists, life science companies, the NHS and universities, as well as grants for clinical evaluations, innovation development and specialist networking events.

EMAHSN Commercial Director Chris Hart, explained: “Having a robust evidence base which confirms patient care and the economic benefits of an innovation is a vital ingredient to the successful spread and adoption of a product throughout the NHS and other healthcare systems.

“EMAHSN exists to identify and spread health innovation at pace and scale,” he said. “The MedTech Trials Programme provides funding and uses our region-wide networks and connections, at this critical stage of the product lifecycle, to provide introductions to the people and organisations needed to establish robust trials. Currently we are also planning to expand it to other areas in the East Midlands during 2019.”

“Our region has a strong and growing reputation for the development of medical technology devices, but many innovations fail to reach the NHS market due to the difficulty in developing the robust clinical evidence.”

Darren Clark, Chief Executive of Medilink East Midlands, said: “For medical technology companies who want to sell to the healthcare market, the gathering of an evidence base is paramount. By making this support available, we’re helping companies to overcome obstacles on the road to getting their products and services out to as wide a market as possible. We are extremely pleased to be working with the EMAHSN to offer companies and entrepreneurs the sector-specific knowledge and support they need through this programme.”

For further information on the INSTILS project and to find out more about the support on offer, visit https://www.medilinkem.com/projects/instils-derby-notts/

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For further information about this media release contact Medilink East Midlands Project Leader Marketing Sam Burbage, on 0115 822 3154 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Media enquiries: Chris Taylor 0115 748 4242 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Sarah Hewitt 0115 748 4243 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About The East Midlands Academic Health Science Network

The East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN) is one of 15 Academic Health Science Networks in England. EMAHSN brings together the NHS, universities, industry and social care to transform the health of the region’s 4.6M residents and stimulate wealth. Current priorities focus on identifying and spreading innovations that address challenges including cancer, obesity, diabetes, mental health, respiratory disease, liver disease and support for frail older people.

www.healthinnovation-em.org.uk

About Medilink East Midlands

Medilink East Midlands is the region’s life science industry association, whose aim is to help companies establish, develop and grow. Its network of more than 4,400 contacts in over 1000 organisations represents all aspects of the sector, including private and public institutions; from multinationals to high potential start-ups, as well as the NHS and universities.

Medilink East Midlands is a founding member of Medilink UK; a national network supporting over 3,000 companies across the entire UK. Medilink provides specialist support to boost the region’s economic output from life sciences by overcoming barriers to growth. Medilink’s highly knowledgeable team is a proven and trusted source of expert assistance. For more information see website www.medilinkem.com

INSTILS

About INSTILS: Inspiring Networking to Stimulate Technology Innovation in Life Sciences

INSTILS is an initiative, which is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and delivered by Medilink East Midlands. The key aims of INSTILS are to deliver high quality innovation support, work alongside emerging Life Science technologies, enable transfer of technologies between sectors and increase Research & Development investment. The total cost of the project is £7,393,742, of which £3,696,871 is ERDF value.

About the European Regional Development Fund (INSTILS)

The project is receiving up to £3,696,871 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Department for Communities and Local Government (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, companies, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding