New SBRI Healthcare website aims at businesses looking to work with the NHS

SBRI Healthcare, an NHS England funded initiative to develop innovative products and services that address unmet health needs, has launched a new, redesigned website aimed at small businesses looking to work with the NHS, NHS procurement leads and industry networks.

The new site features enhanced content including full competition details and online registration. Regular updates will include information on new competitions as they launch, overviews of past winners and full case studies.

Part of Innovation Health and Wealth, the SBRI Healthcare programme sets industry the challenge in a series of health related competitions which result in fully funded development contracts between the awarded company and the NHS.

The initiative is managed by Health Enterprise East and championed by the newly formed Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), who aim to promote UK economic growth whilst addressing unmet health needs and enhancing the take up of known best practice. With £17.6 million invested to date in support of 66 SMEs, 2014 promises to be a significant year for the programme with a number of new competitions and record funding set to be announced over the coming months.

 

About SBRI Healthcare

The Small Business Research Initiative for Healthcare (SBRI Healthcare) is a NHS England initiative, championed by the newly formed Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), who aim to promote UK economic growth whilst addressing unmet health needs. A series of health related competitions result in fully funded development contracts between the awarded company and NHS England, and unlike many R&D projects which offer grant or match funding, SBRI contracts are 100 per cent funded.

Generally taking a two-phased development approach, projects start with initial feasibility 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 two years. While the public sector has the right to license the resultant technology, its intellectual property (IP) remains with the company.

Funding for the 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 Health Enterprise East and Competition details

Health Enterprise East Limited (HEE) is the NHS Innovation Hub for the East of England, and assists with accelerating the development and uptake of innovative MedTech products and services that improve the quality of healthcare delivery.

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


About Academic Health Science Networks

Academic Health Science Networks, of which there are 15 regionally based, have been recently designated to provide a systematic delivery mechanism for the local NHS, universities, public health and social care to work with industry to transform the identification, adoption and spread of proven innovations and best practice. SBRI Healthcare competition theme areas are chosen in partnership with the Academic Health Science Networks across England. The programme management is led by the Eastern Academic Health Science Network on behalf of NHS England.

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Contacts:

SBRI Healthcare
Nick Offer

Health Enterprise East
Email: nicholas.offer@hee.co.uk
Phone: +44 (0) 1223 597813

Media contact
Sarah Jeffery
Zyme Communications
E-mail: sarah.jeffery@zymecommunications.com
Phone: +44 (0) 7771 730919
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