Biomedical Catalyst 2022 Round 1: Industry-led R&D

Innovate UK, part of UKRI, will invest up to £15 million in projects to support UK registered businesses to develop innovative health or healthcare-focussed products, technologies and processes. Your project can focus on:

• disease prevention and proactive management of health and chronic conditions
• earlier and better detection and diagnosis of disease, leading to better patient outcomes
• tailored treatments that either change the underlying disease or offer potential cures
• the development of digital health technologies

This list is not intended to be exhaustive.

The Industry-led research and development (R&D) stream of the Biomedical Catalyst programme supports pre-market R&D projects. Applicants must be able to demonstrate existing evidence of commercial and technical feasibility.

Your project must:

• have total project costs between £150,000 and £4 million
• not exceed a grant request of £2 million
• have at least 50% of the total project costs shared by the SMEs, if collaborative
• start by 1 December 2022
• end by 30 November 2025
• last between 6 months and 36 months
• carry out all of its project work in the UK
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK

If you have requested an overall grant of over £500,000, and your online application is successful at Stage 1, you may be invited to attend an interview in August with the investment panel.

To lead a project or work alone your organisation must be a UK registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME).

An SME can only lead on one application but can be included as a collaborator in a further 2 applications. If an SME is not leading on any application, it can collaborate in any number of applications. An RTO, a large business, academic institution, charity, not for profit, or public sector organisation can collaborate on any number of applications.

The aim of this industry-led R&D competition is to support the development of innovative solutions to health and healthcare challenges. We will only support innovation projects conducted to the highest standards of animal welfare.

Your project can include:

• experimental evaluation (at laboratory scale)
• use of in vitro and in vivo models to evaluate proof of concept or safety
• exploring potential production mechanisms
• prototyping
• product development planning
• intellectual property protection
• a demonstration of clinical utility and effectiveness
• a demonstration of safety and efficacy (including phase 1 and 2 clinical trials)
• regulatory planning

Your project can focus on any health or healthcare sector or discipline.

The Biomedical Catalyst now incorporates the Digital Health Technology Catalyst and will support digital health projects.

An online briefing event will be held on 5th April 2022: click here to get the joining link.

If you want help to find a project partner, contact Innovate UK KTN’s health team.