Biomedical Catalyst 2023 Round 1: Industry-led R&D

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £25 million in innovation projects. The aim of this industry-led R&D competition is to support the development of innovative solutions to health and healthcare challenges.

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
• transforming the delivery of healthcare
• 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.

Applications must show how they will improve the competitiveness and productivity of at least one UK SME involved in the project.

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 October 2023
• end by 30 September 2026
• 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

You must only include eligible project costs in your application. If you have requested an overall grant of over £500,000, and your online application is successful at written assessment, you may be invited to attend an interview.

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 any application, it can collaborate in any number of applications. A large business, academic institution, research and technology organisation (RTO), charity, not for profit or public sector organisation can collaborate on any number of applications.

Scope

The aim of this industry-led R&D competition is to support the development of innovative solutions to health and healthcare challenges.

We will fund industrial research projects and experimental development projects, as defined in the guidance on categories of research. (Applicants must be able to demonstrate existing evidence of commercial and technical feasibility.)

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

Specific themes

Your project can focus on health or a healthcare sector or discipline:

• biosciences
• advanced therapies (gene and cell therapies)
• diagnostic, medical technology and devices
• digital health
• independent living and wellbeing
• precision medicine
• preclinical technologies and drug target discovery
• therapeutic and medicine development

This list is not intended to be exhaustive.

We are not funding projects that:

• are feasibility projects or fundamental research
• are not related to human life sciences
• focus on a product that is already on the market
• focus on laboratory accreditation
• are conducted to anything less than the highest standards of animal welfare (if animal experimentation is involved)

Briefing event and support

An online briefing event will be held at noon on Thursday 12th January: click here for the Zoom link to join.

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