SBRI: Enhancing medical supply chain resilience with drones

To lead a project, you can:

• be an organisation of any size
• work alone or with others from business, research organisations, research and technology organisations or the third sector as subcontractors

Contracts will be awarded to a single legal entity only. However, if you can justify subcontracting components of the work, you can engage specialists or advisers. The project and delivery against the project milestones will still be the responsibility of the main contractor.

Projects must:

• start by 1 April 2024
• end by 31 March 2025
• last up to 12 months

The aim of the competition is to fund projects that will enhance the understanding of how drones can augment healthcare logistics operations and improve the resilience of medical supply chains. Projects may also explore other related use cases, for example organ transport, medical device supply.

Your project can cover either Technical Feasibility Studies or Prototype development and evaluation.

This means planned research or critical investigation to gain new knowledge and skills for developing new products, processes or services.

Your project will work closely with the stakeholders to develop a solution and produce a final report of your outcomes.

You can include prototyping, demonstrating, piloting, testing and validation of new or improved products, processes or services in environments representative of real-life operating conditions. The primary objective is to make further technical improvements on products, processes or services that are not substantially set.

The aim of the competition is to fund projects that will enhance the understanding of how drones can augment healthcare logistics operations and improve the resilience of medical supply chains. Projects may also explore other related use cases, for example organ transport, medical device supply.

In your proposal you must include one or more of the following:

• cost benefit analyses of drones compared to existing logistics operations
• standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• support to specific care pathways (for example cancer), services (for example pathology)
• policy aims for example, improving prevention, enabling community care and reducing health inequalities
• compliance with medical distribution regulations, for example good distribution practice

Your project must demonstrate engagement with potential end users for the use of drones in healthcare settings and activities beyond the funded project.

Your project can include a flying or operational demonstration as part of your outputs. It can also focus on research activities for example, feasibility studies that create new understanding of how drones can support healthcare logistics.

Your proposal must show how you will:

• evaluate approaches and contribute to the existing evidence base
• improve the provision and implementation of drone activity or services

Your project must:

• engage with relevant stakeholders
• demonstrate an understanding of SOPS
• identify a clear route to market
• demonstrate the technical, development and market feasibility of your proposed innovation
• have any permits and licences in place to carry out your project

We welcome projects that coordinate with existing drone medical projects, for example, those funded under the Innovate UK Future Flight Challenge. Further information can be found under the UKRI Future Flight Challenge website.

Contracts will be given to successful applicants.

You must demonstrate a credible and practical route to market, so your application must include a plan to commercialise your results.

Your project can focus on one or more of the following:

• how drones can augment healthcare logistics and improve supply chain resilience
• cost benefit analyses of drones compared to existing logistics operations
• standard operating procedures (SOPs) for drones to supply medical products
• demonstrating how drones could support specific care pathways for example, cancer
• demonstrating how drones could support services for example, pathology
• demonstrating how drones could support policy aims for example, improving prevention, enabling community care and reducing health inequalities
• compliance with medical distribution regulations, for example good distribution practice
• maintaining medical product integrity during drone flight
• other use cases such as organ transport, medical device supply
• middle mile logistics with long range or bulk goods movements
• local compared with national drone networks
• regulatory considerations, including aviation and medical

Innovate UK held an online briefing at 11:30 on Monday 6 November: click here to watch the recording.

If you want help to find a project partner or with preparing your application, contact Innovate UK KTN’s Future Flight team.