Biomedical Catalyst
Our vision is to build a network of innovative, commercially viable life science businesses that transform healthcare and patients’ lives and drive business growth.
Transforming innovative ideas into commercially viable businesses
Innovate UK will drive transformational change in food production, wellness, early detection and treatment of disease to underpin population health and economic growth in the UK.
Through our flagship grant funding mechanism, Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst, we help small and medium sized businesses test and develop innovative health and care solutions across life sciences, including therapeutics, medical devices, and digital health.
Supporting Economic Success in Health and Life Sciences
The Biomedical Catalyst is Innovate UK’s flagship grant funding mechanism, enabling small and medium sized businesses to test and develop innovative health and care solutions across life sciences, including therapeutics, medical devices and digital health.
How we support
We recognise that grant funding alone is not enough, and projects need to be supported as an ecosystem to be able to easily access the partners needed on their innovation journey such as regulators, accelerators, supply chain, systems-based design, global markets and investors. Learn how the Innovate UK system can each uniquely help you achieve your innovation goals.
- Innovate UK KTN: Connecting innovators with new partners and new opportunities beyond their existing thinking – accelerating ambitious ideas into real-world solutions. If you want help to find a project partner or would like someone to review your application before submission, contact Innovate UK KTN.
- Innovate UK EDGE: Bespoke advice and support to help grow & scale innovative businesses. If you’re looking for intensive support with your growth strategy, including exploiting innovation, securing funding & finance and entering new markets, please contact Innovate UK EDGE.
The Biomedical Catalyst supports small and medium sized businesses, of all stages, to:
- Get your project to market quicker
- De-risk your early stage innovations and projects, and lower risk for investors
- Bring in private capital alongside grants for projects
Biomedical Catalyst is technology agnostic, we want to fund a variety of projects across different markets, technologies, strands and themes.
How it works
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Biomedical Catalyst is technology agnostic, we want to fund a variety of projects across different markets, technologies, strands and themes including:
Medicines & Pharmaceuticals
- Innovative drug discovery and delivery
- Therapeutic and medicine development
- Advanced therapies
Health Technology
- Diagnostics
- Imaging
- Medical technology and devices
- Sensors
- Robotics
Digital Health Technology
- Data driven health
- AI in health
- Independent living and wellbeing
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Opportunity to gain financial support for market and technology feasibility studies
Innovate UK, in partnership with Medical Research Council, will support the development of early-stage health and life science businesses in the UK by funding a series of business accelerators in thematic areas. These accelerators will recruit spinouts, start-ups, and entrepreneurial minded academics to test their ideas and develop concepts with support from key stakeholders from relevant ecosystems.
We want accelerators to support organisations with the potential to enable fair, impartial and sustainable forms of community participation in research across the UK.
Over a set period of time, through online and in-person workshops, you will:
- Receive advise and support including scientific, commercial, regulatory and investment expertise
- Receive a package of training that instils the fundamentals of commercialisation and entrepreneurship
At the end of the accelerator you will/should be in a position to seek investment, or feasibility grant funding of £100k-£150k at 100% via a closed competition.
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Transformational grant funding for industry-led innovation projects
Designed to provide support for pre-market R&D projects aimed at developing innovative solutions to address challenges in health and healthcare.
Projects should demonstrate both commercial and technical feasibility through existing evidence, and show how the project will enhance the competitiveness and productivity of at least one participating UK SME. We will fund industrial research projects and experimental development projects, as defined in the guidance on categories of research.
Key features:
- Project costs £150k-£4m
- Grant up for £2m
- 70% grant support for SMEs
- Project duration 6-36 months
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De-risking innovative technologies by aligning public grant and private enterprise investment
The Innovate UK Investor Partnerships Programme is a three-year initiative to boost Future Economy-focused SMEs through aligning grant funding for R&D development with investment from partnerships with credible investor partners.
Our Experts
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02/05/2023
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