DATES:
Competition opens: 18th February 2025
Stage 1 submission deadline: 18th March 2025, 1pm
Stage 2 submission deadline (if invited): 19th May 2025, 1pm
Applicants notified: July 2025
SCOPE – proposals must involve one of the following:
- Medical devices or in vitro diagnostic devices as defined by the Medical Device Regulations 2002.
- Digital health technologies that fall under Tier C of the NICE Evidence Standards Framework for Digital Health Technologies and are focused on patient outcomes and intended for ultimate use in the NHS or social care system.
- Artificial Intelligence regulated as a medical device.
i4i Connect will fund:
- Prototype development and manufacturing, including engineering, performance testing, design verification and validation, user requirement assessment
- Intellectual property strategy, including freedom to operate analysis, development of a commercialisation strategy and market analysis, business case development
- Small safety and efficacy studies including clinical validation/utility studies
- Health economic model development or analyses
- CE/UKCA marking, where applicable, and other regulatory requirements, including any associated preparation for a future clinical investigation application
- Activities associated with the adoption of new technology and any training associated with the implementation of new technology
PROJECTS THAT WILL NOT BE FUNDED
- Early stage or basic research
- Projects that involve work on animals or animal tissue
- Minor or incremental changes to technologies or interventions in current clinical use
- Projects involving small molecule drugs, stem cells or cosmetic products
- Evaluation or clinical trials of fully developed products or interventions already adopted by the NHS.
- Studies on the impact of interventions on service delivery and management
- Professional training, including PhD fees and stipends (costed time of the individual is allowed)
- Digital health technologies that fall under Tier A and Tier B of the NICE Evidence Standards Framework for Digital Health Technologies.
ELIGIBILITY
- The lead organisation must be an SME registered in the UK.
- Subcontracting (including non-UK subcontractors) is eligible with appropriate justification.
- Projects must have demonstrated proof-of-concept as a minimum (TRL 3).
FUNDING RATES
- Total eligible project costs between £50,000 – £150,000 (6-12 months duration)
- 100% of direct costs funded.
HOW PNO CAN SUPPORT YOU
The UK team has a strong track record in securing funding through some of the most competitive national and European grants on behalf of its clients, with a full understanding of how a project should be presented to stand the highest chance of success. Each year in the UK alone, we are responsible for the submission of more than 100 funding applications across all sectors and priority areas. Based on this extensive experience, through careful project selection and using key insight into how a project should be best positioned, we consistently achieve success rates that are more than 5 times the typical success rates for UK and EU programmes.
For further information or to discuss a project idea please contact PNO Consultants
0161 488 3488 | info.uk@pnoconsultants.com/https://www.pnoconsultants.com/uk/
