Funding Type: Procurement

Project Size: Projects can have total costs up to £100,000, inclusive of VAT.

Project Goals:

• Enhance understanding of how drone technology can augment healthcare logistics and medical supply chains.
• Explore various related use cases such as organ transport and medical device supply.
• Projects should include cost-benefit analyses, standard operating procedures, and policy aims like improving prevention, enabling community care, and reducing health inequalities.
• Must comply with medical distribution regulations and engage with potential end users in healthcare settings.

Proposal Requirements:

• Evaluate approaches and contribute to the existing evidence base.
• Improve the provision and implementation of drone services.
• Engage with relevant stakeholders and demonstrate a clear route to market.
• Ensure technical, development, and market feasibility, along with necessary permits and licenses.

Portfolio Approach:

• Aims to fund a diverse range of projects across themes, technological maturities, and geographical locations.

Specific Themes:

• Augmenting healthcare logistics and improving supply chain resilience.
• Compliance with medical distribution regulations.
• Maintaining medical product integrity during drone flight.
• Other use cases such as organ transport, medical device supply, and regulatory considerations.

Research Categories:

• Technical Feasibility Studies or Prototype development and evaluation.
• Includes prototyping, demonstrating, piloting, testing, and validation in real-life conditions.

Exclusions:

• Projects not engaging directly with at least one NHS organisation or medical distribution company.
• Projects duplicating other UK government or EU funded initiatives.
• Proposals not complying with the eligibility requirements or covered by existing commercial agreements.