This is a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition funded by the Scottish Health Industry Partnership (SHIP).
The aim of the competition is to develop innovative solutions focused on home (or near-patient) glaucoma monitoring to better identify patients at risk of losing vision, and to reduce the individual and societal costs of sight loss. This will include home tonometry, home assessment of visual function and potentially optic disc imaging.
It can also include developing methods of securely storing, transferring, and analysing the large number of home measurements obtained.
SHIP is investing up to £210,000 inclusive of VAT across both phases of this competition. Successful applicants will have access to advice from the NHS Scotland innovation test beds.
This is phase 1 of a potential 2 phase competition. The decision to proceed with phase 2 will depend on the outcomes from phase 1 and assessment of a separate application into a subsequent phase 2 competition.
Only the successful applicants from phase 1 will be invited to apply to take part in phase 2.
Phase 1 is allocated £60,000 for projects with total costs of up to £15,000, inclusive of VAT.
Eligibility
Phase 1 projects:
Successful applicants from Phase 1 will be invited to apply to take part in a potential Phase 2.
As part of your application, you must engage with a test bed to determine the extent of resource required for the test bed to support the development of your proposed solution. This should be considered for both Phase 1 and a potential Phase 2.
To lead a project, you can:
Under current restrictions, this competition will not fund any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any Russian or Belarusian entity as lead, partner or subcontractor. This includes any goods or services originating from a Russian or Belarusian source.
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. This work will still be the responsibility of the main contractor.
The aim of this competition is to develop disruptive innovative solutions that focus on home (or near-patient) glaucoma monitoring, including home tonometry and home assessment of visual function, and optic disc imaging.
The new technologies can either replace or supplement components of eye examinations in hospital outpatients or primary care optometry. This can include developing methods of securely storing, transferring, and analysing the likely large number home measurements obtained.
Home (or near-patient) monitoring of glaucoma offers the potential to increase the frequency of testing, potentially allowing more accurate detection of progression or response to treatment, while reducing the number of visits required with an ophthalmologist or optometrist.
Your project must be well developed and nearly ready to be deployed in a real-world situation. Your project will be expected to undertake the necessary evaluations demonstrating the prototypes in real-world situations.
For projects already at an advanced prototype stage, evidence of certification of the appropriate EN or ISO standard or plans to achieve this must be provided.
Projects showing high potential but at an earlier stage of development may also be considered.
Contracts will be given to successful applicants.
At this stage contracts will be given for phase 1 only.
You must define your goals in your application and outline your plan for a potential phase 2. This is part of the full commercial implementation in your phase 1 application.
You must demonstrate a credible and practical route to market, so your application must include a plan to commercialise your results.
Specific themes
Your project must focus on one of the following priority areas:
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