FAQs - Competition 27

SBRI enables government departments to connect with technology organisations, finding innovative solutions to specific public sector challenges and needs. It aims to use the power of government procurement to accelerate technology development and/or implementation. SBRI offers an excellent opportunity for all types of organisations, especially early-stage companies, to develop and demonstrate technology. SBRI is a simple structured process and offers different funding options depending on the maturity of the proposed innovation.

This competition is funded by the Accelerated Access Collaborative in partnership with NHS England’s Digital Innovation Team and the Health Innovation Network and seeks innovative digital solutions that support individuals with poor mental health to return to work, remain at work, or gain employment.

The competition seeks solutions that address one of the key focus areas:

1. Digital interventions targeting work-related risk factors facing the working age population (aged 16-64) with mental health problems in employment, that provide rapid support to individuals to help them remain in work
2. Digital interventions that specifically tackle barriers to work facing unemployed working age individuals (aged 16-64) with mental health problems, to support individuals to return to work or gain employment
3. Digital interventions targeting workplace issues/barriers facing working age population (aged 16-64) from disadvantaged communities with mental health problems, to support individuals attain, remain or return to work

The competition is open to single organisations (contracts are executed with individual legal entities) based in the UK or EU from the private, public, and third sectors, including companies (large corporates and small and medium enterprises), charities, universities and NHS providers, given a strong commercial strategy is provided, are eligible to apply.

Organisations based outside the UK or EU with innovations in remit for this call can apply as subcontractors of a lead UK/EU based organisation or via a UK or EU subsidiary.

Collaborations are encouraged in the form of subcontracted services as appropriate.

Yes, but contracts must be awarded to legal entities based in the UK or EU.

Universities and NHS Trusts may apply; however, they must demonstrate a route to market, i.e., the application must include a plan to commercialise the results. It is unlikely that a university or NHS Trust on its own will be able to demonstrate the appropriate level of commercialisation to be successful, therefore, the application should explain how the product will be developed by a commercial organisation or lead to sustained adoption in the relevant setting(s).

Yes, registered charities are eligible to enter SBRI competitions via their trading company limited by guarantee. All organisations must demonstrate a route to market.

SMEs can be the lead applicant on the application, and collaborate with an NHS provider for the delivery of the study as required. Funds will be paid to the lead organisation who will be responsible for paying collaborators and subcontractors where applicable.

All applications are assessed based on the quality of the proposal by relevant experts based on the published criteria. Irrespective of the host organisation, all applications are expected to demonstrate that the right expertise is available to support the project (e.g., if a trial is included, the involvement of a healthcare provider would be expected) and route to commercialisation.

All legal UK/EU entities are eligible to lead applications for SBRI Healthcare funding, however, the fast turnaround time for contracting and requirement for a robust commercialisation plan may be more suited to SMEs.

Collaborations are encouraged. However, the contract will be executed with the Host Organisation; any collaborating organisations will act as subcontractors.

Applications are accepted from the UK and any country in the European Union. However, please be aware that projects must show a clear health benefit to the UK. Legal entities from all other countries may be project partners, but cannot be the lead organisation. If you have any specific question on the eligibility of your organisation, please email sbri@lgcgroup.com.

In principle this is possible, as long as the applicant can demonstrate that the subcontractors have the appropriate expertise, offer value for money and detail how this will benefit UK healthcare and the economy.

The competition is open to work-related digital innovations for individuals with poor mental health at any stage of development, from testing the technical and commercial feasibility to generating evidence in real world settings.

There are a number of technologies / types of solution that are already in development, available, or will not make a significant impact on the challenges addressed in this brief. These are clearly listed in the challenge brief.

Applicants with other sources of funding are eligible to apply to SBRI Healthcare, provided the project that would be funded by SBRI Healthcare is not already supported by another funding stream. Applicants must articulate how the SBRI Healthcare award would be distinct from existing studies and what additional evidence would be collected to support the development, implementation and/or adoption of the proposed innovation.

Team Members (defined below), clinical partners, and sub-contractors should be invited to participate on your application via the RMS portal. All team members and project partners will need to register for a PMO RMS account and, once invited, must confirm their participation on your application before it can be submitted.

Team members belong to the host organisation with responsibility for the day-to-day management and delivery of the project. Individuals based outside the host organisation, but with a key role on the project, should be listed as sub-contractors, advisors or clinical partners. Reviewers will assess whether the team has the skills and experience to deliver the project so please ensure all required team members are included in the application. 

Any posts which are yet to be confirmed or appointed for the project can be detailed under 'Other Posts' in the Team section of the application form.

Further information can be found in 'Section 5-Team' of the Applicant Guidance.

It is strongly advised that clinical partners are identified prior to submission. The most successful applicants demonstrate an existing relationship with a named clinician or similar expert at the time of application. Ideally this will be a named NHS member of staff with whom you have had at least initial discussions about the feasibility of your project.

For late-stage implementation projects, it is mandatory to have a clinical partner identified and their commitment secured.

All participants in the application (Team Members, Sub-Contractors, and Clinical Partners) need to have approved accounts on the Research Management System so that they can be added to the application form. Please ensure you leave enough time for this – we recommend registering at least 7 days in advance of the competition deadline.

Yes, NHS sites can be clinical partners. Please list all clinical partners in the application by providing the name, details and role description in the appropriate section of the application – up to 10 clinical partners can be added. If there are multiple clinical sites involved, please provide the main contacts/people responsible for this project at each of the NHS sites. We do not expect a supporting letter from these organisations.

It is not an eligibility criteria to partner with a Health Innovation Network (HIN); however, it is strongly encouraged that you do. The HINs are uniquely positioned to support the development of health innovation and, by partnering with them, you can tap into their knowledge, expertise and networks to support the spread and adoption of your technology. Any organisation based in the UK (including Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales) can access the HIN.

The Health Innovation Network website has further information on support offered and how to get in contact. You can also set up an account with the NHS Innovation Service where you will be put in touch with appropriate organisations offering support.

Different HINs have different processes. Initial contact is generally free and often with the HIN commercial team for signposting and advice & guidance. This is often a scoping exercise to understand the innovation and which gaps may need addressing. If an innovator decides to engage further with a HIN such as using the HIN for clinical work or health economics, the charges are usually agreed on a case-by-case basis. These would be acceptable project costs.

The health innovation networks can also often assist in addressing health inequalities and the NHS Net Zero agenda, procurement implications and carbon calculators.

Contracts will only be awarded to individual organisations. However, applicants may identify components of the work which they wish to subcontract and may also employ specialist consultants or advisers if they believe this will increase the chances of the project being successful.

We strongly advise that you get in touch with your local HIN to develop partnerships and get advice. You can also contact your local university.

To find out more about the Health Innovation Network, please visit their website.

Yes. Competitions are open to single organisations (contracts are executed with individual legal entities) based in the UK or EU from the private, public, and third sectors, including companies (large corporates and small and medium enterprises), charities, universities and NHS providers, as long as a strong commercial strategy is provided. Organisations based outside the UK or EU with innovations in remit can apply as subcontractors of a lead UK/EU based organisation or via a UK or EU subsidiary.

Although this is not an eligibility criterion, it is strongly advised that clinical evaluations are conducted in the UK as the SBRI Healthcare programme acts as a pre-procurement programme and the main objective is to address NHS needs. As such, it is expected that any evidence generated can be translated to demonstrate the innovation’s applicability to be adopted into the NHS.

For all digital technologies to be used within the NHS, these technical standards should be considered from the start and met as appropriate for the stage of development. For non-NHS innovations, this list should be used as a guide and these, or equivalent standards, met as appropriate for the stage of development and type of innovation.

While the programme appreciates that innovations may require different levels of PPIE during development, it is expected that the organisation has involved patients/members of the public during the research and development phase. PPIE is one of the assessment criteria and will be reviewed, including PPIE members.

There should be continued PPIE as part of the project, to ensure that patients and members of the public are involved and can provide feedback that will support the refinement of the innovation during the implementation stage, and this should be clearly described in the application.

No, solutions can be directed towards any region in the UK. Nottingham University Hospitals only acts as a legal entity for administrative purposes on behalf of the funder and their involvement does not affect the national ambition and benefits that the SBRI Healthcare programme aims to achieve.

Intellectual property rights are retained by the applicant although certain rights of usage may be applied by the funding authority including royalty-free, non-exclusive licence rights and the right to require licences to third parties, at a fair market price. Applicants are encouraged to review the standard SBRI Agreement before applying.

No. SBRI is a competitive procurement mechanism and tenders are submitted by a variety of organisations. Whatever calculations are used to arrive at the tender price, each application is assessed against bids from other organisations. Applicants should bear this in mind when calculating their tender price. Costs should reflect fair market value.

Successful projects are expected to start by the start date indicated in the outcome letter. For Competition 27, projects are expected to start in February 2025.

The application’s maximum budget and itemised project costs should exclude VAT. Please note that SBRI Healthcare awards are subject to VAT. If applicable, the host organisation may invoice SBRI Healthcare with 20% VAT in addition to the NET cost. It is the host organisation’s responsibility to determine if VAT is applicable.

An element of overheads may be included in project costs. However, such an element must be realistic. Assessors will consider financial costs in terms of ‘value for money’ at the assessment stage. Projects showing costs that are considered unreasonable may be rejected on these grounds.

No, SBRI Healthcare is not a research grant and follows pre-procurement rules and does not constitute state aid.

No match funding is required.

We cannot give a specific number as the number of awards will be subject to quality and budget availability.

Payments will be made in advance.

Funding for Competition 27 is a maximum of £200,000 (NET cost, excluding VAT). Awarded innovations may have the opportunity to bid for additional funding at the end of the contract duration subject to NHS England budget availability.

As stated in the Challenge Brief employment is defined as paid work, which is the definition used by the Office for National Statistics. However, the digital innovations developed through this competition may support people to gain or remain in voluntary work as a gateway to paid employment.

The end-users of these digital solutions could be the individuals with mental health problems or employers (for example line managers) supporting them to work with individuals to help them remain in or return to work.

For sub-challenge 1, individuals with mental health problems would include those who are in employment, but at risk of exiting the workforce. This includes people who are self-employed.

For sub-challenge 2, individuals with mental health problems would include those who have never been in employment, have recently lost their job or who are looking to return after a career break, for example due to caring responsibilities.

Sub-challenge 3 includes all the above but is specifically targeted at those from disadvantaged backgrounds (ethnic minorities, low income, and/or those with low digital and health literacy).

Note: innovations targeting working parents of children with mental health conditions or neurodevelopmental conditions are not eligible to apply to this competition unless the innovation is targeting mental health conditions of the parents and supporting them to enter/remain in/gain work.

Mental health illnesses are often experienced alongside physical co-morbidities such as obesity or musculoskeletal conditions. The focus of this competition is on digital innovations that will support people with mental health illnesses manage work-related challenges, so they can stay in or gain employment. Management of physical health conditions may be a component within the innovation, but it should not be the primary focus.

This will depend on the innovation. Innovations with the end-user being the person with poor mental health could be commissioned by Integrated Care Systems or NHS England and provided to users in primary care, community care, or secondary care settings. Users may be referred to innovations through NHS Talking Therapy services, for example by Employment Advisors embedded in these services, but please note that existing Digital-Enabled Therapies (tools which deliver a substantial portion of talking therapy online, with the support of a clinician) are out of the scope of this competition.

Innovations could also be commissioned by the government Department for Work and Pensions and provided through Job Centres. Innovations with the end-users of employers may be commissioned directly by employers and offered through their occupational health services.

Your application should include your commercialisation and adoption strategy for the technology and outline your anticipated route to market.

Although there is no specific entry point, proposals should concentrate on activities which will significantly contribute to proving the technical and commercial feasibility and/or enhance the evidence generation in real world settings of the proposed innovation.

While demonstration of proof of concept is not required, the most competitive proposals are those with some data to support the case for further development and illustrate technical feasibility. Project costs can include:

• Labour
• Materials
• Capital equipment
• Subcontractors
• Travel & subsistence
• Indirect costs

Examples of exit points include:

• Demonstrated technical feasibility and minimum viable product developed
• Evidence gathered towards regulatory documentation
• Demonstrated impact that the proposed technology / solution or project would have on the care pathway it is intending to operate in.
• Implementation plans and model for potential regional and national scale up.
• Clear identification of barriers and enablers to implementation and scaling up.
• Market validation on proposed users and strategy for commercial viability and scalability.
• Engagement with relevant partners and key stakeholders (including PPIE) to achieve a sustainable spread of the proposed innovation.
• Business plan developed.
• Health inequalities impact assessment and steps towards equality, diversity and inclusion, and commitment to reduce inequalities.
• Steps towards the carbon neutral strategy and objectives for the NHS.

No, projects must be 12 months maximum in duration.

The video should be no longer than 3 minutes in MP4 format at a maximum file size of 40MB. Please upload the video to the dropbox link provided in the application form.

Yes, it may be eligible. Technologies excluded from this competition are detailed in the challenge brief.

Yes you are eligible to apply if you have been previoulsy funded by SBRI, provided there is no overlap between the funded activities of the projects.

All bids should be made using the SBRI Healthcare Programme Management Office Research Management System (RMS) Application Portal.

You must create a login using your email address and a password.

Please note that all project partners should be invited to the application through the system via email to participate as co-applicants after which they must confirm and approve their participation; the application cannot be submitted without doing so. Please ensure you leave enough time for this – we recommend registering at least 7 days in advance of the competition deadline.

Details of the challenge and expected outcomes of the projects can be found in the project documents. You are strongly advised to read all published competition documents before completing the application form.

Applications may fit multiple sub-categories; however, you may only select 1 category on the application portal so please select the most appropriate. The funding envelope is for the entire competition and funding is based on quality. There is no specific budget allocated to different challenges and categories. Thus, there is no advantage or disadvantage to selecting a specific sub-category theme.

Please note, given the duration of SBRI Healthcare awards, applicants are encouraged to consider what evidence could be feasibly collected within the project duration.

Organisations are welcome to submit more than one application if they have multiple innovations that address the challenge brief and meet the entry criteria. However, there must be significant differences between the innovations submitted and consideration given towards the resources needed to deliver the projects.

Applications (including a 3 min video) will be reviewed and scored by a selected pool of experts according to a set of weighted assessment criteria available in the Invitation to Tender. Proposals under each sub-category will be awarded based on quality; the highest scoring proposals will be awarded funding. In case of equal score, proposals will be further assessed by the Digital Innovation Board which will recommend those that best align with NHS England priorities.

A template application form is available on the Competition 27 webpage.

Applications will be reviewed by a selected pool of experts according to the following weighted
assessment criteria:
• How well does the application address the challenge brief and does the proposed solution benefit patients, the NHS and/or Social Care Sector and the wider market? 20% 
• Are the project plan, deliverables and risk mitigation strategy appropriate? 15% 
• Is the product innovative, will it have a competitive advantage over existing and alternative solutions and are the arrangements surrounding the use and development of Intellectual Property appropriate? 15% 
• Does the proposed project have appropriate commercialisation and implementation plans? 15% 
• Does the proposed innovation have potential to enhance equity of access and does the project include consideration towards patient and public involvement? 10% 
• Have the applicants considered the carbon footprint associated with the proposed innovation in line with the net zero NHS targets by 2045 and does the proposed innovation support the NHS to reach its net zero ambition by considering and contributing to a reduction of carbon emissions? 5% 
• Do the host organisation and project team appear to have the right skills and experience to deliver the project? 15% 
• Are the costs justified and appropriate? 5% 

Questions about SBRI Healthcare competitions should be sent to sbri@lgcgroup.com.

Questions about SBRI as a government programme should be addressed to support@innovateuk.gov.uk.

All applicants must supply:

• 3-minute video pitch in MP4 format at a maximum file size of 40MB.
  We do not expect professionally produced videos (you can use your smartphone), however, please ensure the visual and audio are of good quality. Please upload the video to the Dropbox folder provided in the application form, ensuring the lead applicant and host organisation name is in the file name.
• Finance Spreadsheet
  A template Excel File is provided on the Competition 27 webpage, please complete and attach to your application.
• Gantt Chart (Single side of A4)
• Care Pathway (Single side of A4)
  The care pathway is the journey that a patient with a specific medical condition takes during an episode of healthcare and is often represented as a flow diagram. You should present the existing care pathway and indicate where your innovation would sit within the pathway, or if introducing a novel care pathway, outline the steps involved (i.e. when, how, and by whom it would be accessed).

Additionally mandatory for real-world implementation studies:

• Regulatory approval document/clinical evidence to support innovation (up to 5 sides A4 – as required for stage of development)
• Logic Model (up to 2 sides A4)
  A logic model is a graphic which helps to highlight the key components of an intervention to show how it creates change. You can find out more about logic models in a health and care context on the GOV.UK website.

Optional:

• Additional supporting documents (up to 5 sides A4)
  Additional support documents may include a flow diagram illustrating the study design and the flow of participants, diagrams, pictures etc. If submitting a flow diagram, applicants should also describe complex interventions and controls as accurately and fully as possible within their diagram.