CFAs: Launchpad Life and Health Sciences, Northern Ireland – Rd2 MFA (UK)

Aims

• The aim of this competition is to support outstanding innovation projects led by businesses. Your business must use the funding to grow your innovation activities in the life and health sciences cluster in Northern Ireland both during and after your project.

Themes

• Your project can focus on one or more of the following:
  • Diagnostics, therapeutics and biomarkers
    • multi-omics
    • medical imaging
    • liquid biopsy
    • biomarker or genetic testing
    • diagnostic or therapeutic development
  • Data, digital and medical devices
    • point-of-care testing
    • wearable or ambient sensors
    • clinical trials decision support
    • augmented reality
    • digital health
  • Innovations in healthcare service delivery
    • health service productivity
    • integrated care platforms
    • remote rehabilitation
  • Your project can also consider the following enabling areas:
    • artificial intelligence, machine learning, quantum
    • advanced therapies, novel formulation or delivery
    • regulation or ethics
    • supporting innovation in skills development
• These lists are not exhaustive.
• Where you can show your proposal fits within the scope of this Launchpad competition you can focus on other themes.

Funding Information

• They have allocated up to £4.3 million to fund innovation projects across the two strands of this Launchpad competition for Northern Ireland.
• Funding will be in the form of a grant.
• The total funding available for this Launchpad competition can change. The funders have the right to:
  • adjust the funding allocations between all Launchpad competitions and strands
  • apply a ‘portfolio’ approach
• Your total project costs will be up to 100% funded up to the maximum grant of £100,000. If your grant funding request exceeds the £100,000 maximum then your application will be made ineligible. Your project costs can be higher than your grant funding request.
• have a grant funding request between £25,000 and £100,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• Your project
  • Your project must:
    • last between 6 and 12 months
    • carry out all of its project work in the UK
    • intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
    • not start before 1 April 2025
    • end by 30 June 2026
  • Projects must always start on the first of the month, even if this is a non-working day. You must not start your project until your Grant Offer Letter has been approved by Innovate UK. Any delays within Project Setup may mean they need to delay your project start date.
  • You must only include eligible project costs in your application.
  • You will be made ineligible if you exceed the Minimal Financial Assistance limit. You must submit a complete declaration as part of your application.
• Lead organisation
  • Your business must:
    • be a UK registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
    • not have previously been awarded funding from the Round 1 De minimus or MFA competition for this Northern Ireland Launchpad
    • be growing your innovation activities in the life and health sciences cluster in Northern Ireland
    • have a demonstrable ambition for business growth
• Subcontractors
  • Subcontractors are allowed in this competition.
  • Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK and you must select them through your usual procurement process.
  • They expect all subcontractor costs to be justified and appropriate to the total eligible project costs. They will not accept a cheaper cost as a sufficient reason to use an overseas subcontractor.
• Number of applications
  • A business can lead on only one MFA strand application for this competition. Any subsequent applications submitted by the same business will be ineligible and will not be forwarded for assessment.
  • You are not eligible to apply to this Round 2 MFA competition if you led a successful application to the Northern Ireland Launchpad Round 1 De minimus or MFA competition.
  • If you apply to the CR&D strand of this competition, as well as this MFA strand, each project must be clearly distinctive and separate. They will monitor closely for this separation if you are awarded funding in both competition strands.
• Sanctions
  • This competition will not fund you, or provide any financial benefit to any individual or entities directly or indirectly involved with you, which would expose Innovate UK or any direct or indirect beneficiary of funding from Innovate UK to UK Sanctions. For example, through any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any entity as lead, partner or subcontractor related to these countries, administrations and terrorist groups.
• Use of animals in research and innovation
  • Innovate UK expects and supports the provision and safeguarding of welfare standards for animals used in research and innovation, according to best practice and up to date guidance.
  • Applicants must ensure that all of the proposed work within projects, both that in the UK and internationally, will comply with the UKRI guidance on the use of animals in research and innovation.
  • Any projects selected for funding which involve animals will be asked to provide additional information on welfare and ethical considerations, as well as compliance with any relevant legislation as part of the project start-up process. This information will be reviewed before an award is made.

For more information, visit Innovate UK.