Member Article

Funding opportunity for region’s digital healthcare developers

North West firms in the creative and digital sectors working on innovations that could benefit the NHS have the opportunity to apply for extra funding support.

£250,000 is available via investments of between £30,000 and £50,000 to assist in the development of innovative concepts or prototypes using digital technology to improve patient care and health services, and which support the Greater Manchester area.

Funded by Creative England’s Regional Growth Fund, and managed by Creative England in partnership with the Greater Manchester Academic Health Science Network, the North West Interactive Healthcare Fund is for SMEs aiming to bring innovative concepts and/or prototypes to the NHS marketplace.

Examples of projects could be an app that supports innovation in healthier living or a digital solution that supports the arrangement of care for someone with complex requirements that needs to access multiple services.

The fund is targeted at companies with ‘demonstrable high growth potential’ and with the skills and desire to make a step change in their development.

Jim Farmery, Director of Business Development at Creative England, said: “Creative businesses working with mobile technology and app development have the potential to revolutionise the health and wellbeing of patients using the technology we already have at our fingertips.

“This new fund will combine the innovative force of small creative businesses with the expertise at the Greater Manchester Academic Health Science Network, and prove just how powerful creative businesses can be when it comes to cross-sector collaboration and developing products that extend beyond the creative industries themselves.”

Gary Leeming, Associate Director of Informatics at Greater Manchester Academic Health Science Network, said: “The GM AHSN is pleased to be able to work with Creative England on a fund that will help stimulate ideas and innovation in line with our vision for a more connected and healthy society in the Greater Manchester area and beyond.

“This is a great opportunity for us to build better links between our creative enterprises and the NHS to design new applications and ways of working.”

The deadline for expressions of interest is Friday 10 October 2014.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .