Funding competition SBRI Glasgow: technology for monitoring risk management at home
Organisations can apply for a share of up to £150,000 to develop a remote digital alarm monitoring system to help people with complex needs manage risks at home.
- Competition opens: Monday 19 February 2018
- Registration closes: Wednesday 25 April 2018 12:00pm
This competition is now closed.
Competition sections
Description
Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) recognises that digital technology can help make its services more personal. It can give people more power to manage their own health but it requires change and investment in new technologies and services.
Due to current market pressures in the social care sector there is compelling evidence of the need to develop care services using digital technology, known as ‘telecare’. This provides an opportunity for Glasgow to trial and, if successful, roll out a future proof digital solution. This solution should allow citizens to live independently within their own home and minimise the need for intervention or escalation by care agencies.
A number of existing solutions are already being used within the digital health sector. Examples of new technology includes ambient sensors, GPS trackers and video technology. Although these products work in isolation, they do not currently combine with the main telecare platform used in Glasgow.
This is phase 1 of a 2-phase competition. Phase 2 is dependent on the success of this phase.
Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership has been awarded funding from the Can Do innovation challenge fund to run this SBRI competition.
Funding type
Procurement
Project size
We expect projects to range in size up to total costs of £30,000 including VAT per organisation.
Find out if you are eligible to apply
To lead a project, you must:
- be an organisation, of any size
- work alone or with others (businesses, research base or third sector)
- be able to test your solution in Glasgow and demonstrate how it can combine with the existing telecare platform
Projects we won't fund
In this competition, we are not funding projects covering:
- solutions that do not meet the definition of a digital solution outlined within the Analogue to Digital report commissioned by the Scottish Government’s Technology Enabled Care programme
- technology that is unable to connect to the existing Telecare platform used in Glasgow
- service provision of overnight care
Funding and project details
The overall programme will be delivered over 2 phases. This is phase 1 of a potential 2-phase competition. A decision to proceed with phase 2 will depend on the outcomes from phase 1. Only successful applicants from phase 1 will be able to take part in phase 2.
Phase 1: feasibility study resulting in a technical and commercial specification and detailed design package for a digital solution
The first phase involves research and development contracts being awarded to demonstrate technical feasibility of the proposed solution. A total of up to £150,000, including VAT, is allocated to phase 1 of the competition.
It is anticipated that the feasibility study research and development (R&D) contracts will be in the region of up to £30,000 including VAT. This is for each project for up to 6 months. We expect to fund up to 5 projects. The assessors will consider fair value in making their evaluation.
Based on the research and development (R&D) work you will submit detailed technical, financial and design specifications.
The financial business case should include figures for the future investment needed for the phased roll out of this solution on a much wider scale.
We would welcome bids that bring together a consortium of sector specialists.
Phase 2: research and development contracts, prototype development and testing resulting in prototype installation to test functionality
The second phase involves up to 2 R&D contracts being awarded to businesses chosen from the successful phase 1 applicants. Up to £150,000, including VAT, will be allocated for each contract, in order to develop a prototype and undertake field testing.Competition scope
Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership is being supported in this competition by the Can Do innovation challenge fund.
Globally, telecare is continuously evolving through the introduction of new technology. This is a reaction to a growing population in retirement age and changing family structures, including low birth rates.
A number of telecare solutions that are already used within the digital health sector include ambient sensors, GPS trackers and video technology. Although these products work in isolation, they do not currently combine with the main telecare platform used in Glasgow.
One example is Glasgow’s infrastructure of door contacts and property exit sensors. These devices are:
- analogue based
- not interoperable with other technology available
- limited in their ability to identify risks that may arise when staff resources are reduced and services reconfigured
Your project must develop a remote digital alarm monitoring system. It must help with the management of risks in the home experienced by people who have complex needs.
It must be a robust digital solution that allows all users to live independently within their own homes, with reduced reliance on publicly funded interventions. It will highlight risks remotely and link in to Glasgow’s existing telecare platform. This will allow Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership to respond appropriately.
The project should produce the following results.
Technical design specification package
Include a detailed technical specification for your solution.
Commercial or financial specifications
Include the specifications of the full investment required, such as equipment costs and installation costs.
R&D methodology and final report
Outline all R&D you have undertaken. Give evidence that the end solution can meet the requirements. Present the R&D stage in a final detailed report outlining the whole process undertaken.
Your application must have at least 50% of its contract value attributed directly and exclusively to R&D services. R&D can cover solution exploration and design. It can also include prototyping and field-testing the product or service.
R&D does not include:
- commercial development activities such as quantity production
- supply to establish commercial viability or to recover R&D costs
- integration, customisation or incremental adaptations and improvements to existing products or processes
Specific competition themes
The solution you propose must:
- be easy to use and understand for people with disabilities and age related restrictions such as poor mobility, hearing or eyesight
- highlight risks consistently and safely
- connect to the existing platform so the user can access the services they need, regardless of supplier
- cost effective, as social care budgets are under significant pressure
- efficient to install and maintain, with a ‘plug and play’ design that does not need heavy battery management
- meet the definition of a ‘digital solution’ outlined in the Analogue to Digital report commissioned by the Scottish Government’s Technology Enabled Care programme
- 19 February 2018
- Competition opens
- 14 March 2018
- Briefing event. Download the documents.
- 25 April 2018 12:00pm
- Registration closes
- 2 May 2018 12:00pm
- Competition closes
Before you start
- the lead applicant must register online by clicking on the register button at the top of this page. Please note that you must complete a separate registration for each proposal submitted
- read the invitation to tender which will be available for you to download from our secure site after registration
- attend the briefing event in Glasgow for potential applicants on 14 March 2018
- complete and upload your online application for phase 1. You must complete a separate form for each innovation proposed
We will not accept late submissions. Your application is confidential.
A selected panel of experts will assess the quality of your application. We will then choose the best proposals from those that meet the aims of this competition.Guidance for applicants
Background and further information
Glasgow wants to meet the support needs of people who want to stay in their homes and communities.
People have a right to their own private space and to be able to choose how they manage their own risks. Glasgow is determined to shift the balance of care through the use of technology and support services. Carers are important to help us achieve this objective.
Technology can be applied directly and indirectly by carers. It relieves the pressure on family by giving peace of mind and identifying when help is needed, saving extra visits. Without it carers are more likely to get exhausted, which can increase the chances of people being admitted to care or needing a long stay in hospital.
The Scottish Government’s International Landscape Review found there are very few examples of digital telecare deployments in the world. There are deployments based on digital technology but these are limited in scale and number. They also tend to be deployed as standalone solutions, separate from the main telecare systems.
As there is currently no digital solution available, if this project is successful its output will be highly marketable. The Scottish Government’s National Telehealth and Telecare Delivery Plan set out a goal of enabling greater choice and control in healthcare and wellbeing services for an additional 300,000 people. That number offers a significant potential market in Scotland alone.
About SBRI competitions
SBRI provides innovative solutions to challenges faced by the public sector. This can lead to better public services and improved efficiency and effectiveness. SBRI supports economic growth and enables the development of innovative products and services. It does this through the public procurement of research and development (R&D). SBRI generates new business opportunities for companies and provides a route to market for their ideas. It also bridges the seed funding gap experienced by many early-stage companies.
Further help and information
You can find information on how to enter this competition in the invitation to tender document, which is available for download on our secure site after registration.
If you want help to find a project partner, contact the Knowledge Transfer Network
If you need more information, contact the competition helpline on 0300 321 4357 or email us at support@innovateuk.gov.uk
Questions on the scope of this competition should be addressed to either johnac.campbell@glasgow.gov.uk OR glenda.cook@glasgow.gov.uk
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