Technology Support Programme 2

Technology Support Programme 2

The Technology Support Programme 2 (TSP2) brings together innovators developing medical technologies (MedTech) with a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and academics from across Wessex to secure funding for research and evidence generation for the Wessex health and care research system.

TSP2 is supported by both the Wessex Academic Health Science Network (Wessex AHSN) and the Local Clinical Research Network Wessex (CRN Wessex) and will facilitate these working groups. Companies and innovators accepted onto the TSP2 will gain feedback on their innovation from a panel of expert clinicians and academics and go on to apply for significant funding opportunities so they can develop the evidence base for their technologies to meet the region’s health and care needs.

Eligibility for TSP2:

• You must be a UK registered small-to-medium-sized enterprise (SME).
• The innovation of interest will meet the funding opportunity criteria.
• The research will be carried out in the Wessex region (principally in Dorset and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, as defined at the bottom of the Wessex AHSN homepage)

TSP2 helps innovators target specific funding opportunities, namely the NIHR’s Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme of grants, including: 

• Product Development Awards (PDA)
• Challenge Awards 
• Connect
• FAST

PDA and Challenge run two funding competitions a year, launching in autumn and spring, whereas Connect runs one funding competition each year. The full dates for i4i funding competitions are shown in the table below. 

Support for other targeting funding outside of the NIHR i4i programme is also available

The TSP2 journey is divided into five stages:

1. Fill out the application form and AHSN engagement form. 
2. Companies and innovators will be invited to meet with the AHSN and CRN to discuss their innovation and suitability for a collaboration.
3. If selected, companies and innovators will, with the AHSN/CRN, produce an information pack with application documents and highlight areas the innovator requires feedback. This document will be sent out to an expert panel of Wessex clinicians and academics for feedback.  The expert panel will then review the information packs.
4. Selected companies and innovators will be invited to present their innovation to the expert panel. All presenters will receive further feedback, advice and, where appropriate, signposting to other opportunities.
5. The AHSN/CRN will invite successful applicants to form a strong research team with Wessex based clinicians and academics, who will help you apply for the funding. Companies and innovators will be informed of the panel’s decision within five working days of the presentations.

Successful companies will then be part of the TSP2 and will benefit from the following offer:

• Engagement with Wessex clinicians and academics to form a research team to apply for the targeted funding calls.
• Feedback on their innovations and ways in which it may better meet clinical needs.
• A fully funded associate who will provide project management support in the form of coordinating bid writing, liaising with the chief investigators and wider research teams, and ensuring that deadlines are met.

If you are an innovator, start-up, small business or established company and believe could be eligible for one of our open calls, or a clinician or researcher in Wessex who would like to find out more please consider applying and contact Matt Harvey