Innovation in Healthy Ageing Devon

How will we do it?

Small to medium enterprise’s (SME’s) and social enterprises will be supported to provide innovative solutions to the challenges affecting how people age in Devon including Plymouth and Torbay. 

These ideas could be for new technology, applications for existing technology, services, models or processes. 

The programme will provide an opportunity to work collaboratively and apply for funding to develop ideas. 

Collaborative Groups whose innovations have the most potential will be offered the following support to work up their ideas:

Student Placements, Up to fifteen students will be available to work with these groups. This will be funded by the project itself.

If you are interested in hosting a student, please contact Dr John Tredinnick-Rowe for further details.

Challenge Fund, Collaborative groups will have the opportunity to bid into a challenge fund. Groups will need to provide 40 per cent of the total expenditure they are bidding for.

Practical and Specialist Health Innovation Support, Collaborative groups will be able to receive practical and specialist health innovation support. A minimum of 12 hours support will be provided during the programme lifetime.

N.B. Collaborative Groups will be able to take up the most suitable combination of the three support activities offered; based upon their project idea. Collaborative Groups will also need to appoint a project lead. The project lead will be the organisation who applies for funding.

Who is involved?

• Devon County Council (Programme Lead)
  
• South West Academic Health Science Network
  
• West Devon Business Information Point
  
• University of Plymouth
  

How can I take part?

To be eligible for the programme your organisation should:

• Be classed as a small / medium sized enterprise; employing fewer than 250 people; or a legally constituted social enterprise.
  
• Have an annual turnover of less than €50m (approx. £42m).
  
• Have a balance sheet value of less than €43m (approx £36m).
  
• Be less than 25 per cent owned by another company or combination of companies.
  
• Have received less than €200,000 of public funding in the last three years. 
  

Next steps:

Register your interest and find out more about the programme.

Or email: innovationinhealthyageing@devon.gov.uk

Events

We have two public events in March 2018 to help SMEs, students, patients, academics and other stakeholders engage with this project. 

On 1 March 2018, we will meet to identify the issues for Devon in terms of health ageing. 

On 23 March 2018, we are holding a student and SME focussed event where as a group we will identify solutions to these problems. This event will form the basis for SMEs to submit an expression of interest in the project. 

Tickets for both events can be booked using the following links:

1 March 2018: Innovation in Healthy Ageing Challenges - Event 1: Choosing the Challenges

Collumpton Community Centre, Pye Corner, Cullompton EX15 1JX 

23 March 2018: Innovation in Healthy Ageing Challenges – Event 2: Solution Event

Rolle C605, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA

We look forward to seeing you there. 

We are looking for students to undertake placements

We are looking for students from engineering, art and design, life sciences and health professions to take up placements with Devon based companies to help develop these new products or services. In short, you will be helping companies pilot new products and be part of the innovation process. 

This might take many different forms, from engineering and computing students helping with the coding Apps, or art and design students helping with the marketing and design features of products, or clinical students such as nurses helping the companies understand patients, and how healthcare is delivered. 

You will get paid for your placement, and the companies themselves have access to a £450,000 Challenge Fund to help develop the ideas you will be working on.

If you an undergraduate or postgraduate student at the University of Plymouth and are interested, please get in touch and we will work with you to find you a placement. 

Further information, FAQs and contact details