Medical technology innovators may be eligible for sizable grant funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
The NIHR has just launched the latest round of its Product Development Awards (PDA) competition, which funds the development of cutting-edge clinical and preclinical medical technologies that address unmet and emerging patient needs.
Key information about the PDA competition:
- Total funding available: Uncapped
- Share of costs funded: Up to 100%
- Deadline: 28 May 2025 for stage one of the application
- Eligible organisations: UK SMEs, higher education institutions, not-for-profits, social care providers and the NHS
This competition is particularly exciting for two reasons. First, there’s no upper limit to the amount of funding a project can receive. Second, you can apply for a grant covering up to 100% of project costs, meaning you don’t need to provide match funding. Both features are relatively rare in the world of innovation grants, making this an excellent opportunity for companies, research institutions, and their partners.
Below, I’ve provided much more detail about who’s eligible for this Invention for Innovation (i4i) scheme and explained what you need to do to apply.
If you’re still not sure whether you should apply or you would like to save yourself a good deal of time and, potentially, confusion, about your eligibility, you can book a free Eligibility and Competitiveness Assessment with me and my colleagues at GrantTree.
In just 30 minutes, we’ll tell you:
- If you’re eligible for a PDA grant
- How competitive we feel your project is, based on our extensive experience with this competition
- What other grants and government funding you’re eligible for
Who is eligible for an NIHR Product Development Award?
To understand whether you’re eligible for a PDA grant, we need to look at both your organisation and your project.
Your organisation
NIHR Product Development Awards are collaborative. This means that your project must be delivered by at least two organisations.
If your project involves a clinical trial, one or more of your partners must be an NHS organisation or a social care provider, who will act as the site for evaluation.
To lead a project, you must be based in the UK and one of the following:
- An SME*
- A Higher Education institution (HEIs)
- A social care provider
- A not-for-profit
- An NHS organisation
For the purposes of this competition, an SME is a company with no more than 250 employees and a turnover of no more than €50 million. Read more about the definition of SMEs for innovation grants.
If you’re applying from an SME or NHS organisation, you can receive a grant covering up to 100% of your project costs. If you’re applying for an HEI, you can apply for up to 80% of your full economic costs.
What kind of projects are eligible?
To qualify for a PDA grant, your project must meet the following criteria:
- Duration: 24-36 months
- Developmental stage entering the project: Experimental proof-of-concept or laboratory-validated. This is the equivalent of Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3-4.
- Stage exiting the product: A laboratory and/or clinically-validated technology, or a technology evaluated in a real-world setting. TRL 4-6.
In addition, your proposal must include:
- Strong patient and public involvement
- A commercial strategy encompassing, amongst other areas, regulatory pathways, IP management and commercial barriers
- A plan for adoption by the NHS or social care systems
How do I apply for the NIHR PDA competition?
Let’s assume you, your project and your partner are eligible for a PDA grant (you can find out for sure by speaking to GrantTree), how do you actually apply?
Two-stage application process
The application for a PDA grant has two stages. The first stage, the outline application, is open now and closes on 28 May at 1 pm.
If you pass the outline application, you’ll be invited to stage 2, the full application, later this year.
Research plan
The biggest part of the outline application is your research plan, which has three sections.
- Background and rationale – This includes the problem you’re trying to address, how your project aligns with the aims of the competition, and the likely impact of your research
- Aims and objectives – The questions and key aims of your project
- Methodology/plan – A detailed description of your proposed project, including your research team, key milestones, and commercialisation plans
You must describe your research plan in no more than 7 pages, including schematics, tables, graphs, etc. Applications are made via the Award Management System.
Get expert help on your application
The NIHR’s latest PDA competition is a fantastic opportunity for companies working on a medical innovation that has the potential to achieve commercial success while making meaningful improvements to patients’ lives.
However, like all NIHR grants, the latest Product Development Award is bound to be extremely competitive, receiving applications from dozens, if not hundreds, of innovative organisations, only a small percentage of which will win funding.
That’s where GrantTree comes in. We have 15 years’ experience securing game-changing grants for innovative UK companies, winning more than £100 million for our clients, including a number of recent successful i4i PDA bids.
We offer a suite of services designed to suit a range of budgets and levels of support, ranging from a comprehensive review of your application conducted by a working NIHR assessor to our all-in Full Service Write, where our experts prepare your submission from the ground up.
To find out more about how we could help you maximise your chances of winning a grant, while saving you time and stress, just get in touch. My colleagues and I are here to help!
