i4i Product Development Awards (PDA)

The aim of the Invention for Innovation (i4i) Product Development Awards (PDA) is to achieve benefits to patients and end users, de-risk technologies, and make them attractive to follow-on funders, investors, and buyers, in particular NHS commissioners and national guidance bodies.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is looking for the following types of projects:

• Product development required to enable technologies for clinical use or use in social care.
• Clinical development of a laboratory-validated technology.
• Real-world evaluations to accelerate the development and uptake of innovative products, which have already demonstrated safety and efficacy.

The lead organisation must be based in the UK. Eligible organisations are:

• NHS and social care service providers, including trusts, primary care and community care providers, and tertiary care centres.
• Higher education institutions (HEI), including universities and research institutes.
• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a staff headcount no greater than 250 and an annual turnover no greater than €50 million, including start-up or spin-out companies.
• Not-for-profit organisations, including charities and community interest companies.

Projects must include a collaboration of at least two organisations and may include two or more of the same organisation type. If support for a clinical trial is requested, one or more of the partners must be an NHS organisation or social care service provider that will act as the site(s) for evaluation.

The i4i programme operates a two-stage application process: outline and full application.