EIT Health accelerator launches two initiatives to fund innovative health projects
<p>The "Business plan aggregator" awards and the "Headstart" and "Proof of concept" calls for proposals are geared towards business ideas, SMEs, spinoffs and startups</p>
As part of the activity of its "accelerator", the European EIT Health project has just launched two initiatives geared towards business ideas, SMEs, spinoffs and startups to fund innovative health projects committed to the principles of EIT Health: promoting a healthy lifestyle, supporting active ageing and improving quality of life through better healthcare.
The initiatives launched include a call for candidates to the “Business plan aggregator” awards, which will recognize the three best business plans in three categories: medical technology, biotechnology and digital health. The winners in each category will receive a cash prize of €10,000, €3,000 and €2,000, respectively.
Each EIT Health co-location center will be able to choose three projects, so there will end up being 21 finalists. These finalists will receive €3,000 to produce a video pitch for the final, which will take place during the EIT Health Summit in Barcelona on 23 and 24 November this year with national and international investors. The call for candidacies is now open, and the deadline is 31 July.
Additionally, the Spanish node of EIT Health, based at the Barcelona Science Park, is also kicking off two calls for proposals for financial aid to speed up the arrival of products and services to market. “Proof of concept” is geared toward projects and business ideas in the early stages before establishing a company, meaning they don't yet have proof of concept or haven't developed prototypes or services, or those with a clearly market-oriented technological base.
Another variant will also provide funding for projects that are currently participating in health acceleration programs, called “Proof of concept Plus”. Both of them are open to projects or business ideas that can be set up as a company within 12 months of receiving the grant.
The "Headstart" call is geared towards technology-based companies that are clearly market oriented to develop projects, products or services in the field of health. The deadline for the calls is 6 June.
More information on the calls:
- "Business plan aggregator”: http://www.biocat.cat/sites/default/files/call_bpc_fin_2.pdf (applications can be submitted online through this link: http://eithealth.wufoo.eu/forms/eit-health-business-plan-aggregator/)
- “Headstart” and “Proof of concept”: http://eithealth.eu/spanish-clc-2016-headstart-and-proof-of-concept-funding/
Related news:
- Montserrat Vendrell: “With EIT Health we are joining the Premiere League of health innovation in Europe” (10.03.2015)
- Barcelona, ‘co-location center’ for new European Institute of Innovation and Technology KIC in Health (10.12.2014)