Competition Title: Cancer Innovation Challenge – Innovative data science solutions to improve cancer care and outcomes in Scotland - PHASE 2
 

INVITATION TO TENDER (ITT)

This Invitation to Tender should be read in conjunction with other information associated with this competition and is only made available to companies successful in Phase 1. 
 

SUMMARY

Applicants are invited to tender for projects under SBRI to develop Innovative data science solutions to improve cancer care and outcomes in Scotland as outlined in the Competition Brief.

SBRI is operating under Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) principles. PCP is the procurement of research and development of new innovative solutions before they are commercially available. PCP involves different suppliers competing through different phases of development, where the risks and benefits related to the intellectual property rights (IPRs) resulting from the research and development (R&D) with suppliers are shared between the procurers and the suppliers under market conditions.

APPLICATION PROCESS

All bids should be made using the Application Form on the online submissions platform Submittable.

All applications will be treated in confidence.

Details of the background, challenges and expected outcomes of the projects can be found in the Call Brief. Guidance for completing the application form is available on the form itself. 

SBRI provides innovative solutions to challenges faced by the public sector, leading to better public services and improved efficiency and effectiveness. It supports economic growth and enables the development of innovative products and services through the public procurement of R&D.  It generates new business opportunities for companies, provides businesses with a route to market for their ideas and bridges the seed funding gap experienced by many early stage companies.

The competition has two phases. Phase 1 is intended to show the technical feasibility of the proposed concept. The development contracts awarded for Phase 1 was for a maximum duration of 3 months. A total of up to £175,000 (inclusive of VAT) funding was made available and 3 projects of up to £35,000 (inc VAT) each were supported. At this stage contracts will be let for Phase 1 only,   

Phase 2 contracts are intended to develop and evaluate proof of concepts from the more promising technologies in Phase 1, and the total funding will be up to £280,000* (inclusive of VAT).  Phase 2 contracts may be awarded to selected Phase 1 Contractors. Up to two Phase 1 Contractors are expected to be awarded Phase 2 contracts of up to £140,000* (inclusive of VAT) each.  Phase 2 is only open to organisations that have completed Phase 1 and are expected to complete an application process for Phase 2 towards the end of Phase 1. Phase 2 will follow a similar selection process.  Phase 2 contracts are expected to be for a duration of up to 6 months.

The Application Form can only be accessed via the Cancer Innovation Challenge’s Submittable site and the other ITT documents will be accessible to the Phase 1 contractors after 30 April 2018. The online form should be completed and submitted as directed. We strongly advise that you take note of the guidance provided for each question on the application form.

The competition closes at midnight (GMT) on 17 June 2018. All entries must be submitted in accordance with the directions on the Submittable platform 

PLEASE DO NOT SEND COMPLETED APPLICATIONS BY POST OR BY ANY OTHER MEANS THAN AS DIRECTED.

If you have any queries about the application process, please contact info [at] cancerchallengescotland.com (subject: PROMs%20PREMs%20Phase%202%20ITT%20query)

*the amount available for Phase 2 has increased from the original competition brief to £280,000 (inc VAT) – up to two projects to be awarded up to £140,000 (inc VAT) each
 

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JOINT BIDS

Two or more Phase 1 contractors may submit a combined bid for a Phase 2 contract. Conditions for this approach are:

• There must be a clear lead applicant/contractor
• An agreement on potential IP entanglements must be reached by the contractors before submitting an application because once the final decision is made, the Phase 2 contract will be with the lead applicant who will take on responsibility for the contract 

KEY DATES

Applications deadline: Midnight (GMT), 17 June 2018
Interview with Strategic Management Board: 4 July 2018 in Edinburgh
Notification of outcome: 5 July 2018
Contracts awarded: end July 2018
Expected Phase 2 start date: 30 July 2018 (will depend on how quick contracts can be executed - allow for up to 14 days flexibility on this date)
Feedback provided by: Expected mid August 2018 

ASSESSMENT

Applications will be reviewed by the Cancer Innovation Challenge Strategic Management Board.  The Strategic Management Board will make the final funding decision based on three elements:

• End of Phase 1 report
• Phase 2 application form
• Interview (further information available at the bottom of the page)

The decision will be made by the Strategic Management Board on 4 July 2018 after all Phase 1 projects have attended their interview. Contracts will be awarded shortly thereafter.  Feedback to unsuccessful applicants will be given after contracts are awarded.
 

Each element will be assessed by different criteria and a total score (sum of all three elements) will be awarded to each project. Each assessment criteria will also carry a different weighting.

Part A. End of Phase 1 Report Assessment Criteria

Part B. Phase 2 Application Assessment Criteria

Part C. Interview/pitch Assessment Criteria

Successful applicants will be advised according to the published key dates and companies will be expected to mobilise rapidly to start the project and start as close to the Expected Start Date of 30 July 2018 as possible. 

CONDITIONS

The Cancer Innovation Challenge is a Scottish Funding Council funded PCP project led by The Data Lab Innovation Centre at the University of Edinburgh in partnership with Digital Health and Care Institute Scotland (DHI), Stratified Medicine Scotland (SMS), and NHS National Services Scotland. Partners include the Innovative Healthcare Delivery Programme (IHDP), Usher Institute, the NMAHP-RU at University of Stirling and the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland. Contracts will be awarded by The University of Edinburgh acting in its capacity as The Data Lab (as the lead organisation).

By applying, applicants are consenting to the terms and conditions contained in the contract.  The terms of such contract shall ensure that IPRs generated will be retained by the applicant, although, in line with PCP principles, both the University of Edinburgh and NHS National Services Scotland may retain a non-exclusive royalty-free licence to use the IPRs or the right to acquire license rights to such IPRs at a fair market price.

R&D can cover activities such as solution exploration and design, prototyping, up to the original development of a limited by volume of first products or services in the form of a test series. "Original development of a first product or service may include limited production or supply in order to incorporate the results of field testing and to demonstrate that the product or service is suitable for production or supply in quantity to acceptable quality standards". R&D does not include commercial development activities such as quantity production, supply to establish commercial viability or to recover R&D costs, integration, customisation, incremental adaptations and improvements to existing products or processes

The sample contract is made available to applicants as part of the Competition Documents. 

END OF PHASE 2

The Cancer Innovation Challenge cannot guarantee procurement of the Contractor's proposed solution by NHS Scotland or any other party at the end of Phase 2. However, the Cancer Innvoation Challenge will endeavour to expose Phase 2 projects to as many potential routes to market (buyers, investors, enterprise agencies) as possible. 

CONTACT POINTS

Questions and comments are very welcome while the competition is open. Further information on the SBRI Framework can be found here. Questions about the SBRI programme not answered on the page should be addressed to support [at] innovateuk.gov.uk (subject: SBRI%20query)

Questions ON THE CHALLENGES AND SCOPE AND APPLICATION PROCESS of this competition should be addressed to info [at] cancerchallengescotland.com (subject: PROMs%20PREMs%20Phase%202%20ITT%20query)

Once the competition is closed, no further dialogue will be entered into. In order to streamline the process for this competition, feedback to unsuccessful applicants may not be available until after the contracts have been let.

DATA SHARING

Application Handling / Submission of Information/ Information Handling

The Competition is operated by the Cancer Innovation Challenge (@ The Data Lab in the University of Edinburgh) and its partners (DHI, SMS, NHS Services Scotland, IHDP, Usher Institute, NMAHP-RU, University of Edinburgh, University of Stirling, Health & Care Alliance Scotland) with the support of Innovate UK and your submitted application, together with any other information you provide at the application stage, will be deemed to be submitted to the Cancer Innovation Challenge on an individual basis for its storage, processing and use.  Also, any relevant information produced during the application process concerning your application may also be shared by the project partners, for its individual storage, processing and use. This means:

• that any information given to or generated by The Cancer Innovation Challenge in respect of your application may be passed onto to the project partners listed above and vice versa; and
• that the Cancer Innovation Challenge is directly responsible to you for its holding and processing of your information, including any personal data and confidential information, and will be held in accordance with its Information Management Policy and
• that Submittable.com is directly responsible to you for its holding and processing of your information, including any personal data and confidential information, and will be held in accordance with its own policies
• Innovate UK complies with the requirements of current Data Protection Law and is committed to upholding the data protection principles, and protecting your information. Further details with regards to personal data can be found here.  The Information Commissioner’s Office also has a useful guide, for organisations, which outlines the data protection principles. The link to this guide can be found here.

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