Happy New Year from the Mindset-XR Innovator Support team and welcome to the January edition of our newsletter.
This month we are discussing the importance of partnerships in our latest blog and promoting our upcoming webinar on regulation, alongside the usual highlighting of potential fundraising opportunities and other news relevant to innovators.
As always, if you have any comments or suggestions for future newsletters you can get in touch with the team at hin.mindset@nhs.net.
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We are looking forward to our next webinar, 'Demystifying the regulation of XR/VR technologies', which will be held on Tuesday, February 18 2025, from 3 - 4pm.
This free-to-attend online event is being presented by Dr Hugh Harvey (Managing Director, Hardian Health) and Dr Felicity Lock (Clinical Associate, Hardian Health) and will provide innovators with an introduction to the regulation of virtual and extended reality medical devices, focusing on mental health conditions.
Hardian Health will cover the purpose and importance of regulations and share some takeaways that all innovators working in this space should know.
They will also explore the future of UK medical device regulation and the changing regulatory landscape, finishing with plenty of time for a Q&A.
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In this blog written by Senior Project Manager Shilpi Shobowale from the Mindset-XR team at the Health Innovation Network South London, she reflects upon the importance of partnerships, and discusses how the successful integration of XR in mental health care depends on collaboration and careful regulation.
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We're delighted to offer a set of free learning resources designed to help mental health innovators working in the extended reality space navigate some of the challenges associated with transitioning their concepts and ideas into products and interventions.
We have published three sets of on-demand learning resources which cover Medical Regulation (from Hardian Health) Lived experience involvement (from MQ) and Research and clinical evidence (from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London).
There will be further modules coming soon and we will share details of those in forthcoming issues of this newsletter.
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You can find out more about the Mindset-XR Innovator Support Programme by checking our dedicated web pages.
Here you'll find every blog we have published since the start of the programme, alongside information on all our partners, the latest news and a range of other useful resources.
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The UK-APAC Tech Growth Programme
This government-backed initiative has been set up to help UK tech firms grow in the Asia Pacific region, de-risking and accelerating the growth of the sector. The Programme provides support for UK firms to expand in 11 APAC markets: Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea.
If you are a technology startup or scaleup, are headquartered in the UK, and are keen to explore opportunities in APAC, look no further.
Find out more here.
Proposal preparation grants for 2024 and 2025 calls
Innovate UK and the British Academy have funding schemes open for Horizon Europe Pump Priming Grants, to enable SMEs, research organisations and universities in the UK to build partnerships and develop proposals.
Horizon Europe is the EU’s largest research and innovation programme ever, with a budget of over €95 billion for 2021–2027 and offering significant opportunities for accessing new knowledge, partners, markets, and resources.
If you are planning a submission to a 2024 or 2025 Horizon Europe call, one of the below schemes may support the development of your proposal:
- Innovate UK Horizon Europe Pump Priming
UK SMEs can apply for a grant of up to £5000 (Ex-VAT) to help in their preparation for submitting a Horizon Europe proposal for a collaborative opportunity. This could be used to fund attendance at networking events, to contribute to the cost of joining associations and other activities that are solely directed at future Horizon Europe participation.
Find out more here.
- British Academy Horizon Europe Pump Priming
Principal Investigators at universities and research institutions can apply for a grant of up to £10,000 to help them in their preparations for submitting a Horizon Europe proposal for Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe – Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness.
Find out more here.
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Government launches new Business Growth Service
The UK Government has announced the launch of a new Business Growth Service in the first half of 2025, which is designed to make it easier and quicker for SMEs to find government advice and support all under one roof.
The Service will streamline the government’s offer to small firms, and will be an integral part of a new Small Business Strategy that aims to support the Department for Business and Trade's approach to creating a pro-business environment through the Industrial Strategy and the government’s growth mission.
Find out more about what is planned here.
UK Tech SMEs: Driving Economic Growth and Innovation
Tech UK has recently published a report illustrating the critical impact of tech SMEs across the nations and regions.
Find out more and access the report here.
New report: Evaluating Digital Interventions for ADHD Diagnosis and Management in Adults within the UK
This recently published report from the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre explores digital interventions for managing and diagnosing adult ADHD in the UK (excluding Scotland).
Digital Mental Health Innovation Cluster Annual Report 2023 - 24
The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre has also published a report on the progress of Scotland’s Digital Mental Health Innovation Cluster (DMHIC), covering the period August 23 – July 24.
The Scottish Budget 2024
On 4 December, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, Shona Robison MSP, presented her draft Budget to the Scottish Parliament.
Tech UK have analysed what impact the budget will have on the tech sector and you can read the whole budget here.
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Horizon Europe Roadshow: Information, Networking and Collaboration for Success
Cardiff, 28 January, 10am - 4pm
Join Innovate UK in collaboration with the Welsh Government, and the Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in Cardiff for an exciting in-person networking and informative event.
Aimed at innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs looking to elevate their projects with Horizon Europe funding and collaborative opportunities, this event will include panel discussions and breakout sessions with the National Contact Points.
Please visit the Roadshow event page for more information. A Welsh language version is also available.
Innovate UK Ignite Labs: Health & Care Innovations
Newcastle, Sheffield and online, 11 February - 7 March
Applications are open for UK start-ups and SMEs to participate on a free programme of discovery, learning and growth, spread over four weeks.
Participants will explore opportunities for innovation across the health sector and determine how to exploit them using the power of design. The programme includes expert-led workshops, site visits and networking opportunities to develop human-centred solutions.
Find out more here. Applications need to be received by 31 January.
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We hope you have enjoyed this Newsletter. Please feel free to forward on to any contacts you have who you think will find it useful.
If you have received this Newsletter from a colleague and would like to be added to our direct mailing list, please contact us and we will make sure you receive the next issue in February.
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