ACTIS (South East Midlands) - Medilink Midlands

THIS PROJECT HAS NOW PASSED. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CURRENT SUPPORT AVAILABLE THROUGH MEDILINK MIDLANDS, CLICK HERE

Through the ACTIS programme, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network, we offered support to SME’s to innovate products, services and processes. To help innovators on their innovation journey this project offered high-quality advisory support & the opportunity to attend a variety of events.

The ACTIS project offered three types of grants for business:

Innovation Support Grants

of up to £20,000

at an average contribution from us of 30%, to procure external suppliers*, or to engage new specialist staff;

Specialist Networking Grants

of up to £3,000

at a maximum contribution from us of up to 50%, to help overcome barriers to engaging in sector specific conferences and events

Med Tech Trials

of up to £50,000

at a maximum contribution from us of 50% to support trials and evaluation of new products

About the project:

WHY:
The aims of the project are focused on improving the economic performance of the Life Sciences sector within the locality of SEMLEP, by enabling SMEs to increase their competitive advantage through innovation and stimulating interaction between business, research entities and the NHS.

HOW:
By providing a mixture of access to high value cutting edge Life Science sector specific expertise; cross-sectoral expertise from universities; grant funding; and networking opportunities. The total cost of the project is £2,577,097.21, of which £1,288,548.61 is ERDF value.

RESULT:
This will enable established SMEs to flourish and grow by introducing new products and services that benefit from: innovations, identified clinical needs and incorporation or utilisation of cutting-edge technologies. New jobs will be created and new businesses will be established. The project’s ultimate success will be measured by the degree to which innovation is embedded in business.

PROJECT PARTNERS:
Led by Medilink EM in partnership with Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN) and The Open University.