The Government’s Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), managed by the Technology Strategy Board helps early-stage, high technology SMEs gain greater access to R&D opportunities by supporting the needs of Government Departments.

Government departments buy Research and Development services using public contracts (procurement), bringing new technologies to market, which can lead to the possibility of future commercial contracts in the public sector.

A pilot SBRI competition with the Department of Health (DH) on Healthcare Associated Infections is now open, with two topics:

1. Hand Hygiene. We are looking for technologies for improving hand hygiene effectiveness, compliance or both, in hospital wards.
2. Pathogen detection in the hospital environment. We are looking for a test for product residue that gives rapid results to facilitate immediate corrective action, yet is simple enough to be performed on the ward without the need for recourse to a laboratory.

This competition closes at noon on 24 November 2008.

Suppliers are invited to tender for contracts to develop technology to meet DH's requirements in these areas. Details of the Invitation to Tender, Technical Specification, Application Form and Guidance Notes are available from:

http://www.nihr-ccf.org.uk/site/programmes/i4i.

Further SBRI competitions will be announced via the Technology Strategy Board website in the coming months. Following early evaluation of the pilots in the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Health, we anticipate full roll-out of the reformed model to other Departments in April 2009. More information is available on the Technology Strategy Board website:
www.innovateuk.org/deliveringinnovation/smallbusinessresearchinitiative.ashx.