Support for Europe’s leading Health ICT SMEs

Topic description

Specific Challenge:

The business environment and sustainable business models for eHealth SMEs have been a major challenge when introducing innovations in new healthcare delivery. Helpful findings are already available in similar support measures, e.g., Get eHealth^[1], iLink^[2] and existing private support activities for SMEs.

The scope is co-ordinating post R&D and offering support for developing business models, improving the maturity of the new products emerging from Europe’s leading Health ICT SMEs, developing a pro-innovation approach to address legal conditions in Europe and globally on a case-by-case basis. The selected project will build up and maintain a support structure for the SMEs including but not limited to the following elements:

a) Support for networked opportunities in collaboration with high calibre third parties

b) eHealth specific networking events organised by the project

c) Support for training of the staff of the SMEs

d) Professional assistance improving the maturity of the business for further investment purposes

e) Support addressing legal challenges

f) Support addressing issues related to registration and certification.

Synergies between the Enterprise Europe Network and the relevant sector groups are encouraged.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of up to EUR 3 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

• Evidence of positive business outcome based on e.g., networking activities and ecosystems including various types of business opportunities (e.g., venture and crowd funding, European Investment Fund).
• Demonstration of success with the investors.
• Reduction of market failures.
• Successful business models including sustainable co-operation with the demand side in the value chain.
• Increased useful options for patients and citizens to manage their health.
• Optimisation of the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare provision, personalised medicine/personalised health and consumer health across Europe.
• Successful legal outcome fostering the innovation in eHealth sector.
• Self-sustaining support structures for eHealth SMEs.

[1]Delivering Growth to eHealth business,http://www.get-ehealth.eu/

[2]European Network of ICT Law Incubators,http://lincup.eu/