International Health-Tech Pilot Program

13/05/2020

Israel Innovation Authority invites Israeli companies to participate in a pilot with world-leading medical centers, including: Mayo Clinic, Thomas Jefferson University, Hartford HealthCare (HHC), Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité). Winning companies will receive from the Authority financial support of up to 50% of the project’s approved R&D budget.

The Israel Innovation Authority and select world-renowned international hospitals have announced a new partnership via an international Call for Proposals focusing on healthcare pilots. Israeli companies are invited to submit proposals to implement pilot projects and to analyze, adapt and optimize health-focused technologies, services and products in the clinical environments of some of the world’s leading hospitals: Germany’s Charité – Universitätsmedizin and the US’ Mayo Clinic, Hartford HealthCare, and Thomas Jefferson University.

The Israel Innovation Authority’s program will offer financial support of up to 50% of the project’s approved R&D budget. The partnering hospitals will provide in-kind assistance, including use of specialized equipment, access to real-world field conditions, internal services and expertise, specialists, and more.

Avi Luvton, Head of the Israel Innovation Authority’s International Collaborations Division: “Today, when healthcare tops the worldwide agenda, four of the world’s leading medical centers are giving a significant boost to Israel’s healthcare industry –offering a vote of confidence in the abilities of Israeli companies by expressing interest in developing, adopting and integrating Israeli technologies in their diverse medical centers. We’re proud to offer Israeli companies direct access to several large-scale international health organizations for planned collaborative activities. The Israel Innovation Authority, together with these medical centers, strives to promote and support quality collaborations that advance research and healthcare capabilities across a range of fields.”

The goals of this Call for Proposals, in conjunction with these world-leading hospitals, are encouraging global collaboration, accelerating the availability of medical innovations to the public, upping accessibility of Israeli healthcare technologies within the international market, and promoting the development of new discoveries to benefit patients worldwide. Companies chosen through this Call for Proposals will receive a project grant of up to 50% of the approved R&D budget from the Israel Innovation Authority, in addition to access to partnering hospitals’ resources and knowhow in the fields of clinical treatment, clinical research and R&D activities.

The partnering hospital’s in-kind assistance will make a range of resources available, including:

Use of specialized equipment for beta site activities

Access to real-world field conditions for testing innovations

Use of internal services, expertise, knowhow and equipment  

Access to unique data, information systems, devices and skills

The possibility of recruiting patients and / or participants for trials, etc.

Facilitation by experts and consultants, collaborative development and assistance in identifying parameters for examination or potential usages

Assistance with regulatory and legal guidelines to ensure full compliance with the partnering country

Assistance in joint commercialization of the product, such as working with relevant local commercial partners (companies, investors, distributors, etc) linked to the hospital’s network of contacts

Target Companies

The Call for Proposals for collaboration between Israeli companies and the selected international hospitals is aimed at Israeli companies developing technologies, services and products in the healthcare field. Each participating hospital has specific areas of focus:

Charité – Apps for digitized health, wearable medical diagnostic or treatment devices.

Hartford HealthCare (HHC) – Efficient clinical workflow, decision-making support, digitized medical diagnosis and treatment, personalized medical care, remote monitoring, virtual health, improved patient experience, access to health systems.

Mayo Clinic – Innovative medical equipment, software solutions, digital diagnostic and treatment solutions.

Thomas Jefferson – digital health, mobile solutions, medical data technologies, wearable health devices, clinical decision-making support, preventative technologies, digital diagnosis and treatment, staff management, medical materials, in-home hospitalization.

HOW TO SUBMIT THE PROPOSAL

The Call for Proposals involves two stages:

Stage 1: Until July 2, 2020. Submit the EOI (Expression of Interest) form for the collaborative project for one or more of the selected hospitals. Each proposal must relate to one project by one company, but the proposal can be presented for more than one hospital. Submit the proposal by logging in and going to your personalized login page on the Israel Innovation Authority Hebrew website. Please read the project’s guidelines and procedures (Hebrew).

Following the Innovation Authority’s initial review, the EOI form will be transmitted to the relevant hospitals. They will contact companies with whom they are interested in partnering. By the end of August 2020, the Innovation Authority will update companies which have submitted proposals regarding Stage 1 outcomes.

Stage 2: Until September 13, 2020. Companies approved in Stage 1 will work with the partnering hospital on the full proposal which will then be submitted to the Innovation Authority. Relevant companies will receive details on how to submit their proposal.

Conditions and criteria for evaluation: the threshold conditions and criteria for evaluation are fully detailed on the Israel Innovation Authority’s Program for Pilots with Select Institutions page (Hebrew).