Launchpad FAQs

The DigitalHealth.London Launchpad programme is for London-based digital health companies with a product or service that has high potential to meet the current challenges facing the NHS and social care and is nearing launch into the market.
 
The Accelerator programme is for companies that have a product or service that has already been piloted in the NHS and is ready to scale.

The programme will provide approximately 12 hours of support to participants over a 12-week period.
Support will consist of:

In-depth Workshops – Sharpen your skills in pitching, communication, NHS intricacies, funding dynamics, intellectual property, regulatory compliance, and evidence generation.

Personalised 1:1 Guidance – Our team consists of experts with firsthand NHS clinical and operational experience. Gain unique insights into the NHS and social care systems tailored to our programme.

Strategic Advice – Tap into the collective wisdom of our founding and strategic partners, offering diverse expertise in healthcare innovation. Benefit from insights spanning medical, health and care systems, and commercial realms to propel your product development.

The Launchpad does not provide direct funding and cannot formally advise on funding or make specific introductions.

Subject to government guidelines, the Launchpad programme will be a hybrid programme, involving mainly virtual delivery with opportunities for face-to-face sessions where appropriate. We continue to work in partnership with our companies to design our Launchpad programme to ensure the format works for them. 

It is increasingly important that digital solutions address both health and social care problems, and the DigitalHealth.London Launchpad accepts applications from companies offering solutions in both the health and social care sectors. DigitalHealth.London has supported several companies in the social care space and has relationships with key stakeholders enabling us to deliver a programme that meets the needs of companies and the developing integrated care landscape.

Companies are invited to apply for the programme through an application form. Applications will be scored by DigitalHealth.London team members before shortlisting. Shortlisted candidates will be offered an interview with the DigitalHealth.London team.

At both the application form stage and at the interview, applications will be scored for their suitability for participation in the DigitalHealth.London Launchpad in three areas:
– Credibility of the company to develop and launch a product to the health and care ecosystem by April 2024
– NHS need for the product or process
– Potential of the company to benefit from the programme

1. To be eligible to take part, companies must fit the definition of a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME), as provided by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK Government. According to this definition, an SME is defined as a business that has fewer than 250 employees and a turnover of less than €50 million (approximately £43 million) or a balance sheet total less than €43 million (approximately £37 million). If you are not sure whether you meet the criteria, we will be able to make a judgment based on your responses to questions in the application form.

2. Companies need to be registered with Companies House. We unfortunately cannot accept sole traders or charities to this cohort of the Launchpad programme, due to restrictions on the current source of funding.

3. Companies wishing to take part in the DigitalHealth.London Launchpad must be based in London, through a dedicated London office or a shared working space with a commitment to doing business in London.

4. Participation in the DigitalHealth.London Launchpad programme qualifies as Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) under the Subsidy Control Act (2022). The estimated value of the MFA provided through the DigitalHealth.London Launchpad Programme is £3,000. Companies must ensure that this sum does not exceed the Subsidy Control Statutory Guidance MFA threshold of £315,000 over the current and preceding two financial years, as outlined in section 36(1) of the Subsidy Control Act (2022). As part of the application process, companies must confirm that they have not received more than £312,000 (£315,000 minus the value of this subsidy of £3,000) in MFA subsidies or similar types of subsidies (refer to section 42(8) of the Subsidy Control Act) between 1 April 2020 and the current date.

At DigitalHealth.London and the Health Innovation Network for South London (HIN), we are dedicated to championing equality and diversity. We strive to be a fair and inclusive employer and are actively working to become an anti-racist organisation. Our core principles revolve around fostering a psychologically safe environment that embodies our values: brave, open, together, kind and different.

All our staff have undergone the following mandatory Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training (provided by our internal teams or those at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust):
– Microaggressions
– Beyond Bias
– Cultural Competency
– Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
– HIN Academy: Anti-racism Acclimatisation

You can find out more about our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work here.

Where possible, a diverse panel will be used to review applications and at interviews. Diverse panels are a recruitment approach that involves including individuals from a range of diverse backgrounds and experiences in the selection process. The goal is to ensure that the selection process for a role is fair and inclusive and that all qualified candidates have an equal opportunity to succeed.

We strive to ensure that applications are reviewed and applicants are interviewed by a group of people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. The goal is to ensure that the selection process for our programmes is fair and inclusive and that all applicants have an equal opportunity to succeed. Any data captured in the application process is used to measure how we are supporting the needs of the UK’s diverse business communities and is treated as confidential.

In line with the UK Shared Prosperity Fund guidelines, the definition of diverse backgrounds includes individuals who identify as being from Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic communities, the global majority, female, and/or disabled.

Global majority refers to people who are Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, and/or have been referred to as “ethnic minorities”.

The definition for disability is ‘A mental and/or physical impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to lead activities in everyday life. A disability can be visible (seen) or invisible (hidden)’ (The Equality Act 2010). A mental impairment could include neurodiverse conditions. 

The Launchpad programme is for digital health companies with a product or service that has high potential to meet the current challenges facing the NHS and social care today and are nearing launch into the health and social care market. Companies must be ready to launch their product by April 2024. Replay our Launchpad 101 Webinar here.

The benefit received by your Company from the DigitalHealth.London Launchpad programme will be classified as Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) under the Subsidy Control Act (2022). The amount of Minimal Financial Assistance that your Company will receive through the DigitalHealth.London Launchpad Programme is estimated to be worth the equivalent of £3,000.

Before making the payment, we will require written confirmation that receipt of the payment will not exceed your Company’s Subsidy Control Statutory Guidance MFA threshold of £315,000 cumulated over this and the previous two financial years, as specified in section 36(1) of the Subsidy Control Act (2022). This means you must confirm that you have not received more than £312,000 (£315,000 minus the value of this subsidy of £3,000) in MFA subsidies or comparable types of subsidies (see section 42(8) of the Subsidy Control Act) between 1 April 2020 and the date you submit your application.

We take this opportunity to remind you that you are required to keep a written record of the amount of MFA you have received and the date/s when it was received. The written record must be kept for at least three years beginning with the date on which the MFA was given. This will enable you to respond to future requests from public authorities on how much MFA you have received and whether you have reached the cumulative threshold.

See here for more information: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/23/enacted

Our X (formerly known as Twitter) and LinkedIn channels should provide all the information you need. Follow us on both platforms to find out when the next information event will be taking place.

Replay our Launchpad 101 Webinar here.

Should you still have any questions, please email info@digitalhealth.london with any queries and someone from the team will be happy to help you. In the unlikely event we are unable to answer your question over email, we will happily set up a call with an appropriate team member.

Unfortunately, once you have submitted your application, you are unable to edit your answers. We recommend applicants review and proofread applications before submitting them.  

Due to the large number of applications we receive, we do not offer feedback if applicants are not successful at the application review stage. All unsuccessful interviewees are offered a feedback call with a panel member.