Evidence Generator Bootcamp FAQs

In line with NHS England and NICE policy, high-quality evidence is crucial for digital health companies’ success, yet generating effective, relevant evidence remains a significant challenge. The DigitalHealth.London Evidence Generator Bootcamp offers digital health companies a unique opportunity to identify their evidence requirements and navigate the challenges of evidence generation with expert support from the NHS, academia and industry.

Following the application process, up to 15 SMEs that have products or services with high potential to meet NHS and social care challenges and who have identified evidence generation as a priority focus will be offered a place on the programme.

The 12-week DigitalHealth.London Evidence Generator Bootcamp provides a unique opportunity for digital health companies to pinpoint their evidence needs and navigate the complexities of evidence generation through expert support.

DigitalHealth.London will also be holding a 101 Webinar to provide interested parties a chance to directly engage with members of the programme delivery team on Monday 12 March, 2024:
https://bit.ly/dhlbootcamp

The programme will last for 12 weeks. We will be providing approximately 14 hours of supervised support (workshops and one-to-one sessions) and recommend approximately one hour per week of self-directed learning. You are required to attend at least 12 hours of supervised support if you are eligible for a fully-funded place.

The programme is for digital health companies that are about to or have launched their product into the NHS in the UK, and are committed to driving their evidence generation forward. Places will be offered enterprises that have products or services with high potential to meet NHS and social care challenges. Only London-based companies will be eligible to apply for a fully-funded place on the programme.

Companies on the programme will attend a series of virtual events over the 12 weeks including educational workshops, webinars and pitching sessions. The remotely delivered programme will provide peer support opportunities, access to expert advice, practical exercises and brokering of collaborative relationships. It will address the fundamental issues of why evidence generation needs to be core to the companies’ business plans, help them decide their evidence generation priorities and plan their evidence generation journey.
 
The companies on the programme will be expected to attend virtual onboarding events and workshops at the following times and dates:

– Tuesday, 9 April 2024 (Onboarding)
– Thursday, 18 April 2024
– Thursday, 2 May 2024
– Thursday, 16 May 2024
– Tuesday, 4 June 2024
– Final workshop date TBC

Additional virtual one-to-one meetings, expert sessions and peer support opportunities will be arranged further to these times.

DigitalHealth.London is at the forefront of evidence generation with more than eight years of experience, key expertise and extensive networks. Since 2016, our award-winning programmes have supported over 232 digital health innovators and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at the forefront of transforming health and care.

Feedback from the first cohort of the DigitalHealth.London Evidence Generator Bootcamp gave the programme an ‘Excellent’ score, with 100% of the companies willing to repeat the programme. Participants have described the programme as “fantastic”, “making evidence generation much more simple” and giving “clarity, structure and support to generate evidence”.

As evidence generation continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing digital health companies, DigitalHealth.London believes that running this programme will continue to help SMEs and their innovations succeed within the NHS.

The DigitalHealth.London Evidence Generator Bootcamp programme 2024 will be run virtually, with all workshops taking place on Zoom. 

It is increasingly important that digital solutions address both health and social care problems, and the DigitalHealth.London Evidence Generator Bootcamp accepts applications from companies offering solutions in both the health and social care sectors.

DigitalHealth.London does not invest in companies or take any equity.

The Evidence Generator Bootcamp focuses specifically on supporting digital health companies with their evidence generation through a concentrated 12-week programme of workshops and content.

DigitalHealth.London’s Accelerator is a 12-month programme which supports companies across a broader range of areas including evidence generation, but also working with the NHS, refining products, market navigation and much more. The Launchpad programme is a 12-week programme for earlier stage companies, supporting them to launch a new product into the NHS. 
 
The Evidence Generator Bootcamp specifically focuses on evidence generation for digital health companies, which differs from the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) which is a broader national spread and adoption programme for healthcare innovations (not just digital innovation).
 
The SBRI Healthcare programme provides funding to develop innovations that meet the challenges facing the healthcare system. The DigitalHealth.London Bootcamp works with companies who have already developed solutions.
 
Companies are able to take part in the Evidence Generator Bootcamp at the same time as the NIA or SBRI programmes.

Following the completion of support, all programme participants join a growing number of companies as a DigitalHealth.London alumnus. The team encourages alumni companies to keep in touch.

In order to ensure a personalised and high-quality experience from participating in the Bootcamp we will be limiting the numbers on this programme to under 20 companies – so we will select companies competitively.

We will allow one named participant from each company to attend the Bootcamp. The programme will be most beneficial if this person remains the same throughout the programme, however we will encourage substitution in the case of resignation or sickness.

Companies are invited to apply for the programme through our application platform: https://healthinnovationhub.smapply.io/prog/digitalhealthlondon_evidence_generation_bootcamp_programme/

Applications will be scored by the DigitalHealth.London team members before shortlisting. Shortlisted candidates will then 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 Evidence Generator Bootcamp programme in three areas:

1. Relevance to the NHS and Social Care Ecosystem
2. Motivation and ability to participate in the Bootcamp and potential to benefit from the programme
3. Business Credibility

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 on this Evidence Generator Bootcamp programme, due to restrictions on the current source of funding.
 
3. Companies wishing to take part in the DigitalHealth.London Evidence Generator Bootcamp 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 Evidence Generator Bootcamp programme qualifies as Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) under the Subsidy Control Act (2022). The estimated value of the MFA provided through the DigitalHealth.London Evidence Generator Bootcamp Programme is £3,500. 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 £311,500 (£315,000 minus the value of this subsidy of £3,500) 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.

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

We consider applications from all companies. However, we strongly advise applicants to consider their capacity to attend training and workshops.

Companies and individuals that are already working with the NHS or private healthcare can certainly still benefit from the programme.

The programme is for any enterprises that is about to or has launched their product or service, and are committed to driving their evidence generation forward in the UK.

The benefit received by your Company from the DigitalHealth.London Evidence Generator Bootcamp 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 Evidence Generator Bootcamp programme is estimated to be worth the equivalent of £3,500.
 
Before you commence the programme, 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 £311,500 (£315,000 minus the value of this subsidy of £3,500) 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

DigitalHealth.London will be holding a 101 Webinar to provide interested parties a chance to directly engage with members of the programme delivery team on Monday 12 March, 2024: https://bit.ly/dhlbootcamp
 
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 a limited number of places on the Bootcamp programme, we are expecting the application process to be competitive. Applicants will be scored on their suitability for participation in three areas:

1. Relevance to the NHS and Social Care Ecosystem
2. Motivation and ability to participate in the Bootcamp and potential to benefit from the programme
3. Business Credibility

Onboarding for Cohort 2 of the Evidence Generator Bootcamp programme will start on Tuesday 9 April 2024.

Applicants will be contacted by the first week of April 2024 regarding the outcome of the application review.

Due to the large number of applications we receive we do not offer feedback if applicants are not successful.