Herts Healthcare Accelerator

The Herts Healthcare Accelerator programme is designed to support the development of healthcare, biotech, and MedTech innovations, including new potential products, services, or allied technologies.

Successful applicants will access a tailored package of support worth around £15,000 per company from a range of industry and academic experts to help them deliver their proposed idea, which includes:

Funding and technical support
Commercial and creative consultancy
1-2-1 business mentoring

Submit an initial 'Expression of Interest' below to automatically receive a link to the application form.

Applications for this programme have now closed.

Hertfordshire: a regional centre of healthcare innovation

Hertfordshire has a rich history of pharmaceutical, healthcare, and biotechnology innovation. Within 10 miles of our campuses there are several world-leading companies including Roche, Eisai, and GSK as well as the Stevenage Science Park and the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, which are designed to encourage innovation in biotech and healthcare. The sector as a whole is of strategic importance to the region, as noted in a recent sector report from the Hertfordshire LEP.

Partnering with Herts to drive your healthcare venture forward

Herts' Healthcare Accelerator aims to provide businesses with access to a range of Herts experts from across various fields including life sciences, technology, design, business, and law to enable the development of innovations and early-stage research and development (R&D) that would benefit from a multi-disciplinary approach.

Herts has a strong portfolio of research, development, and innovation in this field, including topical drug delivery, toxicology of medicines, diagnostic tools to support the safe use of medicines, proteins involved in pancreatic cancer, improvement of older people’s health outcomes and care, robotics applied to prosthetic developments, and more.

Who is eligible to apply?
Core (‘must have’) criteria:
- UK-based SME*, registered in Companies House
- Innovative new product/service/technology with the potential to scale-up and generate positive societal impact within the healthcare sector
- Team of at least two entrepreneurs fully committed to making the most of the six-months accelerator programme and support package, including attending regular virtual meetings and occasional in-person activities.
Desirable criteria:
- Company is able to demonstrate that they have already undertaken some initial steps (e.g. technical and/or market research) to validate their idea.
*An SME is defined as a company with less than 250 employees and less than £50 million turnover.
Note: The call is open to both UH researchers and external SMEs.
Programme features
The Accelerator will support up to five selected companies through a six-month period. Support will include:
- Up to £3,500 cash funding to cover materials, equipment and/or other expenses required for the proposed venture development
The selected companies will also have access to a bespoke support package-in-kind worth around £11,500. This provides access to up to three academic, technical, and/or industry experts to help them develop and take their health innovations forward around:
- Technical aspects of the project, including prototype development/ prototype refinement
- Commercial aspects, to explore market potential and viability
- Creative aspects, including product/service design and/or branding
- 1-2-1 business coaching support, to help drive the venture forward
- IP/Commercial law aspects
Additionally, all selected companies will be offered a complimentary Herts Business Incubator membership for 12 months, which would give them access to co-working spaces and meeting rooms at the Enterprise Hub as well as access to events as well as networking opportunities.
Expected Outputs: All selected innovators will be supported to develop, test, and/or refine a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), new product, service and/or technology as well as their business models and commercialisation plans.
Programme timeline
- Recruitment and selection: Jan – Feb 2023
- Programme launch and start: March 2023
- Group Workshops and Masterclasses: March - June 2023
  - Regulatory and health technology assessment requirements
  - Health service structure and commissioning
  - Ethical considerations for branding and marketing
  - AI, Data Science, and Cyber Security in relation to healthcare innovations
- 1:2:1 Coaching: March - July 2023
- Venture Development and Prototyping: March –July 2023
- Programme Closing:
  - Showcase - September 2023
*All timings and programming are subject to change
For more details about the programme, refer to the FAQ section below
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Do l need to have an existing business to apply?
  - Yes, you must have a UK registered business (you will need to provide a company registration number). The company should include a team of at least two entrepreneurs fully committed to driving the venture forward and to making the most of the accelerator support package.
- What happens once I submit an Expression of Interest (EOI)?
  - Your EOI will be reviewed to ensure your company meets the core eligibility criteria. Eligible EOIs will then be independently assessed by the Accelerator’s panel against the selection scoring criteria set out below.
- How will my application be assessed?
  - A panel will independently assess each individual EOI against the selection criteria listed (see below). Scores from all panel members will be added up to generate an average scoring for each applicant across all criteria. Each criterion will be weighed equally, and shortlisted companies will be contacted for a brief interview and presentation.
- What are the selection scoring criteria?
  - Strength and relevance of proposed project: The application clearly articulates the product/service/material/technology that the company is looking to develop, what it’s USP is, and what is the challenge it is looking to address.
  - Market awareness: The application has clearly identified a target market for commercialisation of the proposed product/service/material/technology, and it clearly demonstrates that some preliminary research into the relevant marketplace has been carried out.
  - Innovation/Novelty: The application proposes a novel product/service/material/technology and/or business model.
  - Viability and feasibility: The application has identified clear objectives and milestones for implementation of the proposed venture, and these are realisable within the parameters of the six-months programme, the available funding, and expertise.
  - Programme fit: The application clearly articulates how the support package provided by the Herts Healthcare Accelerator would be beneficial for the development of the proposed venture. Additionally, the knowledge gap and R&D needs identified by the proposed venture need to be a good match for the expertise available within the Herts Healthcare Accelerator.
- How much does it cost?
  - It is free of charge to join the Herts Healthcare Accelerator, however, please note that cash grant support for the selected ventures is limited to £3,500 and the rest of the support is provided in-kind.
- What will be the format of the programme?
  - There will be a mixture of in-person and online meetings and events including workshops taking place where your attendance will be mandatory. All the key dates will be provided at the start of the programme to ensure everyone is able to make the arrangements to attend them. Please note that attendance to the Showcase event in September is also mandatory.
- Where can I read the Terms and Conditions and Eligibility Criteria?
  - Read the Terms and Conditions and Eligibility Criteria for the Herts Accelerator Programme
- Still have some questions?
  - Please email BGE@herts.ac.uk