Important Dates
About the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI)
About the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation (NBHRF)
Seniors’ Care Strategic Innovation Fund
Innovation Themes
Program Eligibility
Funding Available
Evaluation Criteria
Additional Rules and Obligations
Process and Timeline
| Program announcement | October 5, 2018 |
| Applicants submit online application | November 2, 2018 by 5 pm EST |
| CABHI & NBHRF notifies selected applicants | November 16, 2018 |
| Sign agreements | December 14, 2018 |
| Project start | January 1, 2019 |
| Project end | December 31, 2019 |
About the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI)
The Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI), located at Baycrest Health Sciences (Baycrest) in Toronto, Canada, is a solution accelerator focused on driving innovation in the aging and brain health sector. Established in 2015, it is the result of the largest investment in brain health and aging in Canadian history.
CABHI is a first-of-its-kind partnership, bringing together players in healthcare, sciences, industry, and the government. Its mandate is to be a solution accelerator for the design, development, testing, and validation of technology and/or practice-related innovations that will allow older adults to age safely in the setting of their choice while maintaining their cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being.
Innovation in this sector is vital to address the brain health and care needs of an ever-increasing number of older adults. Accordingly, CABHI will facilitate collaborations between leading seniors’ care organizations and those innovators from around the globe having promising solutions in the following areas: non-invasive medical devices, emerging technologies, wellness and digital health solutions, healthcare delivery practices, therapeutic approaches, and practitioner/caregiver training and support. Learn more at www.cabhi.com.
About the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation (NBHRF)
The New Brunswick Health Research Foundation (NBHRF) was created in July 2008 with a mandate to co-ordinate, support and promote health research in New Brunswick. NBHRF’s vision is a healthy and prosperous New Brunswick through excellence in health research and innovation. NBHRF’s mission is to provide leadership and support to build health research capacity, improve the health of New Brunswickers and advance the knowledge economy.
The NBHRF is an independent organization governed by a board of directors comprised of key stakeholders from the health research community in New Brunswick. Provincial funding is provided by Business New Brunswick. Learn more at www.nbhrf.com
Seniors’ Care Strategic Innovation Fund (NBHRF)
The Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) and the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation (NBHRF) are excited to launch their second round of the Senior’s Care-Strategic Innovation Fund program. This program is intended to accelerate the evaluation and adoption of innovative products and services that address the needs of aging adults and the challenges presented by an aging population.
CABHI and NBHRF invite Seniors’ Care Partners (such as long-term care facilities) located in New Brunswick to apply for the opportunity to trial and evaluate innovative solutions addressing challenges of aging and brain health. Applicants must partner with a researcher based in New Brunswick and an Innovator (third-party vendor located anywhere in the world) providing the innovative solution for testing/validation. The selected Seniors’ Care Partners (trial sites) will receive up-to CAD $500,000 per project in matching-fund support jointly from CABHI and NBHRF. Projects must be completed in 12 months and commence before January 31, 2019.
It is expected that through this testing process, Innovators (third-party vendor providing innovative solution) will be able to derive scientific evidence and user validation for their products or services, which is then intended to provide a stronger foundation for future uptake of their products or services by Seniors’ Care Partners. Applicants must identify a mature product or service that they would like to test with older adults at their trial site.
As a first step, all interested Seniors’ Care Partners located in the province of New Brunswick must submit an online application no later than 5 pm (EST) on November 2, 2018.
Innovation Themes
CABHI & NBHRF support innovations that address challenges associated with the aging brain, including dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. In 2018-19, focus is on the following priority areas:
- Aging in place: solutions that enable older adults with dementia to maximize their choice, independence and quality of life to enable aging in the most appropriate setting.
- Caregiver support: solutions that support caregivers (formal and informal) providing care to older adults with dementia.
- Care coordination and navigation: solutions that help older adults, caregivers and healthcare Partners coordinate care and transitions for older adults with dementia.
- Cognitive health: solutions that focus on promoting brain health, the prevention of brain disease, early diagnostics, and slowing the progression of cognitive impairment for older adults.
All project applications must focus on one or more of the Innovation Themes mentioned above. The solution (product or service) proposed must be sufficiently advanced in terms of technological or practice development, and the applicant Seniors’ Care Partner must be able to sufficiently support a 12 month trial. The project time period excludes writing of final project report which is required thirty (30) days following end-date. The solution (product or service) must have obtained all required regulatory approvals and be ready to be tested with human participants.
Program Eligibility
Applicant:
- Must be a Seniors’ Care Partner organization located in the province of New Brunswick.
- The applicant must partner with a Researcher based in the province of New Brunswick and an Innovator (third-party vendor located anywhere in the world) providing the innovative solution for testing/validation. The name of the Researcher and the Innovator (third-party vendor providing the innovative solution) partnering for the proposed project must be specified in the online application form.
- The Seniors’ Care Partner must have sufficient resources to provide the services to complete an operational trial within 12 months.
- Solution must clearly address at least one of the four innovation themes described in section 1.4 above and demonstrate potential to significantly impact the health system.
- Solution must have all licensing, certifications and regulatory approvals necessary for trial prior to project start.
- Solution must be ready for use in an operational setting in its current form.
- The Innovator (third-party vendor) must intend to make the solution commercially available once the trial is completed.
- Solution must be innovative in that it:
- displaces existing solutions,
- significantly enhances the effectiveness of existing solutions, or
- involves revolutionary technology that substantially alters care delivery.
- Project must focus on generating evidence required for procurement and adoption.
- Initiative cannot involve basic research, primarily academic goals, capital investment in a portfolio of intellectual property, pharmaceutical clinical trials or incubators for startups.
- The Innovator (third-party vendor) must equally match combined funds provided by CABHI and NBHRF to trial the innovative solution.
Funding Available
This program will select projects that must commence in January 2019. Fifty percent (50%) of eligible project costs must be provided by the Innovator (third-party vendor) providing the innovative solution. Remaining 50% of eligible project costs will be provided by CABHI and NBHRF.
Funding from CABHI:
Each selected applicant will be able to lever a maximum of $250,000 (CAD) per project from CABHI to support up to 25% of the total project costs specifically associated with validating their innovation. The project will be undertaken at the Seniors’ Care Partner (trial site) located in the province of New Brunswick, represented by the applicant. Funds will flow directly to the Seniors’ Care Partner (trial site), and may only be spent on costs directly relating to the pilot evaluation testing in accordance with CABHI’s Eligible Expenses Guideline. Funds cannot be used to directly compensate the Innovator (third-party vendor) providing the innovative solution.
Funding from NBHRF:
Each selected applicant will be able to lever a maximum of $250,000 (CAD) per project from NBHRF to support up to 25% of the total project costs specifically associated with validating the innovation. Funds will flow directly to the Seniors’ Care Partner (trial site). Funds cannot be used to directly compensate the Innovator (third-party vendor) providing the innovative solution.
Funding from the Innovator (third-party vendor) providing the innovative solution:
In addition to funds provided by CABHI and NBHRF, the Innovator (third-party vendor) must provide equal funds to match CABHI’s and NBHRF’s contribution, through a blend of cash and/or in-kind project support in accordance with CABHI’s In-Kind Contributions & Matching Funds Guidelines.
For example, if the total eligible project cost to execute the project is $400,000 (CAD), then $200,000 (CAD) must be provided by the Innovator, and the remaining $200,000 (CAD) will be provided jointly by CABHI and NBHRF directly to the Seniors’ Care Partner (trial site).
Flow of Funds from CABHI
CABHI & NBHRF will release an initial payment of 30% of its portion of the funding at the start of the project to the Seniors’ Care Partner (trial site) where the validation testing will be conducted. Subsequent interim payments (two installments each of 30%) will be released upon receipt and approval of interim progress and financial reports from the Seniors’ Care Partner (trial site). A holdback of 10% will be released upon project completion and receipt of final progress and financial reports, outcomes and attestation from the Seniors’ Care Partner (trial site) hosting the validation testing regarding the use of funds.
Evaluation Criteria
All applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Quality of Solution: How effectively does the solution address the identified problem? What is the quality of the existing evidence? How innovative, unique or ‘breakthrough’ is the solution proposed?
- Strategic Impact: How well does the project align with Innovation themes for 2018-19? How clearly defined and significant is the problem being solved?
- Market opportunity/commercial merit: What is the demonstrated size and value of the potential market for the solution? What is the quality of the Innovator’s business and service model? How ready is the solution to be scaled across Canada and beyond?
- Project goals: How will this project directly contribute to the Innovator’s strategic approach and commercialization plan? What outcomes and metrics is the project seeking to produce? How will you involve target users in the testing of this solution? How will you share the evidence to the appropriate audience(s) once you have tested the solution in a real-world environment?
- Innovator and team experience: Demonstrated track record of relevant successes and qualifications of key members of the project team
Applications will be reviewed and scored by a project evaluation panel that is comprised of a group of reviewers having expertise in the clinical, applied research, business and technical fields. Recommendations from the project evaluation team will be considered by CABHI & NBHRF leadership for project selection to ensure balance and strategic alignment.
NOTE: CABHI & NBHRF reserves the right to decline any application and to modify or annul this Call for Innovations at any time, without incurring any liability.
Additional rules and obligations
- CABHI & NBHRF will not obtain any ownership rights to the intellectual property associated with the product or service, but will retain the right to broadly disseminate the results of the validation testing.
- CABHI & NBHRF reserve the right to select proposals that represent a distribution of projects across the 2018-19 Innovation Themes.
- CABHI & NBHRF may terminate negotiations or invite an alternate applicant to engage in negotiations if a contract is not signed in a reasonable amount of time (determined exclusively by CABHI & NBHRF).
- CABHI & NBHRF reserve the right to decline any application and to modify or annul this Call for Innovations at any time, without incurring any liability.
- If and when the product or service is commercialized, the selected Innovator providing the product or service must agree to make it available to CABHI & NBHRF and participating Senior’s Care Partners at the lower of fair market value and most favored nation pricing.
Process and Timeline
Step 1: Submit an online application by 5:00 PM on November 2, 2018. All applications must be in English, and nothing confidential or proprietary should be included. You are granting no rights to any intellectual property by submitting an EOI.
Step 2: CABHI & NBHRF will review the submitted applications, including project scope, timeline, deliverables and expected outcomes, against the eligibility and evaluation criteria. Applicants may be contacted for additional information during the review phase, and must be willing to make revisions to the project plan, if requested. CABHI & NBHRF will perform a final-stage evaluation and select successful applicants.
Step 3: Successful applicants will be notified by November 16, 2018.
Step 4: Contract negotiations will set out financial and in-kind contributions of the selected Seniors’ Care Partner (if-applicable), the Innovator (third-party vendor) providing the innovative solution and any other rights of CABHI & NBHRF including rights to disseminate the findings, with the signing of the final agreement targeted to be completed by December 14, 2018.
If contract negotiations do not result in an agreement in a reasonable amount of time (determined exclusively by CABHI & NBHRF), CABHI & NBHRF may terminate negotiations, terminate the program or invite an alternate applicant to engage in negotiations.
Resources
CABHI’s Eligible Expenses Guidelines
CABHI’s In-Kind Contributions & Matching Funds Guidelines
View the program Call for Innovations in French.
Funding for this program is provided by the Government of Canada through the Public Health Agency of Canada; the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade; and the Baycrest Foundation.
