SBRI: Drones in supply chain

Fund details

You must include one or more of the following in your proposal:

• cost-benefit analyses of drones compared to existing logistics operations
• standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• support to specific care pathways (for example cancer), services (for example pathology)
• policy aims, for example, improving prevention, enabling community care and reducing health inequalities
• compliance with medical distribution regulations, for example, good distribution practice

Your project must demonstrate engagement with potential end users for the use of drones in healthcare settings and activities beyond the funded project.

Your proposal must show how you will:

• evaluate approaches and contribute to the existing evidence base
• improve the provision and implementation of drone activity or services

Your project must:

• engage with relevant stakeholders
• demonstrate an understanding of SOPS
• identify a clear route to market
• demonstrate the technical, development and market feasibility of your proposed innovation
• have any permits and licences in place to carry out your project

Specific themes

• how drones can augment healthcare logistics and improve supply chain resilience
• cost-benefit analyses of drones compared to existing logistics operations
• standard operating procedures (SOPs) for drones to supply medical products
• demonstrating how drones could support specific care pathways, for example, cancer
• demonstrating how drones could support services, for example, pathology
• demonstrating how drones could support policy aims, for example, improving prevention, enabling community care and reducing health inequalities
• compliance with medical distribution regulations, for example, good distribution practice
• maintaining medical product integrity during drone flight
• other use cases such as organ transport, medical device supply
• middle mile logistics with long-range or bulk goods movements
• local compared with national drone networks
• regulatory considerations, including aviation and medical

Eligibility

Projects must:

• start by 1 April 2024
• end by 31 March 2025
• last up to 12 months

To lead a project, you can:

• be an organisation of any size
• work alone or with others from business, research organisations, research and technology organisations or the third sector as subcontractors

Contracts will be awarded to a single legal entity only. However, if you can justify subcontracting components of the work, you can engage specialists or advisers. The project and delivery against the project milestones will still be the responsibility of the main contractor.