Jul282017

News story: Digital technology for healthcare: apply for funding

HM Government

Up to £8 million is on offer for UK businesses to work on innovation projects that tackle the biggest healthcare challenges.

To support a growing, ageing population, Innovate UK is making up to £8 million available to UK businesses to develop new and novel digital healthcare solutions.

This competition is being run under the digital health technology catalyst, which is part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. The aim is to support the development of digital health products that meet NHS needs. It is a new £35 million funding programme over 4 years.

Impacting delivery and patient outcomes

Digital health promises to have a profound impact on the approach, delivery and administration of healthcare, for the benefit of patients.

We are seeking feasibility or development projects that advance digital health or digitally-enabled medical technologies. These should:

  • improve patient outcomes, such as through better clinical decision-making and supporting them to manage their own care
  • offer new approaches to healthcare that transform its delivery
  • reduce the demand on the health system, make it more efficient and create savings

Competition information

  • the competition opens on 31 July 2017, and the deadline for registrations is 4 October 2017
  • feasibility studies can range from £50,000 to £75,000 and last up to one year
  • industrial research and experimental development projects can range from 500,000 to £1 million and last up to 3 years
  • you can work alone or in collaboration with other organisations, but projects must be led by a UK-based SME
  • you could get up to 70% of your eligible project costs
  • projects must start by 1 February 2018

Jul282017

News story: Geovation funds new business ideas

HM Government

Start-up companies and entrepreneurs with pioneering ideas are invited to apply for grant funding of up £20,000, by Thursday 17 August 2017.

On 19 July 2017, we announced a new strategic partnership with Ordnance Survey. Through the Geovation Programme we encourage and support property technology (PropTech) companies who will revolutionise the property industry with new products and services.

Start-up companies and entrepreneurs with pioneering ideas are invited to apply for grant funding of up £20,000, by Thursday 17 August 2017. We expect business ideas that use our land and property or geospatial datasets will benefit the conveyancing process, making it simple, faster and cheaper for everyone.

Who can apply

Geovation is open to any technology company creating property or location-based products or services. There are two routes to apply for funding:

  • PropTech Programme, run in partnership with Ordnance Survey, supports innovative technology businesses who use location or property data to revolutionise the property industry
  • GeoTech Programme, run by Ordnance Survey and open to any technology company creating location based products and services

Find out more about the Geovation Hub in London where the Geovation programme is located.

Apply

Jul282017

Child safety on farms

Northern Ireland Executive

Farms can be one of the most dangerous ‘playgrounds’ for children, particularly during the summer months. Farming families and visitors are being reminded to be extra careful.

Increased risks

The summer poses increased risks to children, as they typically spend more time on the farm during what is a very busy and potentially hazardous period. Various contractors may be on site operating potentially dangerous vehicles and machinery.

Some of the main risks include:

  • moving vehicles such as tractors, quads and harvesters
  • farm animals
  • infectious diseases
  • harmful substances
  • slurry tanks and slurry gas
  • falling objects

You can find out more about farm safety, with further links through to relevant information, on the pages below:

Farm safety checklist for parents

As a parent:

  • do you have a safe and secure play area for young children?
  • do you prevent children from playing in or around farmyards and livestock?
  • do you prevent all children under 13 years from riding on tractors and farm machinery?
  • do you restrict the use of the quad to people over 16 who are properly trained and have the suitable safety equipment?
  • do you secure all heavy wheels, gates, heavy equipment and stacked materials to prevent them from toppling over?
  • is your slurry lagoon securely fenced to prevent children from gaining access and do you make sure tank covers are always in place?
  • do you always keep children well away when mixing slurry?
  • do you keep track of where family members are playing or working and when they are expected back?
  • do you make sure everyone washes their hands before eating and drinking?
  • do you keep chemicals locked in a secure store when not in use?
  • do you make sure that guards are in place to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery?
  • have you made sure all family members know what to do in an emergency?
  • have you prepared a list of emergency contact telephone numbers?

If children are old enough, tell them about the dangers they should look out, where they are not allowed to go, and encourage them to be responsible.

You can find more information about child safety on farms on the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland website.

Farm Secure app

The Farm Secure app provides an interesting and engaging way for parents and children to learn about the many dangers on farms and how to stay safe all year round.

Children can download the app from the App store, where they can take a quiz on farm safety, compare their scores with others on the leaderboard, and watch a number of farm safety videos on issues such as slurry, machinery, farm animals, and bugs and germs.

More useful links