Innovate UK, working with Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) is delivering a series of Global Business Innovation Programmes for UK SMEs to help develop strong relationships with international businesses and research partners to foster collaborative, innovation projects and knowledge exchange.

The Global Business Innovation Programme on AMR to Germany is looking for UK businesses that have a specific interest in Germany and want to initiate joint technology development and commercialisation partnerships with German organisations. It will focus on diagnosis of infections.

Antimicrobial resistance, more specifically antibacterial resistance, poses a global economic and a health challenge. It is estimated that 10 million deaths due to AMR will occur every year after 2050. There is a need for new accurate bacterial infection diagnostic tests as they can deliver accurate results in a matter of minutes and guide treatment decisions while patients are still with their doctors.

Key dates:

• Deadline for online full application: Friday 3rd July
• Successful applicants advised by Thursday 8th July
• Virtual getting ready for the market briefing workshop: Wednesday 12th August
• Virtual AMR conference: Monday 24th to Friday 28th August
• Webinars with The Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI & InfectoGnostics Research (with 1 to 1 virtual meeting opportunities) in October
• UK-German AMR companies virtual partnering: Ongoing until end October
• Innovation mission to Germany: November 2020 or early 2021
• Post-visit workshop: March 2021

Business representatives will work with a designated EEN account manager and adviser to support a structured programme encompassing three main phases -

• Getting ready for the market: Pre-visit and in-country briefings providing market information, advice on how to do business in Germany, training on how to improve your pitch and articulate your value proposition.

• Visiting the market: Exclusive access to the German market and the opportunity to meet with German entrepreneurs, industry leaders and academia as well as other international AMR players with some targeted, pre-arranged meetings and attendance to AMR Conference.

• Exploiting the opportunity: Utilising a tailored Innovate to Succeed approach, comprising one to one support from a specialist Innovation/ Internationalisation advisor to follow up and take advantage of the opportunities identified.

WHY GERMANY?

Germany has been a pioneer in recognising the importance of AMR. The German Antibiotic Resistance Strategy (DART) contains measures for recognising, averting and combatting AMR. In 2017, the G20 heads of state decided to intensify global collaboration by creating the Global AMR R&D Hub in Berlin, which is an initiative of international R&D funders. The UK and Germany have much in common in combating AMR, and joining forces will help bring forward development of diagnostic tools.

This programme is open to innovators working on human and veterinary antibacterial resistance.

Companies in the following areas are of particular interest:

• Point of care diagnostic solutions for GPs/hospitals/veterinary clinic
• Quick and easy susceptibility testing
• System integration
• Miniaturisation
• Innovative solutions and platforms
• Biomarkers for early infection identification
• Companion diagnostics: this includes both companies with new therapies that are seeking a diagnostics that could be used in their development and/or determine its applicability to a specific person once licenced and diagnostic companies who would like to introduce their technologies to innovators of new therapies

SMEs with experience in commercialisation of diagnostic products are of particular interest.

BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAMME

• Pre-visit advice, market information and collaboration opportunities

• Attendance at the global Conference on novel Antimicrobials and AMR Diagnostics

• Networking opportunities amongst UK companies on the programme

• Visit to Germany to meet key AMR stakeholders and companies

• Your business profile promoted on the official GBIP programme brochure

• Meetings with international companies during the AMR conference

• Post visit workshop and tailored support to develop an innovation and market exploitation strategy

WHAT IS INCLUDED

Innovate UK and Enterprise Europe Network will organise and fund flights, hotels, and in-country logistics for all participants for the visits to Germany and Switzerland (if relevant). On acceptance onto the programme a commitment fee of £500 will be obtained from each successful company which will be returned after their involvement in the country visit and agreeing an action plan post-visit. Only one representative from each company will be permitted, and the same delegate is expected to take part in all related activities (substitutes accepted by exception). The proposed delegate should be someone who can speak on behalf of their company and who has a good technical knowledge of the company’s technologies. The fee is due before acceptance onto the programme. Non-completion of the programme after formal acceptance may result in forfeiting some or all of the fee.

ELIGIBILITY

To participate in this programme your business must be an SME and established in the UK. The delegate must be based in the UK, be available to attend activities on all key programme dates, and work with an assigned EEN adviser for the full duration of the programme. Financial due diligence checks will be completed during the selection process. Innovate UK commits to promoting and improving equality, diversity and inclusion through the programmes it funds, manages and delivers.

HOW TO APPLY

There is a competitive process to participate in the programme following a two-stage evaluation process, in which only the best applicants will be selected. Applications will be evaluated by a panel. To fill in the online application form please click: https://bit.ly/2YoMZWd . For more information, please email EEN South East at AMRGBIPteam@een-se.co.uk.