New programme fast-tracks product development for regional medtech SMEs

The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) has announced a new European Regional Development Fund project to help medtech SMEs across the Leeds City Region, West and North Yorkshire to accelerate product commercialisation and product/process improvement.

The project, entitled ‘Formulation Technology applied to Materials and Products’ (ForTaMP), assists SMEs that are active within or seeking to access the health/personal care sector, in addition to other sectors.

Using CPI’s expertise and extensive facilities within formulation chemistry, businesses can enhance product performance  and improve manufacturing processability properties.

SMEs will be assisted in areas such as colloid/emulsion chemistry, nanotechnology, powder processing, materials science, nano-enhanced inks, composites and coatings.

“This project aims to support small businesses who work in a range of markets to develop new exciting formulated products and enable their innovation journey in the development of these products,” said Dr Robin Brinham, Project Manager of the ForTaMP project at CPI. 

“Using our state-of-the-art scale-up and testing facilities at CPI will provide a powerful springboard for the growth of these formulated products in the Leeds City Region, and we are proud to be a part of that.”

Funding and IP

ForTaMP funding, allocated as state aid through the European Regional Development Fund, is 100% so no further financial investment is required from the SME.

IP created by an SME project supported through ForTaMP remains with the SME and non-disclosure agreements are drawn up by CPI’s legal team to ensure company information remains confidential.

Eligibility and accessing support

Any SME, in the target market sectors, with a trading or registered address within the Leeds City Region, West and North Yorkshire is potentially eligible for ForTaMP support at no cost.

This includes the following areas:

  • Bradford
  • Calderdale
  • Craven
  • Harrogate
  • Kirklees
  • Leeds
  • Selby
  • Wakefield
  • York

Interested SMEs can engage with ForTaMP by contacting a Business Development Manager at erdf.fortamp@uk-cpi.com or using the CPI website contact page here.

Interested in learning more about the ways CPI and ForTaMP can support your business? Register to attend their virtual meeting on 13 October 2020 by clicking the link below.

Register to attend CPI’s virtual meeting

Additional support available for medtech SMEs at CPI

In addition to the ERDF ForTamP programme, CPI offers a wide range of support for medtech SMEs on a commercial basis and through funded CR&D projects.

Healthcare is a complex landscape where evidence matters. CPI work closely with experts in health economics and clinical networks, including the Academic Health Science Network, to leverage relevant expertise and enable SMEs to optimise the value of their device throughout the patient-care pathway.

CPI also help SMEs to demonstrate necessary compliances to progress medtech devices towards clinical trials.

These include electrical and safety standards, in addition to technology validation through the ethically approved use of human tissue samples, handling of live cell cultures, and the use of radionuclides within their radiation suite.

Once a medtech device is ready for clinical trials, CPI can leverage its relationship with regional NHS trusts to grant SMEs access to a large, diverse patient population.

Throughout this entire process, medtech SMEs will benefit from access to CPI’s technology expertise, such as manufacturing process optimisation, material science, nanotechnology and more, as well as access to CPI’s extensive facilities and equipment, which can be used for proof-of-concept, feasibility studies, prototyping and scale-up. 

About CPI

CPI is a UK based technology innovation centre and the process element of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

Established to support the UK process manufacturing industry, CPI collaborates with companies of all sizes to help overcome innovation challenges in the development of next-generation products and processes. 

Operating across a broad range of technologies, we support our partners at every step of the supply chain, helping to translate ideas from concept to market.