NHS Future Hospital Initiative

NHS Future Hospital Initiative 

Portal for information about the Open Call for Proposals AO10764 "NHS Future Hospital Initiative"

This Open Call for Proposals supports activities aimed at assessing and validating how space derived technologies can contribute to the design, development and utilisation of services for the NHS (National Health Service, in UK) new acute care hospital and its surrounding community.

To access the latest information related to this call, click HERE

Please note the following important points before you decide to prepare your submission:

1. This initiative is supported by the European Space Agency, and as such the proposed activity shall involve the utilisation of some space technologies (i.e. satellite communications, satellite navigation, images from Earth Observation satellites, technologies coming for the human space flight).
2. This Open Call will offer opportunities for 2 Phase Demonstration Projects, organised in two consecutive phases. Phase 1 is dedicated to analyse the requirements, develop the concept, assess the technical and commercial scalability, and lead to a Proof of Concept.
   If successfully completed, Phase 1 can be followed by a Phase 2, which is dedicated to implement and validate the proposed solution in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders, and will include a pilot stage to prove the added value brought by the proposed solution into the NHS Future Hospital ecosystem.
3. Only ONE submission per Tenderer is allowed, independently from the outcome. In case of multiple submissions, only the first one will be evaluated.
4. The Phase 1 of the project will follow a three-step submission, as indicated below:
   STEP 1 - Submission of a short video pitch (max three min) duration, where the Tenderer shall present the idea about the space based product or service they intend to propose to the NHS, together with the rationale (for whom, for what, and why the idea is needed). The Tenderer shall upload the video of the pitch to a secure server (either hosted on their own website or on a third party website) and share the download link with ESA via the online submission form. The video will be used by a team of experts, including representative of the NHS Future Hospital project, to understand the rationale of the proposed submission.  The Tenderer may be contacted by the experts’ team, to ask clarifications in case of need. 
   STEP 2- Between 15 and 60 calendar days from the submission of the short video pitch, the Tenderer shall proceed with the submission of an Outline Proposal for Phase 1, which will be assessed by the same team of experts. The Outline Proposal shall contain information about the submitting team (e.g. prime, subcontractors, if any, external service providers, users, if applicable), the idea and rationale, and the description of the activities together with key implementations aspects (planning, costing, pricing). Upon successful outcome of the evaluation, the Tenderer will be invited to proceed with the preparation and submission of the Full Proposal.
   An answer will be obtained from ESA only if the Outline Proposal for Phase 1 is pre-selected for the next stage, i.e. the submission of the Full Proposal. In such a case, the feedback will be provided not later than 15 days from submission of Outline Proposal to ESA.
   STEP 3 - Upon Acceptance of the Outline Proposal for Phase 1, the Tenderer shall proceed with the submission of the Full Proposal for Phase 1, which includes obtaining a Letter of Authorisation from the National Delegation(s) of the country(ies) involved. The Full Proposal shall be submitted within 60 days; it will contain as a starting point the information already provided in the Outline Proposal, and the more formal aspects such as the Management and Administrative Proposal, Implementation Proposal, Financial Proposal, and the Contractual Proposal.
   The evaluation of the Full Proposal will be executed following the submission in the esa-star system. The Full Proposal will require a “Letter(s) of Authorisation of Funding” (AOF) from the relevant National Delegation(s) of the entities involved in the proposed activity.
5. Selected activities can be funded up to 80% for SMEs, Universities and Research Institutes, and up to 50% for non SMEs.
6. Following positive outcomes of the Phase 1 of the project, in consultation with the ESA Technical Officer, a Phase 2 may be proposed by the Tenderer. The Outline Proposal for Phase 2 will be produced in this case as deliverable of Phase 1, and will be subject to evaluation by the same team of experts involved in the Phase 1 submission. Following approval of the Outline Proposal for Phase2, a Full Proposal for Phase 2 will be submitted, which will be evaluated by ESA. The Phase 2 activity will be integrated in the contract via a Contract Change Notice.

When the link to the video pitch is available, this has to be communicated to ESA via the web form submitter accessed through the following address:

https://business.esa.int/nhs-future-hospital-initiative/videopitch

The Tenderer may be contacted by the experts’ team, to ask clarifications in case of need.

Second Step

Between 15 and 60 calendar days from the submission of the short video pitch, the Tenderer shall proceed with the submission of an Outline Proposal for Phase 1.

The Outline Proposal shall be prepared following this template:

https://business.esa.int/sites/business/files/OP%20template%20NHS-FHI.docx

The Outline Proposal shall be submitted to ESA via the web form submitter accessed through the following address:

An answer will be obtained from ESA only if the Outline Proposal for Phase 1 is pre-selected for the next stage, i.e. the submission of the Full Proposal. In such a case, the feedback will be provided not later than 15 days from submission of Outline Proposal to ESA. 

Third Step

Within 60 days from the ESA notification concerning the approval of the Outline Proposal for Phase 1, the Tenderer shall submit the Full Proposal for Phase 1 via the esa-star system, as indicated in the information package.

The following documentation applies for the third step: 

• Full Proposal:
  • Cover Letter
  • FP Tool and (in alternative) Word Template
  • Smart Contract Tool and related Tutorial
• Management Requirements