Smart D8 call for pilots – seeking innovative solutions to community health challenges – open to all public and private sector organisations, companies and academia

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris T.D. today launched officially the Smart D8 initiative and call for pilot project to respond to community health challenges.  Led by Dublin City Council, Smart Dublin, the Digital Hub Development Agency and St James’s Hospital, Smart D8, is the latest Smart District – a collaborative initiative to improve the health and well being of citizens in Dublin 8 through innovation. HIHI is pleased to partner on the Smart D8 initiative.

Bringing together public authorities, academia, healthcare, citizens and industry, Smart D8 applies a people-centred approach, with the engagement and active participation of the local community at its core. In late 2020, the first SmartD8 Community Survey was launched, capturing the needs and priorities of the local community. The call for innovative pilot projects that address three key areas are based on these findings:

Mental Health – Focused Call

• Innovative approaches to managing mental health for individuals. Tools to support good mental health in the community including diagnostic, preventative, treatment, support and management solutions.

Population Health Management – Focused Call

• Chronic Disease Management solutions that will allow people to manage their chronic health conditions in the community.
• General Preventative Health solutions that can be implemented in a community setting to maintain good health and wellbeing.

Covid-19 Impact – Open Call

• An open call for innovative and scalable solutions that will address the impact of Covid-19 on the health and wellbeing of the community in Dublin 8.

Who Should Apply?

The pilot call is open to all public and private sector organisations, companies and academia who:

• Offer innovative and scalable products, services or devices.
• Provide new practices/solutions/perspectives that address an unmet need in the community.
• Have a solution that is ready for deployment within the next 6 months as a pilot initiative that will commence in 2021.
• Provide a solution that can be enabled by a co-creation and collaborative approach.

Why Apply?

• Opportunity to pilot and demonstrate the scalability of your offering in a community setting.
• Access to a unique collaborative ecosystem with established clinical, academic, public and private sector engagement.
• Funding support available for selected pilots.
• Project management support.
• Marketing and promotion support.
• Access to free workspace in Dublin 8 during the pilot period.

Application Process

• Companies must submit a completed application form available at the link below.
• Pilot Call opens on 10.03.2021 and closes for applications at midnight on 28.04.2021.
• Your submission will be reviewed by Smart D8 and an expert panel.   A shortlist of applicants will be selected and shortlisted companies will be asked to make a presentation.
• An update on the call outcome will be provided to all applicants on 19.05.2021.

Apply here