We are launching a competition with up to £11m available to fund feasibility studies, fast-track projects and larger R&D projects. The Technology Strategy Board will invest up to £10m, and the Department of Health (DoH) will invest up to £1m. The aim of the competition is to support the development and uptake of diagnostic devices that will reduce the social and economic impact of infectious agents in animals and humans, and create opportunity and wealth for UK industry. The competition will fund three project areas:

Feasibility studies - up to £2.5m funding

• to advance diagnostic capabilities for the detection of infectious agents in humans and animals, either by modifying and/or improving existing systems or by exploring the ability of novel technologies to deliver components of a diagnostic system. Any measurements must focus on areas identified by the DoH and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) (see p4); up to £0.5m is available to fund projects exclusively for animal infectious agents
• projects should last for a maximum of one year and cost no more than £160,000 in total; up to 75% funding is available
• industry-led consortia and single small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may apply.

Fast-track projects - up to £1m funding

• pilot schemes to test rapid/point-ofcare (POC) devices in the environment for which they have been developed, focusing on areas identified by the DoH and Defra (see p4); up to £0.2m is available to fund projects for animal infectious agents
• projects should last no longer than 18 months and have a maximum total cost of £200,000; we will fund up to 50% of costs
• industry-led consortia and single SMEs may apply; they must be able to demonstrate a credible route to market.

Larger R&D projects - up to £7.5m funding

• to develop rapid/POC tests from development to use in a clinical setting in the areas of sexually transmitted infections (chlamydia and gonorrhoea) and hospital-acquired infections (meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus(MRSA), Clostridium difficile, aureus and extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria)
• projects may last up to five years
• we will mainly fund applied research and development (50% public funding); we will also consider experimental development (25% public funding) and industry-orientated basic research (75% public funding)
• industry-led consortia may apply; they must be able to demonstrate