Application Process Guidelines

North West NHS Innovation Competition 2009 Guidelines

To Apply:

The 2009 application process has now closed. Successful applicants will be notified that they are a shortlisted finalist week commencing 05 October and will be required to attend the awards on 11 November 2009.

Categories and Eligibility:

For 2009 the four categories are:

1. Training or Educational Materials
2. Medical Device, Equipment, Diagnostics or Therapeutics
3. Software/Systems
4. Service Innovations or Developments

All staff working for North West NHS Trusts, or those with an honorary contract with a North West NHS Trust are eligible to enter the competition.

TrusTECH strongly advises you to also read the rule below before submitting you entry.

The Application Process:

The application process requires you to complete eight core sections relating to the innovation and the individual or team who have worked on developing it. If you require any assistance please contact Isabel Bilous on 0161 276 6964 or isabel.bilous@cmft.nhs.uk

Upon commencement of the online application form you will be emailed a username and password to allow you to return to a partially completed application at a later date, however you will not be able to edit your application once it has been submitted.

Please note that, to ensure that you provide all the required information, you are strongly advised to read the tips throughout the application process. In order to answer all questions thoroughly you may need to read/search around the subject area of the innovation if you have not already done so. Remember, the judges will be reading entries describing a broad range of innovations and your application should show them why your innovation is innovative, what the benefits to healthcare are and why you should be a finalist.

The Questions:

It is advised to download a copy of the questions and fully prepare your answers before you begin your online application. You can download the questions by clicking on the "Application Questions" tab on this website.

You may find it easier to write your answers in a Microsoft Word document (or similar application) and then cut and paste them into the online form.

Previewing Your Answers and Next Questions:

During the online form application process you can preview what you have submitted so far and preview the next sections by clicking 'view preview'.

Saving Your Answers:

There are two save options available to you to use during the online form application process:

1. Save and stay allows you to save all the questions you have answered up to your present point, but you will remain on the same section,
2. Save and continue will save all the questions you have answered and move you on to the next section.

Please note: the system is programmed to time-out at after 30 minutes. If you are working on a particular section and do not save your progress within 30 minutes of the page being displayed you risk losing your answers. TrusTECH advises you to frequently use the 'save and stay' button to eliminate the possibility of losing your work. It is worthwhile doing this after each individual question is complete. Once you 'save and stay' the time-out timer will reset again and you will have another 30 minutes to save.

Submitting Your Application Form:

Before submitting the form, you will be able to view, save to your computer and print your application as a PDF. Once your application is submitted you may also retrieve your application as a PDF by logging in using your username and password.

North West NHS Innovation Competition 2009 Rules

1.1 You must be aged over 18 years and be employed by an NHS organisation or hold an honorary contract with an NHS organisation located in the North West region. The North West region, for the purpose of this competition includes: Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria.

1.2 Your submission must be entered into one of the core award categories for the year of entry. The core categories for 2009 are as follows:

1. Training or Educational Materials
Applications should be for materials, which you or your team have developed or are developing for use within the NHS.

TrusTECH will accept submissions for products in development (e.g. in design or prototype stage); those which have recently been developed; or ideas (e.g. at concept stage), which clearly demonstrate the need for the new product, an idea of the market size and provide evidence of the benefits the product is likely to offer patients and the NHS.

2. Medical Device, Equipment, Diagnostics, or Therapeutics
Applications should be for medical devices, equipment, diagnostics or therapeutics, which you or your team have developed or are developing for use within the NHS.

TrusTECH will accept submissions for products in development (e.g. in design or prototype stage); those which have recently been developed; or ideas (e.g. at concept stage). These should clearly demonstrate the clinical need for the new product, an idea of the market size and provide evidence of the benefits the product is likely to offer patients and the NHS.

3. Software/Systems
New software or systems, which you or your team have developed or are developing for use within the NHS.
Applications for software or systems developed elsewhere, which have been integrated into your services will not be considered by the judging panel, if entered into this category.

TrusTECH will accept submissions for products in development (e.g. in design or prototype stage); those which have recently been developed; or ideas (e.g. at concept stage). These should clearly demonstrate the clinical need for the new product, an idea of the market size and provide evidence of the benefits the product is likely to offer patients and the NHS.

4. Service Innovations or Developments
Services must have been developed by and implemented within your Trust, and demonstrate significant benefits. For the purposes of the competition, a service is defined as any novel process (i.e. a process that is unique to the NHS in general, not just the applicant's organisation), which you or your team have developed for use in the NHS, that has demonstrated significant benefits to the NHS.

Services which have not been implemented within your organisation will not be considered by the judging panel.

1.3 A prize of £1000 is available for each of the above four categories.

1.4 TrusTECH reserves the right to change or withdraw competition categories at its discretion. In this situation entries will be moved into the next suitable category. The applicants concerned will be informed on the website and by e-mail.

1.5 TrusTECH reserves the right not to award a prize in any of the given categories, if deemed appropriate by the judging panel.

1.6 Cheques for prize monies will be made payable to the NHS organisation which employs the winning applicant or team members. The prize money should be used to further develop the idea submitted to the competition.

1.8 All competition entries will be considered in confidence.

1.9 An applicant may submit entries for more than one project/innovation to the competition. However, applications for the same project/innovation can only be submitted to one core category.

2.0 A team (rather than an individual) may submit applications. The winning entry will then be recognised for the team as a whole.

2.1 All project ideas and designs should demonstrate originality. This may be in the form of improvements to existing products or as totally new concepts.

2.2 Innovations that are already receiving funding are eligible to enter the competition, although disclosure to the judging panel is essential. Pre-existing external resources must also be declared (e.g. company sponsors, donated materials/components).

2.3 Applications should give details of any contributing parties such as other NHS organisations/employees and any external consultants or investors.

2.4 Entries should be submitted online at: www.northwestnhsinnovationawards.co.uk . Please contact Oliver Goldring (olivergoldring@trustech.org.uk) , TrusTECH Communications Officer (T: 0161 276 6964), if you require assistance.

2.5 The closing date for submissions is Friday 24 July 2008 at 5pm. Any entries received after this time will not be accepted, unless the applicant has reasonable evidence to demonstrate that the application has been submitted and presents this to TrusTECH by Tuesday 28 July 2008 at 12.00 noon. The decision to accept such entries will be at TrusTECH's discretion.

2.6 Applicants should receive an email receipt within one working day, to confirm delivery of the application. If applicants do not receive an email receipt within this period it is their responsibility to ensure that the application has been received by contacting TrusTECH on 0161 276 6964.

2.7 TrusTECH takes no responsibility for and makes no guarantee regarding the receipt of intact entries, and any loss is entirely at the entrant's own risk.

2.8 TrusTECH reserves the right to change the deadline and will publish any changes on the TrusTECH website.

2.9 Entries may be withdrawn up until the time of the deadline.

3.0 TrusTECH employees, the judging panel or members of their families will not be eligible to enter.

3.1 TrusTECH reserves the right to withhold any award or change its terms, conditions and rules without notice.

3.2 Entries will be assessed in the first instance by TrusTECH for compliance with the competition rules and originality before being submitted to the judging panel. Please note: Entries failing to comply with the entry form requirements will NOT be eligible for entry into the competition.

3.3 In order to function effectively and account for its activities, TrusTECH may retain and process any information contained in or relating to an entry. Personal information contained in an entry will not be passed on to third parties without the person's prior consent.

3.4 The entrants may not contact any member of the judging panel. In the event of such contact being made immediate disqualification will result.

3.5 Any attempt to bias the judging process will result in disqualification.

3.6 No appeals against the judging panel decision will be accepted. The decision of the judging panel is final.

3.7 Award winners may be required to participate in activities that promote the competition, including but not limited: to having photographs or film recordings taken of themselves; being asked for quotes about the competition; and providing feedback on how the prize money is used.

3.8 If you are short-listed for the competition, you may also be contacted to provide a photograph of your product or service being used in clinical practice for promotional purposes, in advance of the outcome being announced.

3.9 Short-listed applicants will be expected to prepare and bring to the ceremony a poster overview/video presentation/film of their innovation

During the online form application process you can preview what you have submitted so far and preview the next sections by clicking 'view preview'.