Innovating for access to healthcare

The Greater Limoges Metropolitan Community and its partners, who are members of the French Tech #HealthTech thematic network, are launching the first national-level call for projects aiming to gather information about innovative projects and companies on the general theme of "innovating to make healthcare services accessible."

Three approaches should be considered:

• Mobility/transportation;
• Places to live - homes, residential services and EHPADs (home automation, connected objects);
• Healthcare (telemedicine, home monitoring).

The call for projects intends to be open to any innovation that could lead to new uses and/or new services. The winners must commit themselves to settling in the Limoges Métropole area.

Applicants must fill out the application form (to be downloaded below) and attach it to their answer.

Deadline for responses: August 31st, 2018

Rewards and benefits for selected projects

The partners involved in this call for projects will provide personalized services and support over a period of one year, including:

• Accommodation and immersion in the French Tech ecosystem, sponsorship/mentoring by a major stakeholder in the local economy, the possibility of using test spaces (living labs), possibility of joining the French Tech accelerator, participating in the Silver Economy Expo show in Paris (November 2018) with reduced entry fees, help creating and developing startups
• Personalized business support based on the needs of the projects,
• Grant money: a total sum of € 50,000 will be distributed among the winning projects based on their specific needs. Up to two projects will receive a financial prize.

Who is this call for projects for?

 This call for projects is for project owners or companies with a proven concept/solution.

Applicants can respond to this call for projects via an individual project submission or as part of a collaborative project (a project leader associated with one or more partners).

Objectives of the call for projects:

• Bringing together project leaders and companies hoping to move to and work in the area of Limoges Métropole;
• Support projects in their implementation and assembly phases;
• Recognize and promote technologies and usages of the near future.

Context:

This call for projects is part of the strategic development of the French Tech Limoges Métropole program entitled "Developing and accelerating the thematic ecosystem", which aims to foster the emergence and development of projects in the #HealthTech sector.

French Tech Limoges Métropole’s ambitions revolve around the following areas of activity:

• The silver economy (the economy of aging economy and maintaining elderly citizens’ independence),
• Smart and adaptive buildings (improving energy performance and integrating connected objects in buildings).

The theme should be understood as part of a wider approach to "well-being" and our habitat’s capacity to adapt itself to new "residential uses" for young working seniors to the elderly and persons with disabilities (young or adult) in particular, while respecting the values of independence, diversity, sharing, inclusion, social participation, and security.

Commitments that successful project owners will be expected to make:

• Make yourself available to carry out intermediate assessments related to the development of your project with the members of the project’s monitoring committee.
• Provide a final report, at the end of its coaching period, explaining the results of the project.
• Promote the French Tech Limoges Métropole ecosystem by adding its logo to your various communication tools for promoting the project.
• Create at least one "business" partnership with a company or startup in the French Tech Limoges Métropole ecosystem.
• Settle in Limoges Métropole.

Selection criteria:

• Innovative character of the concept, product or service with respect to the theme
• Economic potential of the project and the ability to settle in the area or create jobs
• Credibility and seriousness of the strategic development plan
• Appropriateness of the project for the local area
• Extra consideration will be given in evaluating projects led by a consortium of actors

Provisional timetable and selection procedure.

• August 31st, 2018: deadline for responding to the call for projects
• September 18th, 2018: candidates will be pre-selected by a technical committee involving the Management Board and the traditional partners of the French Tech Limoges Métropole project (experts representing the silver economy and smart building sectors).
• September 28th, 2018: selection committee and pitch from finalist projects
• October 2018: official announcement of successful candidates/awards ceremony

Learn more about the call for projects (in French)