Government issues open call for COVID-19 Rapid Sanitising Technology - Can you help?

By Made In Group
schedule26th Mar 20

As the UK Government continues to battle Coronavirus (COVID-19) the government has put out a call to action for the public, including manufacturers, to submit a proposal for Rapid Sanitising Technology (RST).

Do you have an innovative or novel approach to get ambulances cleaned quicker to help combat Coronavirus? That’s the question being put forward by the UK Government today as they seek support from the public to speed up the cleaning of ambulances.

At present, it can take up to 45 minutes to clean an ambulance once it has transported a suspected Covid-19 patient. This time doesn’t include the time it can also take to get to a cleaning centre, which in some regions, can be several miles away. Therefore, the government is looking to speed this up, without compromising on the quality of the cleaning.

To respond to the problem, DASA (Defence and Security Accelerator) has launched a new Innovation Focus Area, as part of its wider Open Call for Innovation, seeking help from the industry to identify rapid sanitising technology solutions which can be demonstrated in a live trial on an ambulance.

The current Open Call cycle has been extended until April 1, 2020, for early bids to be considered.

The full government brief can be read below:

COVID-19: Rapid Sanitising Technology

Unique Identifier IFA019

Ambulances must be thoroughly cleaned once a patient with suspected COVID-19 has been transported. These cleaning times can take up to 45 minutes and have to be undertaken at cleaning centres which can be some distance away. This puts a strain on an already busy and pressurised service as the vehicles cannot be used until cleaning is completed.

We are looking to identify, develop and demonstrate rapid sanitising technologies. All projects will be required to undergo practical assessment at Dstl Porton Down and a live demonstration on an ambulance, provided by the Welsh Ambulance Service.

Innovations must be suitable for rapid deployment to clean public sector vehicles following the transport of patients with the COVID-19 virus. Ideally systems will have wider applicability than just ambulances, which might include buses, trains, and other blue light services or even in hospital wards / rooms.

Systems which are mobile, allow ease of operation and maintenance, are robust and reliable are of particular interest.

If your idea relies on use of decontaminants, it must be able to fully wet a complex surface for a given contact time to ensure it’s decontaminated effectively. If you do not have access to a suitable decontaminant, please specify this in your proposal.

Efficacy will need to be demonstrated via a short process of trials/experimentation, to include definition of tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) to ensure selected options are used effectively for specific applications. We need ideas that can rapidly be developed and tested with potential to be scaled and used across the UK over the coming months.

Direct contracts will be placed by the SBRI Centre of Excellence. DASA will be handling the assessment of your proposal and will be passing proposals to the SBRI Centre of Excellence for contract placement. There may be occasions where additional funding subsequently becomes available. In these circumstances, DASA reserves the right to offer contracts under the standard terms and conditions subsequent to the original awards.

The information you provide to us as part of your proposal, that is not already available to us from other sources, will be handled in confidence. As part of the assessment process, DASA reserves the right to disclose on a confidential basis any information it receives from you, to any third party engaged by DASA for the specific purpose of evaluating or assisting DASA in the evaluation of your proposal. Appropriate confidentiality agreements will be put in place.

In providing your proposal you are consenting to these provisions.


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