Dr Joanne Thomas What makes a good application? RIF event – 29 July 2010

Overview 1.Criteria 2.Key elements 3.Common pitfalls and tips for success 4.Round 4 and post-award

Criteria

Criteria (1) - recommendations

Criteria (2) - QIPP Quality: –Safety, patient experience, patient outcomes, social value, sustainable communities Innovation: –New ways, evidence/plausible, scope Productivity: –Increase productivity/effectiveness, cash released Prevention: –Impact on healthy life/independence

Criteria (3) Working across boundaries e.g. –Primary and secondary care –Primary care and education –Health and social care –Acute and mental health providers Total funding available Executive Director sign-off

Key elements

People Key people from each organisation involved Rights skills Knowledge Commitment Stakeholders

The innovation What is it? How does it work? Where does it come from? –totally new –modification –adoption What are the likely benefits?

Proposal should be clear

Evaluation What measures will demonstrate effect Baseline How will data be collected and analysed Who will do it Pure research excluded

Sustainability and transferability Consider sustainability post-funding: –Resources –Personnel Provide evidence of transferability and scalability: –NHS North West wants innovation spread –Consider dissemination options

Costing Liaise with your finance department Contact them early Include VAT Include on-costs Consider financial year

Pitfalls and tips

Don’t leave it too late! AwardNumber of online applications (round 3) 11 May12 May – 4pm deadline 1pm2pm3pmFinal Sharing4 (17%) 9 (39%) 11 (48%) 12 (52%) 23 (100%) Bursary9 (18%) 21 (42%) 25 (50%) 36 (72%) 50 (100%) Enabling change 11 (11%) 27 (29%) 34 (36%) 52 (55%) 94 (100%)

Common pitfalls Not read guidance Not answered all questions Excluded: e.g. research, product development Didn’t fit award criteria Too long (2+ years) Unclear proposal Funding exceeds maximum available Funding required unspecified Applicant provides supporting statement

Top tips Read the guidance Answer all the questions Make the sound bite clear and memorable Provide background information Explain acronyms Remember that judges are not necessarily experts in your area Use numbers to support your claims (e.g. no. patients, potential cost- savings)

Writing Sell the problem – why is the issue so important? Keep names/words consistent Short sentences Short paragraphs Front load text with key info Message consistent

Judging “They will read the applications in this massive bundle in snatched minutes of spare time, in their offices, in their laboratories, during boring meetings, on trains, buses and planes, in taxis, in bathrooms, in hotel dining rooms.” The grant-writer's toolkit - Andrew Derrington (21 January 2010)

Sense check

Round 4

Round 4 timeline LaunchAug 2010 DeadlineEarly Oct 2010 Funding decisionDec 2010 Funding awardedJan 2011 Projects startJan 2011

Round 4 details No enabling change awards (up to £250k) Previous award winners can only apply for an innovation in a different area Funding available –~£105k innovation sharing –~£213k innovation bursary

If successful… Get letter from NHS North West Paid via PCT allocations Monitoring of progress and outcomes by TrusTECH : –Start –About 6 months –End

Summary Meet the criteria Follow the guidance Make the proposal clear Remember it is a competition

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