Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total (a) number and (b) value was of new Phase 3 Small Business Research Initiative contracts awarded by NHS England in 2014-15 to date; and what the total (i) number and (ii) value is of such contracts it has budgeted to award in 2014-15.
The table below relates to NHS England’s Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) contracts:
| 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
Number of Phase 1 Contracts | 0 | 43 | 26 |
Value of Phase 1 Contracts | 0 | £4.08 million | £2.52 million |
Number of Phase 2 Contracts | 0 | 5 | 20 |
Value of Phase 2 Contracts | 0 | £2.99 million | £18.52 million |
Number of Phase 3 Contracts | 0 | 8 | 0 |
Value of Phase 3 Contracts | 0 | £6.36 million | £0 |
Total | 0 | 56 contracts valued at £13.43 million | 46 contracts valued at £21.09 million |
2014-15: In addition to the above mentioned 26 Phase 1 contracts that have already been awarded, it is estimated that a further 15 Phase 1 contracts will be awarded in this financial year. It is budgeted to award a total of 41 Phase 1 contracts with a total value of £4.08 million in 2014-15.
2015-16: Budgets for 2015/16 programmes have not yet been agreed by the NHS England Board.
The table below relates to the Department of Health SBRI Contracts:
| 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
Number of Phase 1 Contracts | 13 | 23 | 0 |
Value of Phase 1 Contracts | £1.07 million | £2.96 million | 0 |
Number of Phase 2 Contracts | 0 | 7 | 11 |
Value of Phase 2 Contracts | 0 | £2.63 million | £10.15 million |
Number of Phase 3 Contracts | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Value of Phase 3 Contracts | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 13 contracts valued at £1.07 million | 23 contracts valued at £5.59 million | 11 contracts valued at £10.15 million |
2012-13: In addition to the above, the Department contributed £500,000 to a Phase 2 SBRI competition that was led by the East of England Strategic Health Authority. The Department also contributed £500,000 to a Phase 1 SBRI competition that was led by the Technology Strategy Board.
2013-14: In addition to the above, the Department contributed £500,000 to a Phase 2 SBRI competition that was led by the Technology Strategy Board.
2014-15: The Phase 2 figures relate to the number and value of contracts that are being offered and not yet signed.
2015-16: The Department is currently engaged in its financial planning process and budgets for the next financial year have not yet been allocated.
In 2010, the Government set an aspiration that at least 25% of central Government procurement spend would go to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), both directly and through the supply chain, by 2015. The Department agreed its own target of 18% to contributing to the Government’s aspiration. The Department’s total as at September 2014 stands at 17.2%, the target being that at least 18% of the Department’s and its arms-length bodies’ (ALBs) spend shall be awarded to SMEs by 2015.