Helping Ontario healthcare providers apply new methods to procure and more rapidly adopt innovative medical technologies.
The REACH Program supports Ontario health care provider organizations to utilize innovation procurement methodologies to more effectively identify and procure innovative health care technology products and services.
Select a category for detailed program information.
Program Name
REACH
Program Status and Submission Deadline
Closed for Applications✓ Open for Applications (accepted at any time)
What it Supports
The entire process of innovation procurement, including any field evaluation studies required to test the identified technology and/or service within an Ontario public health service provider organization
Project Sector
Healthcare innovative technologies and/or services
Basic Eligibility Criteria
(A full list of eligibility requirements is available.)
Applicant:
Project:
REACH Funding
95 per cent of total eligible project costs up to a maximum of $1,000,000 to the public health service provider organization
Project Duration
Up to 24 months
Matching Requirement
5 per cent cash from the applicant
How to Apply
See details on the How to Apply tab.
Contact
Search OCE’s Knowledge Base of Frequently Asked Questions. For further assistance, see details on the Contacts tab.
The REACH Program supports Ontario health service provider organizations to utilize innovation procurement methodologies to more effectively identify and procure innovative health technology products and services.
The identification and procurement of innovative technology products and services by the health care sector has potential to improve the quality of patient care and create long-term value for money. It also stimulates innovation within the economy by enabling the market to respond to current and future public service needs. When purchasing organizations are procuring products, it has been common practice to issue public tenders based on detailed product specifications and financial terms. However, overly-detailed specifications often restrict the solutions that vendors propose, and which vendors qualify, resulting in only incremental improvements rather than step-change innovation.
Public sector innovation procurement projects are intended to build capacity within public health service provider organizations and medtech innovators to use outcome-based specifications and, when evidence justifies, lead directly to procurement of innovation. REACH funding supports the entire process of innovation procurement, including any field evaluation studies required to test the identified technology and/or service within an Ontario public health service provider organization. Medtech innovators cannot formally be involved until they respond to a request for qualifications (or similar) once the project is underway.
Through the use of enhanced public sector innovation procurement methodologies, health service providers will be able to develop and implement a preferred procurement process that is intended to identify solutions to their most complex challenges. Recognized public sector innovation procurement methodologies include (but are not limited to):
Benefits to health service provider organizations
REACH Contribution
95 per cent (maximum) of total eligible project costs, up to $1,000,000
Industry Partner Contribution
5 per cent (minimum) of total eligible project costs (i.e. minimum 1:1 match to REACH contribution)
Example
Total eligible project costs: $1,000,000
Funding Recipient
Ontario public health service provider organization(s)
Ontario Shared Services Organization(s) [must partner with a health service provider]
Institutional Overhead
Not eligible
The health service provider MUST provide the necessary employee and capital resources to support completion of approved REACH project activities and milestones and should be committed to procuring the technology product or service identified through the public sector innovation procurement process.
REACH funds will reimburse 95 per cent of total eligible project costs up to a maximum of $1,000,000. REACH projects may incur costs for a term of up to 24 months.
Funding for the projects will be released to the lead Applicant health service provider. The lead Applicant will, in turn, reimburse any project Partners, if applicable.
Funding through the REACH program may be allocated to activities undertaken by an Ontario health service provider to design, develop, and administer a public sector innovation procurement process. These activities can include, staff training, procurement document development and review, facilitation of vendor information sessions, development of agreements and contracts, and knowledge dissemination.
An important and expected use of REACH funds is the engagement of public sector innovation experts and professional services, to assist with the selection of the most appropriate method and to advise the project team through the various stages of their process.
REACH projects are expected to directly result in the procurement of an innovative product or service by the applicant health service provider, but REACH funding may NOT be used for the actual purchase transaction.
Refer to the Eligible Expenses document for full details.
Program Status: Closed for applicationsVIP I applications are accepted at any time.
Activity
Date
Call for Applications
January 9, 2017
Innovation-Based Procurement Workshop
February 23, 2017
REACH Project Development Training
March 3, 2017
Application Submission Deadline
March 20, 2017
Invitation to Present to External Reviewer Panel
March 27, 2017
External Reviewer Panel Meeting
April 20, 2017
Award Notification
May 2017
Public Announcement of Results
June 2017
REACH is a discretionary, non-entitlement program with limited funding. All eligible applications undergo a review process where the applications are assessed against program objectives and assessment criteria. Not all eligible applications will be approved for funding.
Applications will be reviewed by OCE to determine the eligibility to the program. Projects that are outside of the scope will not qualify and may be referred to partner programs as appropriate.
Applications submitted through the AccessOCE portal are internally reviewed for completeness, eligibility and use of funds prior to evaluation by an external review panel with domain expertise. Applications will be reviewed by an external panel of domain experts against program objectives and assessment criteria. Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) will be completed by the external reviewers prior to the review of the proposals. The final funding decision is made by OCE.
OCE will reimburse 95 per cent of the eligible project costs. Upon approval, OCE may release an advance payment; future disbursements will be based on receipt of supporting documentation and upon receipt and approval of progress reports. A final payment of 10 per cent will be released upon project completion and receipt of final project and financial reports, outcomes and attestation from the team(s) regarding the use of funds.
The following project reports will be required.
Please note that to receive funding from OCE, the applicant MUST complete all required reports as a contractual obligation.
Successful applicants are required to work with OCE and our academic case study partner (the World Health Innovation Network) to share their experiences and perceptions of the public sector innovation procurement project they have been funded to implement. The objective of this case study research includes the following:
Successful applicants will be introduced to the WIN research team (Chair of WIN, Dr. Anne Snowdon), who will then contact project leaders to describe the study protocol and obtain consent to participate. The study protocols will involve interviews, document analysis, and observations of project events.
For inquiries specifically related to the workshop, eligibility, contracting and funding disbursements, please contact: Jennifer Moles, Innovation Procurement Manager, at gro.oiratno-eco@selom.refinnej
Program Status: Closed for Applications