Aligned with the NHS Long Term Plan priorities, the NHS Innovation Accelerator accelerates the adoption of promising health and social care innovations for the benefit of patients and NHS staff. This year the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) and Crown Commercial Service (CCS) are joining forces to drive the adoption of healthcare innovation. This transformative collaboration is poised to help streamline healthcare services and essential processes.

Central to this is the automatic enrolment of successful and Spark eligible NIA Fellows onto the CCS Spark Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). Spark DPS serves as a Technology Innovation Marketplace, providing government and public sector organisations with direct access to new and emerging technologies. With this integration, healthcare professionals across the UK will gain an invaluable opportunity to leverage additional digital health solutions to enhance and improve patient care, diagnostics and administrative processes.

A key objective of this collaboration is the streamlining of due diligence processes. By combining Spark’s rigorous due diligence checks with those conducted during the NIA selection process, the NIA and CCS collaboration ensures a meticulous and thorough vetting of healthcare innovators resulting in a highly selective group of Fellows with the potential to drive substantial advancements in the healthcare industry.

Ahead of the NIA’s 2024 Fellow launch, in March, the newest cohort of NIA health and social care innovators were presented an opportunity to have their Spark applications shared for review. This collaborative effort fosters a feedback-rich environment, enabling the NIA to identify areas for improvement within the new cohort and contribute to crafting personalised learning programmes and maturity journeys over the next three years.

Auto-enrolment onto the Spark DPS not only opens exciting opportunities for NIA Fellows across the public sector but also establishes a dependable purchasing system for future contracts. This collaboration is a testament to the commitment of both the NIA and CCS to promote innovation and efficiency in the healthcare ecosystem.

Crown Commercial Service supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2022/23, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £3.8 billion – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers.

Jack Porter, Co-Director at NHS Innovation Accelerator says:

“This collaboration represents a pivotal moment in healthcare innovation, where the NHS Innovation Accelerator and Crown Commercial Service unite to drive positive change in the industry. We are excited about the possibilities this partnership unlocks for our Fellows and the broader healthcare community fostering adoption and spread in system.”

Philip Orumwense, Commercial Director and Chief Procurement Officer Technology at Crown Commercial Service says:

“This collaboration with the NHS Innovation Accelerator underscores our commitment to fostering innovation in healthcare. Together, we aim to streamline processes, provide access to cutting-edge technologies that will make a lasting impact and support the diverse SME’s all seeking to drive technology innovation in health.”