The government agency Innovate UK, which is based in Swindon, is calling for applications from businesses for a share of the £8m pot.

Part of the Government's Modern Industrial Strategy the funding hopes to address three themes, improving the UK's capacity and efficiency to manufacture medicines, reduce waste costs in the supply chain, and improve molecular or gene-based medicine.

A spokesperson for Innovate UK told the Adver: “Innovate UK is making up to £8 million available to UK businesses to develop new and novel digital healthcare solutions. Digital health promises to have a profound impact on the approach, delivery and administration of healthcare, for the benefit of patients. We are seeking feasibility or development projects that advance digital health or digitally-enabled medical technologies.

“These should improve patient outcomes, such as through better clinical decision-making and supporting them to manage their own care; offer new approaches to healthcare that transform its delivery; reduce the demand on the health system, make it more efficient and create savings.”

The competition opened on September 10 and the deadline for applications is midday on 3 October.