Business development services

Contracting authority is publishing direct award notice for 'Business development services'.

BACKGROUND INFO L-Cell is a Business Finland funded project under the Research-to-business (R2B) programme (https://www.tuni.fi/en/research/light-reconfigurable-substrate-cell-cultures-l-cell). The L-Cell project prepares the commercialization of a novel in vitro cell culturing plate, in which the surface topography can be reconfigured by light irradiation multiple times. With the use of light-responsive materials, the L-Cell platform aims at improving the predictability of in vitro cell-based assays in pharma R&D. To launch a new therapeutic entity, pharmaceutical companies spend roughly 2 B$ in R&D costs. Over 90% of the drug candidates fail in clinical trials due to low efficacy or non-negligible toxicity. Therefore, pharma R&D is continuously seeking novel ways for identifying the most promising drug candidates as early as possible for avoiding costly clinical stage development failures. Typical strategies for process improvement require more predictable in vitro cell-based assays. It is acknowledged that there is a significant parameter missing from the industrial toolbox. Cells in the body are continuously stimulated by various mechanical stimuli, from physiological ones, such as stretching during respiratory cycles, to pathological ones, such as compression of healthy tissue around solid tumor site. The absence of such stimulation alters the clinical relevance of in vitro test results. During the past years, a unique technical platform has been created for implementing the missing physiological parameter for the industrial in vitro drug discovery processes, i.e. the mechanical stimulation, which will help identify inefficient or toxic drug candidates in pre-clinical stages of drug discovery. NEED To achieve the L-Cell objectives, the project requires the procurement of business development services from a qualified and experienced provider. The business development services will include: - End-user and competitor market study to identify the needs and preferences of the potential customers and the gaps and opportunities in the market, as well as growth perspectives from alternative markets; - Financing market study, including contacting and meeting investors; - Business models and Commercialization plan. The procurement of business development services will bring the following benefits to the project: - It will enable the project to access the expertise and experience of an external provider; - It will save the project time and resources by outsourcing the non-core activities to an external provider, who has the necessary resources and expertise to perform them efficiently and effectively. Therefore, the procurement of business development services is essential and justified for the successful implementation and completion of the project. MARKET ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION FOR DIRECT AWARD In the previous project (connected to L-Cell core ideas), contracting authority has subcontracted a preliminary market survey to BSUM Startup Management Oy. The study identified several markets relevant for planning the L-Cell platform commercialization path: - Cell culture plates. - In vitro toxicology. - High-content screening. - CROs. - Cell stretching. - Drug discovery. However, these and other application opportunities should be further explored with industry expert interviews for further validation of the applications' feasibility for commercialization. Also, a strategy towards regulatory authors should be created accordingly, to better drive the market position. BSUM Startup Management Oy provides comprehensive business development and management services for life science commercialization projects. Services include, e.g.: - Market studies - Strategies and Business Planning - Business development from concept to sales or asset transfer - Training for Life Science Researchers and Entrepreneurs BSUM Startup Management Oy has more than 20 years of experience in the life science business. BSUM has also extensively collaborated with Tampere University, to which it offers discounted consultancy fees, and has an excellent track of records in health innovation projects with successful outcome. BSUM Startup Management Oy has already proven knowledge of the fields relevant to L-Cell during the previous market study, with excellent reactivity in communication and handling of our requests. Therefore, BSUM Startup Management Oy is considered the best provider for fast and cost-effective consulting services for business development of L-Cell, therefore minimizing the risks and uncertainties associated with external unknown service providers.