2019-MeHI-02 Digital Health Sandbox Program

The Massachusetts eHealth Institute, a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, is administering a rolling grant program under the 2019-MeHI-02 Digital Health Sandbox Program to support digital health companies in testing and validating innovative products and services within approved sandbox environments in Massachusetts. Funding, ranging from $25,000 to $60,000 per award with a total program budget of $500,000 over two years, is intended to offset sandbox access costs and is disbursed directly to the sandbox provider, not the applicant company. Applications are evaluated on two primary factors—feasibility of the proposed project and its potential impact—with consideration given to technical merit, economic viability, uniqueness in the market, and outcomes related to company growth, expansion of the state’s innovation economy, patient benefits, and reduction of health disparities. Preference is given to projects addressing health equity, cybersecurity and privacy, and cost or access challenges identified by the Health Policy Commission. No formal FAR clauses or line-item pricing structures apply; instead, the program operates under a Sandbox Access Agreement and Notice of Funding Opportunity, with applicant submissions required to include a pitch deck, high-level project plan, detailed budget, signed letter of support from a sandbox, key team member bios, and a signed acceptance form. Eligibility is not determined by traditional socioeconomic categories, but funding levels are influenced by company size measured in full-time equivalent employees, with companies of five or fewer receiving higher subsidy rates. Confidentiality requests for proprietary information must be submitted in writing to the General Counsel at least 14 business days before application submission and must be clearly labeled if approved. All work must be performed within Massachusetts sandbox environments, and awardees are subject to five years of post-award impact evaluations. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with key deadlines in September and February each year, and submissions must be made through the official online portal in specified digital formats.