Massachusetts is home to a variety of cutting-edge research and development facilities or "sandboxes." These organizations provide a wide range of services supporting the lifecycle of validation and testing for digital health companies. Startups can learn more about the services sandboxes can provide and explore which sandboxes can support your work on the sandbox capabilities page.
Launched in 2019, the Digital Health Sandbox Program is administered by the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI) at the MassTech Collaborative and designed to both support digital health companies in their product development and expand the user base for sandbox environments.
Many small digital health companies would benefit from the services offered by sandboxes, but the cost of entry is often prohibitive. There are a variety of opportunities for digital health companies to access funding to work with a sandbox.
Sandbox Challenge Program
The Sandbox Challenge Program identifies and supports digital health companies with solutions that address key health care challenges in Massachusetts. Once a year, MeHI will put out a call for applications to source, support and validate solutions in defined areas. Selected entrepreneurs will participate in Mass Digital Health Connects, a virtual workshop program, and will be matched with one of the sandboxes within our network. At the end of each program, participating entrepreneurs will pitch for the chance to win funding for concrete research and development projects with their sandbox partner.
Challenge 4: Primary Care Innovation
The Primary Care Innovation Challenge focuses on digital health innovations that address urgent issues in primary care, specifically in the areas of administrative burden, workforce burnout and patient access. Challenge finalists will compete for $300,000 in grant funding to support validation projects with MeHI’s Digital Health Sandboxes.
Applications are now closed. Learn more about the Primary Care Innovation Challenge here.
Challenge 3: Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts (AHEM)
This Challenge is divided into four tracks, all aimed at meeting the AHEM Initiative's goals of eliminating racial, economic and regional disparities in health outcomes.
- AI for Health Equity;
- Addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) for Cardiometabolic Diseases;
- Maternal and Infant Health;
- Medicaid Pilot Track (MPT).
Challenge finalists in the AI for Health Equity, SDOH for Cardiometabolic Diseases and Maternal and Infant Health tracks will compete for a total of $150,000 in grant funding that must be used to fund validation projects at one of MeHI's Digital Health Sandboxes. Finalists in the Medicaid Pilot track will compete for the opportunity to pilot their solution with members of Community Care Cooperative (C3), an Accountable Care Organization operating in Massachusetts. The pilot will be designed and executed by UMass Chan Medical School, one of MeHI’s Digital Health Sandboxes, and is valued at $100,000.
Learn more about the AHEM Challenge and the 12 finalists here.
Challenge 2: Innovations to Support Women+ Health
This Challenge sought startups that are developing solutions that address Women+ Health and inequities including in the areas of behavioral and cognitive health, physical activity, disease control, medication management, nutrition and community connections.
Learn more about the Women’s Health Challenge and the nine finalists here.
Challenge 1: Innovations to Support Healthy Aging
This Challenge sought startups that are developing solutions that improve the lives of older adults and help them remain active, productive, independent and socially connected.
Learn more about the focus of the Healthy Aging Challenge and the four winners here.
Medicaid Challenge: Revolutionizing Home-Based Care
MeHI aims to support the state Medicaid program in its efforts to provide high quality care for individuals aged 65 and older. This Challenge was focused on finding and testing remote patient monitoring (RPM) solutions that have the potential to improve the health care of community-dwelling older adults with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD).
MeHI selected the UMass Chan Medical School and UMass Lowell Sandboxes to support a pilot of an RPM solution with members of Wellsense, a Medicaid Senior Care Options (SCO) plan. Congratulations to Tembo Health on being selected as the winning company to participate in the pilot.
Learn more about the program and the winner here.
Rolling Grant Opportunity
Digital health companies with a presence in Massachusetts may be eligible for the Sandbox Rolling Grant opportunity. The program provides grants of up to $25,000 to subsidize the fees to work with a sandbox. The first step in applying for a grant is to contact a sandbox to determine if they can support your company.
Grant applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and are typically reviewed once per fiscal year. Please note that funding is available for FY 2024, which began on July 1, 2024. Contact Katie Green (green@masstech.org) for more information and application deadlines.
Join the Sandbox Network
Massachusetts organizations that provide an environment to test and validate digital health products or services can apply to join the Massachusetts Digital Health Sandbox Network.