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2019 Challenges Competition is now open-Invitation to Tender


12 September 2019

This year's launch event took place in central London on 11 September. The Challenges were outlined and the Sponsors met with potential applicants and the CRACK IT Team.

There are three 2019 Challenges:

  • Challenge 32 Transgene Track: Development of a sensitive, absolute quantification method for tracking AAV gene therapies and CAR-T cells in vivo. (Two Phase Challenge).
  • Challenge 33 CleanCut: Animal free tumourigenicity assessment of genome edited human haematopoietic stem cells. (Two Phase Challenge).
  • Challenge 34 Sharp and to the Point: Developing needles for high throughput and critical compound administration in mice. (Single Phase Challenge).

Each of the Two Phase Challenges offers up to £1 million funding and a research contract for up to three years and up to £0.1 million funding for the Single Phase Challenge.

More details on the Challenges, the competition and how to apply can be found on the NC3Rs Innovation Platform.

Applicants are invited to tender for the 2019 CRACK IT Challenges. The aim of the competition is to develop technologies with potential 3Rs [1] benefits into new products and methodologies for the biosciences research community. The Challenges are detailed in the Challenge briefs.

This Invitation to Tender should be read in conjunction with other documents associated with this competition. The Guide for Participants provides further details on the competition and includes the rules applying to Sponsors and applicants.

Open Date:     12 September 2019

Close Dates:   12.00pm (noon) GMT 6 November 2019 (Two Phase Challenges, Phase 1)

                         12.00pm (noon) GMT 13 November 2019 (Single Phase Challenge)


[1] The 3Rs: the replacement, refinement and reduction of the use of animals in research and testing.