Challenge Goal

The Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI) is seeking startups and entrepreneurs who are developing and validating digital health-based solutions that strengthen and sustain primary care in Massachusetts to compete in the fourth Massachusetts Digital Health Sandbox Challenge. This 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. Finalists will compete for $300,000 in grant funding to support validation projects with MeHI’s Digital Health Sandboxes. This Challenge aligns with the goals of the Massachusetts Primary Care Access, Delivery and Payment Task Force established in 2025, co-chaired by the Health Policy Commission and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS). 

 
Program Overview

Applicants from across the country can apply to this Challenge. MeHI staff will evaluate applicants and select up to 20 companies as semi-finalists. Applications will be reviewed on the proposed solution’s uniqueness in the market, potential commercial viability and ability to support the goals of the Primary Care Innovation Challenge.

Semi-finalist companies will be asked to complete a Sandbox Matchmaking Survey to be shared with the cutting-edge research and development organizations from the Massachusetts Digital Health Sandbox Network. MeHI will help match the semi-finalists with sandboxes to identify potential partners. Sandboxes and semi-finalists will meet February 2026 to discuss potential projects and identify research partners. After the meetings, the sandboxes will inform MeHI which companies they could partner with for the program. MeHI will then select eight to 10 companies to participate in the program. Each selected company will be matched with one sandbox.

Selected companies will participate in Mass Digital Health Connects, a two-month series of informative and interactive virtual workshops featuring prominent voices from across the ecosystem, including venture capitalists, state and federal policymakers and leading researchers. Workshops include topics like secure clinical data exchange, mitigating bias and responsibly adopting AI, raising funding, working with public and private payers, navigating health systems and an introduction to ecosystem partners.

During this program, participants will also work with their sandbox matches to scope projects to test and validate their solutions to help bring them to market faster. MeHI will support participants in preparing detailed project plans outlining how the award funding would be used to complete the scoped sandbox project.

The program will culminate in an in-person, judged competition in June 2026 where participants will pitch both their product and their proposed sandbox project. Expert judges will recommend four winners to MeHI. Each winner’s sandbox project will be completed by their sandbox partner with input and participation from the company. The projects are valued at $75,000 each, and the funding for each project will be paid directly to the Sandbox and must be used to cover the Sandbox partner’s fees. This level of funding can typically cover user experience testing, access to cutting-edge lab facilities and subject matter experts or a small unpaid pilot in a health care setting. No funding will be provided directly to the winners.

Applications will open in mid-October and the deadline to apply is Thursday, December 18. 

Join the information session on Thursday, October 30 to learn more about the program. Register here.

Challenge Areas and Solutions Sought

The following are examples of challenges in primary care that we believe can be addressed by digital health solutions. This is not an exhaustive list, and any applicants with ideas that address urgent areas in primary care are encouraged to apply.

All applicants should consider how their solution is targeting and supporting the unique needs of underserved populations, including addressing racial inequities, geographic limitations, accessibility concerns, broadband access, and digital literacy, among others. Applications that effectively address these considerations will be prioritized.

Eligibility

• Applicants must propose a new solution that is not yet widely commercially available.
• Applicants do not need to meet a minimum requirement of revenue or investment to participate in the program; however, this program is aimed at companies that have at least a minimum viable product that is ready to be validated with a Sandbox organization. Companies that have participated in an accelerator program previously will receive preference.  
• Applicants may be located anywhere in the US. MeHI has set a goal of 50% of the participating companies having a presence in Massachusetts.  
• Mass Digital Health Connects will be virtual; however, participants must be willing to participate in a live pitch event at the end of the program. The pitch event will take place in Massachusetts in June 2026.
• Participants must agree to participate in annual follow-up surveys for at least five years after the end of the program. The online survey will ask about company metrics, including, but not limited to:
  • Number of jobs created at your company
  • Number of jobs at your company based in Massachusetts
  • Number of new customers gained
  • Number of new patents, copyrights, or trademarks obtained
  • Amount of capital and non-dilutive funding raised
  • In-kind funding and resources provided to support your Sandbox project for companies selected as Challenge winners
  • Diversity of your board members and/or executive team

Learn More About the Sandbox Network