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The Digital Health Sandbox Program, launched in 2019 is administered by the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI) at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech) and is designed to both support digital health companies in their product development and expand the user base for sandbox environments.
Massachusetts is home to a variety of cutting-edge research and development facilities better known as sandboxes. They 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 their work on the sandbox capabilities page.
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 healthcare challenges in Massachusetts. Once a year, MeHI puts out a call for applications to source, support and validate solutions in defined areas. Selected entrepreneurs participate in Mass Digital Health Connects, a virtual workshop program, and are 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 5: Access and Affordability
The Access and Affordability Challenge focuses on digital health innovations that improve healthcare affordability, strengthen access to care and enhance the efficiency of the Commonwealth's healthcare system. Challenge finalists will compete for $1,100,000 in grant funding to support validation projects with MeHI's Digital Health Sandboxes.
Learn more about the Access and Affordability Challenge here.
Challenge 4: Primary Care Innovation
The Primary Care Innovation Challenge focused on digital health innovations that address urgent issues in primary care, specifically in the areas of administrative burden, workforce burnout and patient access.
Learn more about the Primary Care Innovation Challenge here.
Challenge 3: Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts (AHEM)
This Challenge was 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).
Learn more about the AHEM Challenge and the four winners 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 three winners 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 $60,000 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 twice per fiscal year. Please note that funding is available for FY 2025, which began on July 1, 2025. Sign up for Sandbox Office Hours to meet with a member of the MeHI team for more information and application deadline.
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.