A. Our online submission process has been specially set up to collect the right information. This short questionnaire asks you to supply information about your innovative product or concept and it’s designed to be as straightforward as possible.
Your submission is more likely to attract our attention and interest if it is professional and comprehensive. The emphasis should be on unique features and benefits it can offer Boots and our customers. We’re particularly interested in how it differs from solutions currently available on the market and how it meets one of our innovation needs.
Q. I have a great innovation, but I am not sure if I can tell you what it is. What should I do?
A. If your innovation is not protected, by either patent, or patent application, design rights or trademark, then you should only disclose non-confidential information to us. If this is not possible, you should seek protection for your innovation then come back when you are able to tell us more.
Q. How can I tell if my innovation might be right for Boots stores?
A. The innovation needs section on this website (link to Innovation Needs section) will help you understand our consumer brands and current areas of interest. This should help you identify whether your innovation will strike a chord with us and our customers.
Q. What happens to my proposal once I submit it?
A. Your submission will be entered into our monthly assessment forum. At that forum your submission will be reviewed by a panel of Boots experts. We'll then contact you to tell you the decision along with some feedback. If your submission is successful a member of the team will be assigned to your concept and will further review your proposal. At that stage this person will get in touch with you directly to introduce themselves, discuss next steps and request further information.
Q. Can we sign a Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA) straight away?
A. We would like you to submit non-confidential data in the idea submission process. This will allow us to judge whether the area is of interest to us. If confidential information needs to be discussed at a later date then we will set up a CDA to protect everyone involved.
Q. Why does the process take three months and what happens during that time?
A. Once we receive your information, it will be put forward to our next monthly idea assessment forum. To give every concept the expert attention it deserves we often need to speak to members of the wider team. Coordinating input from the various team members can take time. For all these reasons we like to say three months, but we do our best to speed things up and it may be quicker.
Q. Where are you located and who will review my submission?
A. When you submit an idea it will go to our open innovation team based at Boots UK Support Office in Nottingham.
Q. What criteria are used to evaluate my submission?
A. We evaluate all submissions using a number of predefined criteria which includes:
- A good match with Boots core business objectives
- How differentiated it is from existing products on the market place
- Whether it addresses a customer need
- Whether it is supported by robust scientific evidence
Q. What might cause you to decline my submission?
A. Concepts need to meet our submission criteria for us to be able to form a partnership. In particular a submission may be declined if:
- It does not fit with our core business objectives
- The size of the opportunity may not be right for us.
- It is not sufficiently differentiated from solutions available on the market today.
- We already have strategic relationships with key suppliers in place who manage this category on our behalf.
Whether successful or not we give each submission constructive feedback.
Q. Can you arrange for me to meet with someone?
A. Typically, meetings and telephone discussions aren’t needed to complete an initial review of your submission. We are committed to thoroughly evaluating each submission based on its individual merit, and will respond to you with our decision. We therefore ask you to ensure your submission is as professional and comprehensive as possible.
We will be in touch with you following our review and may want to follow up with a personal meeting or telephone call.
Q. Who do I contact to check on the status of my submission?
A. Once you submit your idea, you'll get an email to confirm it's been received. It will then be entered into our idea assessment forum and after this is complete we'll let you know the result. If your submission is successful then a member of the team will review your idea further and get in touch. The process can take up to three months and we'd appreciate it if you could be patient and wait for us to contact you. We reply to all submissions, regardless of whether they are progressed.
Q. Can I submit a service (for example, operational or marketing services) rather than a product?
A. Boots Centre for Innovation deals with products, and health and beauty services. If you’ve got a service that is not a health or beauty service but you think it is appropriate for Boots please submit it to our
procurement department. Marketing proposals can also be submitted to our retained media agency, O.M.D., through
luke.townsin@omd.com.
Q. Do you provide funding to developers?
A. Boots Centre for Innovation does not provide direct funding for companies that it works with. However we do have a strong relationship with a number of investors and we are able to provide advice and support to help secure funding from other sources.
Q. Will the end product be sold exclusively in Boots stores?
A. We do expect a period of exclusivity in return for extensive marketing and product development support. This initially covers the UK market and other territories may be discussed during future negotiations.
Q. What type of business deal might I expect?
A. Previous submissions have led to a variety of different business relationships and we’re intent on finding the best partnership for each unique situation. Possibilities include licensing or supply agreements and a range of co-development opportunities.
