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APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN: Wider Care Settings Funding Model (Deadline: 13/01/2026)
Background
Background
Before 2026/2027, each region had a different model for how organisations in wider care settings receive their funding.
Building on the success of the RSI scheme, the Wider Care Settings Funding Model will take place from 1st April 2026 and provide funding to all wider care sites nationally. It has the key aim to enable a more transparent, fair, and predictable system of funding that supports the NIHR’s strategic ambitions and the needs of the whole health and care system, including underserved areas and settings.
Overview
Overview
The Wider Care Settings Funding Model merges the previous funding for GPs, Dental Practices, Hospices, Care Homes and many more site types into one fair and consistent method for distributing funding.
Whilst being designed nationally, management and decision making for the Funding Model will be handled regionally. This is to allow for the usage of local intelligence, which is still hugely important, and pragmatic allocation of funds using the available budgets.
Structure of the Funding Model
Structure of the Funding Model
The Wider Care Settings Funding Model will look to engage and fund sites in three seperate levels:
Engaged - Wider Care Organisations who are engaged in research receive retrospective payments to cover Study Support Costs (SSCs). We apply a 15% uplift on the SSCs. There is no application process. SSCs are paid based on research activity conducted.
Established - Wider Care Organisations in the established band must commit to development activities and at least 1 research study. They receive a fixed payment of £1500, in addition to the retrospective SSCs. We apply a 15% uplift on the SSCs. There will be a basic application required.
Leading - Wider Care Organisations in the leading band must commit to significant development activities and a portfolio of research studies. They can receive between £2000 and £100,000, in addition to the retrospective SSCs. There is no uplift on the SSCs, as leading organisations are expected to have research infrastructure as part of their award. An application is required. A business case is required for funding >£25,000.
Apply
Apply
To apply for funding through the Wider Care Settings Funding Model please click here. To view what questions will asked please see below.
Guidance
Guidance
To see further guidance on how to apply or what to include in your application then please click here. Please note we do have regional discretion on how funding will be allocated, so we encourage you to discuss your application with a member of the Primary Care Team first.
FAQs
FAQs
If you have a question you would like to submit for our FAQs (section below) then please click here.
FAQs
FAQs
The guidance for the national funding brackets is quite different to the former RSI scheme levels. How will you be judging applications? We are encouraging practices to use the former RSI levels (see here) as guidance for what funding they can apply for and KPIs they can expect to be judged against for this first year of the new funding model. This will allow for a fair and pragmatic allocation of the regional funding.
Can you provide further guidance on applications for collaborations? As with individual sites, we are encouraging collaborating sites to use the former RSI levels (see here) as guidance for what funding they can apply for and KPIs they can expect to be judged against for this first year of the new funding model. If sites are following a centralised funding model collaboration (information on this page page here) then an appropriate funding amount can be determined by adding together the amounts suggested by the former RSI levels for each site. Applicants can submit a single application this year for all sites, regardless of what collaborative model is being followed.
Will we be monitored against former RSI level KPIs in the 2026/27 financial year? Whilst we are still determining what form monitoring will take in 2026/27, if a sites successful application was granted along the basis of achieving a former RSI level, then the site should expect to meet these before recieveing their second payment.
There is no mention of PIC studies in the national guidance? PIC studies are still recognised as a key research activity, and will be included both when reviewing applications for previous years activity and what KPIs will be required for the 2026/27 financial year.
What will happen if I apply for more funding and this is rejected? The decision making panel will make funding recommendations based on the information within the application, guidance we have provided around the former RSI levels and local intelligence. If the requested funding is rejected, a reduced amount based on these factors will be offered instead.
I am new to research and unsure what level I should apply for? We recommend all sites new to research contact their designated Primary Care Team contact to discuss their application first, however, in general we would recommend the Established level as a good starting point for engaging with the RRDN and research.
What is an interventional study? An interventional study is where a participant would receive at least one intervention during their time in a study. This might be some level of active treatment or procedure, for example. For the former RSI scheme, this would have counted as a Consent at Site Recruiting Study.
Can Wider Care Settings or Strategic Funding be used for building works? Funding cannot be used for: Estates / indirect costs, eg finance, HR, capital expenditure which typically includes one-off, large purchases of fixed assets that will be used for revenue generation over an extended period. This would include refurbishment work, transport, and expensive equipment. Equipment over £5,000, Maintenance of equipment, Computer hardware, software, licencing, Mobile phones and rental, Training events, Conferences fees - attendance or poster presentations Transcription costs, Advertising / promotional materials, Excess treatment costs, Legal fees.
If it is a collaborative application with a number of practices, then should there be a lead practice? We will need to identify a legal entity for contracting purposes and so anticipate that this could be through a lead practice.
Currently we only expect new sites to complete the RCGP Research Ready Accreditation, will this now be expected of all sites? No, although sites who don’t hold current accreditation can apply for additional funding to complete the accreditation as part of their bid.
Is signing up to PRIDES an expectation for bids over £25,000? No, regionally this is not required, so please select ‘No’ to this question.
Will interventional study follow ups be counted in a sites study numbers for past/future years? No, Only new studies opened within the financial year will count towards a sites requirements.
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