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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 began on the 1st April 2026 and provides 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. In the first year of the Funding Model the East Midlands RRDN supported ~350 Individual Sites, across 8 different settings, enabling research in various innovative and collaborative ways of working to deliver research.
Structure of the Funding Model
Structure of the Funding Model
The Wider Care Settings Funding Model will look to engage and fund sites in four seperate levels:
Enhanced SSCs - 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.
WCS Funding £2000-£24,999 - Wider Care Organisations must commit to delivering NIHR portfolio studies appropriate to the amount of funding allocated. There is a limited application process and no SSC uplift.
WCS Funding £25,000-£49,999 - As above. Sites will be expected to deliver a significantly wide and varied portfolio of studies or demonstrate working collaboratively across multiple organisations. Alongside a limited application process, applicants will be expected to outline WTE/PA for staff allocated to research.
WCS Funding £50,000+ - As above. Sites applying for more than £50,000 should demonstrate significant infrastructure to deliver portfolio research at scale. All applications for more tha £50,000 must be discussed with the RRDN Team beforehand.
A note on Key Performance Indicators for the 2027/28 financial year: We are expecting the Wider Care Settings Funding Model to expand again this year and for a record number of sites to apply for funding. We can therefore broadly expect to allocate sites a funding amount and corresponding set of KPIs to those laid out last year. For sites on the 2026/27 WCSFM this can be viewed in your contract appendix. For sites not on the 2026/27 WCSFM, you can speak to your designated Wider Care Team contact for advice.
In addition to the study commitments sites will also be expected to:
promote research and community engagement activities
support the uptake of the My Research Experience survey
meet the RRDN team to review progress - the frequency of meetings will be proportionate to the amount of funding received
provide Local Portfolio Management System (LPMS) minimum data requirements
complete Good Clinical Practice (GCP) certification or other proportionate training courses as required by the type of study being undertaken.
Key Dates
Key Dates
6 October 2026
6 October 2026
Applications open.
17 November 2026
17 November 2026
Applications close at midnight.
22 February 2027
22 February 2027
Find out if your application has been successful.
From 1 April 2027
From 1 April 2027
If your application is successful, you will receive your funding.
Apply
Apply
Applications are now open for the 2027/28 financial year. You can apply for wider care settings funding through the HALO portal here. You have the option to create an account which will allow you to save your application and come back to it later.
FAQs
FAQs
If you have a question you would like to submit for our FAQs (section below) then please click here.
FAQs
FAQs
How will the East Midlands RRDN decide funding allocations for Wider Care Sites? Wider Care Settings sites will have the option to select a funding bracket during their application this year, but not apply for a set allocation. This allocation will be decided by the WCS panel based upon the site's performance, feedback from the WCS team and their allocation from the previous financial year.
What will happen if I apply for a higher funding bracket and this is rejected? If the requested funding is rejected, a reduced proportionate amount will be offered instead.
Can collaborations be between different site types? Yes, where appropriate we encourage collaboration between different wider care settings sites.
How should collaborations apply this year? In previous years we advised sites following a centralised funding model to submit separate applications for each of their sites. Going forward please advise all collaboration types to submit a single application covering all sites.
I am new to research and unsure what level I should apply for? We recommend all sites new to research contact their designated Wider Care Team contact to discuss their application first, however an application for the £2000-£25,000 bracket will be accepted for all sites who can commit to delivering NIHR portfolio research in the 27/28 financial year, unless other issues are identified.
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. Previous terminology would be that 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, PCN or other overarching organisation.
Currently we only expect new sites to complete the RCGP Research Ready Accreditation, will this now be expected of all sites? No the RCGP Research Ready Accreditation is an optional but useful tool for research naive sites to engage with.
Is signing up to NCVR a mandatory requirement for non-commercially active sites? NCVR sign up is encouraged but remains voluntary.
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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