Research Delivery Data & Intelligence - update November 2025

The purpose of the RDDI Project is to produce accurate real time data and intelligence on the delivery status of health and care research nationally. This capability will be rolled out across England initially, then Wales and Northern Ireland and Scotland subsequently, working towards a UK-wide approach.

At the core of RDDI will be a digital system which National Health Service Business Services Authority will procure on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care and, in due course, its equivalents in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The digital system will provide local portfolio management systems to all Regional Research Delivery Networks in England. Over time, it will provide portfolio management services also for Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. It will also have a central data and intelligence integration, analysis and reporting tool which will allow UK administrations and wider stakeholders to interrogate and display research delivery data in a range of different ways.

RDDI will be the digital system(s) that will be procured to succeed the existing Local Portfolio Management Systems and Central Portfolio Management System. The new system planned is to exceed current scope extending to capture a wider range of research. In doing so the new RDDI system will support delivery of further streamlining and reform of the set-up and delivery of clinical trials that will be key to driving global investment, improving health outcomes and accelerating the development of medicines in the UK. It will also help ensure that research data effectively captures the increasing amount of research that is undertaken in community and neighbourhood settings.

The core business objective is to establish a single, integrated national research delivery system; rolled out across England initially, then Wales and Northern Ireland and Scotland subsequently, working towards a UK-wide approach. 

RDDI System will provide a unified, modular platform that can support both national and local research delivery functions. This system will provide shared access to research data and study lifecycle management, while also ensuring seamless integration with other critical national research data sets and research systems e.g. NIHR Funding & Awards System and the Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) and its replacement.

In addition, the system will provide a public dashboard of the status of research delivery nationally. Patients, the public, researchers, research charities, industry and other stakeholders will be able to access health and care research delivery data within the system through a free to use public portal. 

Key Milestones for delivery 

• November 2025: Request for Information (RFI) Published

• December 2025:Request for Information (RFI) Deadline for responses 

• November 2025 - July 2026 : Preparation for Implementation 

• April 2026: Invitation to Tender published

• August 2026 :Contract Award

• August 2026 – March 2027: Implementation of winning system and data migration

We have undertaken extensive stakeholder engagement as part of the initial Request for Information (RFI) process. This included detailed desk-based research and over 20 meetings involving more than 150 individuals across key stakeholder groups. This collaborative approach ensured a broad range of perspectives were captured early in the process. Further stakeholder engagement activities will be defined and implemented during the detailed requirements gathering phase for the procurement stage, ensuring continued alignment and transparency. 

In addition to stakeholder engagement to support the procurement process, there will also be significant engagement and joint working in preparation and during the implementation phase. 

Yes, a number of procurement options were explored to ensure the most efficient and impactful approach. These included building the solution in-house versus purchasing an existing product. 

To enable a truly UK-wide overview of health and care research delivery, relevant parts of the research system need to be measuring and reporting the same thing in the same way. Therefore, alongside and very much linked with the procurement process, DHSC, working with its equivalents in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland will be initiating work to harmonise the collection and definition of research delivery data. This will, over time, ensure that data and information collated and analysed nationally through RDDI will be accurate and consistent. An example of this harmonisation work in England is the work underway to report against the Prime Minister's target of for the set up of clinical trials.