Research specification

Introduction

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is committed to enhancing the health and wealth of the nation through research. NIHR delivers against this mission through six core workstreams set out in Best Research for Best Health – the next chapter.

Following on with the successful Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC) funding opportunity funded as a partnership between government and the pharmaceutical industry’s Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) Investment Programme, the NIHR is launching a subsequent funding opportunity to establish Primary Care Commercial Research Delivery Centres (PC-CRDCs). These centres will focus on increasing commercial research capacity within primary care, supporting the UK’s aim to be a global leader in commercial clinical research delivery.

A total of £10.25m over three years, including capital spend, will be available from 1 November 2025. Non-commercial NHS Primary Care organisations, such as GP practices, Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and other General Practitioner (GP) led, NHSE-funded primary care entities are eligible to submit applications.

Lead applicants must demonstrate they are GP-led, with shareholders or partners actively engaged in NHS primary care services. Collaborations, federations or consortia led by NHS-funded primary care entities are also eligible to apply.

Aim of the PC-CRDC Scheme

The NIHR PC-CRDCs will serve as centres of excellence, focussing on boosting the commercial research delivery capacity in primary care organisations. The PC-CRDCs will accelerate the delivery of commercial clinical research for the benefit of the health and wealth of the nation. The centres will be part of the UK Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC) Network, collaborating with industry, NHS delivery partners, other research delivery infrastructure and wider stakeholders to increase the attractiveness of the UK as a desirable global destination to carry out commercial research.

By providing additional research capacity, these PC-CRDCs will:

• Accelerate the delivery of commercial clinical trials in Primary Care.
• Increase the capability of primary care to deliver commercial research.
• Act as an access point to a network of commercially active sites with gold standard set-up times and performance, standardised costing and contracting through sign up to the General Practice National Contract Value Review (NCVR), and a dedicated staff and facilities with consistency of practice.
• Act as hubs to support decentralisation and diversification of clinical trial delivery, leveraging relationships with local NHS organisations, their Integrated Care Systems and NIHR Infrastructure to make trial participation more accessible for people in primary care settings.
• Strengthen the UK’s position as an attractive site for innovative companies to conduct research.
• Help ensure research in primary care is more efficient, competitive and accessible aligned with the Government’s Health and Growth Missions and the forthcoming 10 Year Health Plan.
• Contribute to an increase in research inclusion to ensure people from all eligible communities and those living with the greatest burden of disease can participate in commercial clinical trials.
• Work collaboratively with all parts of the clinical research infrastructure, including but not limited to contract research organisation (CRO) sites, wider NIHR research delivery infrastructure and aligned organisations within the devolved nations.
• Work to provide training to enhance skills and workforce development to build further capacity and expertise for the delivery of commercial contract research, including across local regions.
• Support and contribute to a newly convened UK CRDC Network, working as a good collaborative partner across the NIHR CRDCs and equivalent centres in the devolved nations, as appropriate. There is an opportunity for PC-CRDCs to engage with primary care sites within the CRDC spokes, particularly those located in the immediate vicinity of the PC-CRDC host, fostering local collaboration and maximising impact.

Scope of the PC-CRDC Scheme

The NIHR CRDC scheme provides infrastructure funding to undertake the delivery of industry sponsored research and commercial collaborative studies across the whole clinical trials pathway. The NIHR CRFs already support the delivery of early translational and experimental medicine studies across a range of clinical/disease areas. It is therefore anticipated that the CRDCs will focus on later phase trials (Phase IIb and later). However, PC-CRDCs may support a combination of early and late phase trials, if applicants can demonstrate that the centre has the appropriate facilities and expertise in place.

Spoke sites within a hub-and-spoke model associated with a host CRDC are eligible to apply for this scheme. However, centres receiving funding through the PC-CRDC scheme cannot also receive funding as a spoke site within the CRDC scheme.

All Primary Care Organisations (PCOs) are eligible to participate in the PC-CRDC scheme, including GP practices, which may form part of a federated centre. Applicants are encouraged to clarify how arrangements such as federations and collaborations will operate, ensuring alignment with the scheme’s objectives and demonstrating the capacity to deliver industry-sponsored research effectively.  Eligible organisations should also aim to facilitate capacity and capability building in wider primary settings, this may include, but is not limited to pharmacies, dentists and optometry practices.

Successful PC-CRDCs will be funded for up to £1.025 million over three years, which includes any capital spend. This allocation reflects the need to maximise capacity while maintaining a balanced and impactful network of centres.

While facilities may vary, all PC-CRDCs should include the following:

• existing capacity or rented clinical and administrative space to accommodate hosting of a PC-CRDC, equipped with the necessary facilities such as reception spaces and consultation rooms;
• highly trained dedicated research support and management personnel; Robust data management and administrative systems, supported by qualified personnel within the centre specialist equipment to conduct a variety of research studies, including links with key services, including pharmacy and pathology. Where resources and equipment are shared with care services, a plan for how these shared resources will be managed and contracted for, should be provided;
• facilities for pharmacy and dispensing, secure storage for Investigational Medicinal Products (IMPs), accommodations for phlebotomy and sample storage, and secure storage for study documents;
• Sponsor, participant and patient accessibility considerations, covering parking, access through public transport, signage, waiting areas and treatment rooms, monitoring space and remote capabilities; and
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure studies adhere to UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research requirements and, where appropriate, are compliant with Good Clinical Practice. Additionally, contribute to the development and refinement of CRDC Network-specific SOPs to support consistent and high-quality research delivery.

Priorities within the health and care system change and NIHR PC-CRDCs will need to be responsive to emerging needs and situations that arise (nationally and globally) which require access to research delivery expertise and resources at short notice. NIHR PC-CRDCs will be expected to prioritise resources towards addressing national health and care priorities at the request of the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Skills and Workforce Development

In this new funding opportunity, NIHR PC-CRDCs will have a remit to support the development of a highly skilled research delivery workforce for commercial contract studies. NHS organisations will be expected to demonstrate how they will support skills and workforce development through the provision of both theoretical and practical training.

Host organisations may wish to refer to the principles and best practices outlined within relevant Charters and Concordats such as the Researcher Development Concordat. Plans should also consider how workforce flexibility can be developed to operate in diverse settings, including rented or shared facilities, to adapt to changing demands.

Capital Equipment

Applicants may include requests for capital funding as part of their overall funding application. Capital funding is not in addition to the total allocation of up to £1.025m but must be integrated into the application to ensure that research delivery needs are fully addressed. Capital funding can be used for equipment and infrastructure enhancements as part of this funding opportunity, allowing applicants to expand their research capabilities and improve trial delivery.

All applications should include detail on equipment that will be needed to support the proposed research activities, such as medical devices, IT infrastructure and clinical tools, as well as how this equipment will enhance research capacity and improve patient access to trials.

• Primary Care entities may apply for up to £300,000 for equipment and refurbishment purchases.
• Individual funding value per item of equipment must be at least £1,500.
• Applicants must provide two recent quotes for equipment and refurbishment costs. Quotes should, where possible, come from multiple suppliers and form the basis for costings.
• Refurbishment costs must be itemised and accompanied by a clear justification for their inclusion in the application.

For further information on eligible and ineligible costs, please see the application guidance section.