The National Institute for Health and Care Research has launched the latest round of its annual capital investment programme, offering up to £55 million for NHS organisations in England to upgrade research infrastructure and strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in life sciences.
The funding , which is available to NHS trusts and primary care organisations will support the purchase of specialist research equipment, refurbishment of facilities, and the development of modular buildings to expand research space. It aims to remove barriers that currently limit the NHS’s ability to host commercial clinical trials, particularly in primary care settings where capacity remains significantly under‑developed but full of potential.
The call is supported by the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth Investment Programme, which reinvests industry revenues into UK research capacity. VPAG aims to:
- Boost the UK’s global competitiveness in life sciences
- Accelerate commercial clinical trials
- Strengthen NHS research capability
- Support advanced manufacturing of innovative medicines
This NIHR capital call forms one of a series of major investment rounds being delivered under the scheme.
Building on previous investment rounds, the £55 million fund will:
- Tackle equipment shortages that hinder clinical trial delivery
- Provide additional research space where hospitals and GP practices are at capacity
- Expand opportunities for high‑value commercial studies
- Support the shift of clinical trials into community and primary care settings
- Reduce geographical inequalities in access to research participation
- Enable more patients to access cutting‑edge diagnostics and treatments
The NIHR emphasises that expanding diagnostic and treatment infrastructure will support faster trial delivery, economic growth, and improved care access.
Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative, place‑based approaches to:
- Widen access to research in underserved areas
- Improve recruitment from underrepresented communities
- Strengthen participation options outside major teaching hospitals
- Deliver research that reflects the diversity of England’s population
The call strongly supports applications from primary care organisations, where the greatest opportunity exists to expand research capability and meet the Government’s ambitions to shift more treatment, care and research into the community.
NIHR Chief Executive Officer, Professor Lucy Chappell, said:
“In line with the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan, the NIHR is committed to investing in the NHS’s ability to deliver innovative commercial research in both hospital and in primary care settings near where people live. This latest round of capital investment funding will bring treatments closer to people living with the greatest burden of disease through research, fund equipment and facilities to help deliver research and boost economic growth, helping to build an NHS that’s fit for the future.”
The investment directly supports the Growth and Health Mission and the 10‑Year Health Plan, which aim to reduce health inequalities, drive economic growth through UK life sciences, and expand early diagnosis, prevention, and community‑based care.
By enabling more research sites across England, the programme will ensure patients can access new treatments regardless of where they live.
NHS organisations eligible to apply include NHS hospital trusts, primary care organisations delivering NHS‑funded services, integrated care‑aligned providers, and community‑based research settings.
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