RDDI
March 2026 Update
Over the past four months, we have continued to engage widely across the sector to shape the Research Delivery Data and Intelligence (RDDI) Programme. We are grateful for the time, insight, and constructive feedback provided by organisations and individuals, which is actively informing our approach.
We recognise the significance of this change and its impact, and our priority is to ensure continuity, stability, and usability throughout the transition.
What the programme will deliver
The RDDI system will provide the capability from April 2027 which users already have, but better.
The programme remains focused on delivering benefits shaped directly through stakeholder input, including:
- More consistent and reliable processes
- An improved user experience through streamlined workflows
- Enhanced data quality and visibility
- Greater operational efficiency
- Stronger compliance and assurance, aligned with national policy and reporting requirements
What we have done so far
In November, a Request for Information (RFI) was issued to the market to test feasibility, understand supplier capability and capacity, and inform the scope and design of the subsequent Invitation to Tender (ITT).
This work was supported by:
- Engagement with over 180 stakeholders across more than 30 organisations during October and November
- RFI market activity engagement, including 15 supplier briefings, 35+ suppliers registering interest, and 17 completed RFI responses
Building on the RFI, we have now completed detailed requirements gathering to support development of the ITT, focused on refining and prioritising requirements and ensuring they reflect operational needs across the system.
Engagement to date includes:
- Sessions with 60+ health and care organisations, over 25 user discovery sessions delivered across all Local Portfolio Management Systems (LPMS) capability areas, and 100+ participants contributing.
- NIHR Infrastructure
- Devolved Administrations
- Ongoing engagement with key sector organisations, including Health Research Authority (HRA) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), BioIndustry Association (BIA), The Association of The British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), NHS R&D Forum (and its sub groups), The British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA) and The Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC).
What we have heard and how we are responding
Through our engagement activity, we have heard stakeholders broadly welcome the programme, and the move to a single, unified national system. The proposed single-record model, trust-level functionality with site-level visibility, integrated multi-site oversight, and partnership access are viewed as practical steps to help reduce duplication and improve coordination.
Engagement has also been positively received, with stakeholders valuing the opportunity to shape the approach.
Stakeholders have highlighted concerns relating to implementation timelines and the impact of change on business-as-usual activity. We have heard this challenge and are actively exploring mitigations, including: Clearly defining the critical functionality required for day-one delivery, identifying elements that can be phased and delivered iteratively following go-live, and continuing structured engagement and validation to ensure solutions meet operational needs.
Why the timelines remain necessary
We remain fully committed to delivering RDDI by 1 April 2027 and will continue to work at pace to achieve this milestone. Our focus is not only on meeting the delivery date, but on doing so in a way that safeguards continuity of service and minimises any risk of disruption. Throughout the transition, we will take all appropriate mitigating steps to maintain stability and performance, while continuing to drive improvements in research delivery performance.
We will continue to provide regular updates as the programme progresses and as key milestones are reached. Ongoing engagement will remain central to our approach, ensuring the solution is shaped by operational insight and delivers meaningful, sustainable improvement across the research delivery system.