HRA UPDATE: Mandated unaltered non-commercial agreements
Date: 23 July 2026
In the UK there is an expectation for sponsors of non-commercial research to use unaltered template agreements when setting up studies. This expectation is currently not formally mandated. In partnership with UK Policy Leads, and building on the January 2026 update to the NIHR RDN terms and conditions requiring use of contracts as specified in the letter of HRA and HCRW Approval, The HRA have agreed to mandate the use of unaltered template agreements for non-commercial research. This will align their policy position for non-commercial research with what has been in place for commercial research since 2018.
The HRA’s plan is to introduce this mandate in early 2027, but before they do so they want to hear feedback from sponsors who currently alter the non-commercial template or use bespoke research agreements. If you are using altered or bespoke templates, please contact the HRA by 5pm on Friday 14 August 2026.
Read more here: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKNHSHRA/bulletins/4209d73