Excellence Network Small Grants Scheme (UK)

They welcome applications for projects that will reduce health inequalities and build the evidence base for best practice care, and have the potential to be replicable in other settings or geographies. Applicants must demonstrate how the outcomes from their projects will be sustained following the funding period and how the results will be shared across Parkinson’s and professional communities.

Purpose

• The Scheme funds projects that will improve statutory health or care services for people with Parkinson’s and their loved ones living anywhere in the UK.
• They fund projects that are likely to have significant, sustained impact at a local, regional or national level, including projects that bridge the gap between policy and practice to help create the right conditions for change in the NHS.
• The maximum duration of grants is two years.
• They prioritise projects that reduce health inequalities, build the evidence base for best practice care, and have the potential to be replicable in other settings or geographies. Applicants must demonstrate how the outcomes from their projects will be sustained following the funding period and how the results will be shared across Parkinson’s and professional communities.
• They welcome projects related to a variety of themes.

Funding Information

• Small projects up to £12,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applications must be directly relevant to people currently living with Parkinson’s.
• Direct applications are welcome from:
  • Any statutory health care or social care organisation in the UK including NHS trusts, NHS health boards, NHS health and social care trusts
  • Other statutory health care related organisations or authorities (for example Integrated Care Systems)
  • Statutory social care providers
  • Social enterprises (such as Community Interest Companies, CICs) contracted to provide statutory health or care services
• UK Universities, UK research institutions, voluntary organisations, and social enterprises that are not contracted to provide statutory health or care services are also eligible to apply, and are advised to meaningfully partner with at least one organisation that is eligible for a direct application. This is to ensure a clear pathway to improving statutory services for people with Parkinson’s that are free at the point of access. If these types of organisations wish to apply without an eligible partnering organisation, their expressions of interest will be assessed on a case by case basis and they will only be permitted to apply at the Funding Panel’s discretion. The Panel will make this decision based on the overall objectives of the project and the likelihood of it influencing national health or care policy or practice.
• Private enterprises, for example, technology companies are eligible to apply. They must partner meaningfully with at least one organisation that is eligible for a direct application. Parkinson’s UK closely monitors applications from private enterprises across its various funding streams to counteract duplication of funding requests.
• The lead applicant should hold an employment contract (or honorary contract if a clinical academic) with the UK host organisation that extends beyond the period of the grant.
• Co-applicants and collaborators may be based at institutions outside the UK or at pharmaceutical or biotech companies. Members of the Parkinson’s community are also eligible to be co-applicants. There is no upper limit to the number of co-applicants or collaborators.

Assessment Criteria

• All applications will be judged by external peer reviewers, lay reviewers and/or panel members against the following criteria:
  • Importance and relevance of the proposed project to people living with Parkinson’s
  • Potential impact of the project for people currently living with Parkinson’s and/or their care partners, the NHS/social care and the wider health economy
  • Potential to support gaps in service provision and clinical practice
  • Clear demonstration of the involvement of the Parkinson’s community
  • Potential to tackle health inequalities, and inclusion of diversity considerations
  • Likelihood of being rolled out on a wider scale if successful
  • Quality of the applicants and team
  • Value for money
  • Budget and infrastructure
  • Sustainability of project outcomes
  • A good plain English project overview is essential for evaluation by lay grant reviewers who will judge applications against the following criteria.

Application Requirements

• All applications must be made in the English language.
• Details of any and all collaborations should be included in your application and a letter confirming agreement or a data sharing agreement with each collaborator should be submitted along with the final application (only during the full application stage in case of the large project grants).
• Any relevant “in press” articles should be attached as appendices.
• You will receive a confirmation email at the time of submitting your application form. No changes can be made to the application once it has been submitted and the confirmation message has been received.
• Please note, each application form at each stage for each scheme is accepted based on the understanding that you consent to the Excellence Network sharing its contents with others for the review and decision-making process. Due processes are in place to ensure confidentiality of your application.
• Unless the Charity requires further information, no correspondence will be entered into until the results are notified. Applicants are requested not to initiate contact with the Excellence Network grants team during the review process.

For more information, visit Parkinson’s UK.