Excellence Network project grants scheme

We welcome applications for funding to support local, regional and national improvement projects.

We prioritise projects aligned with our national priority programmes around bone health, the nurse workforce, multidisciplinary care and timely medication access. These areas were identified as priority areas for improvement in the 2019 UK Parkinson’s Audit.

We welcome projects relating to other themes as well, so get in touch with us if you want to discuss your ideas. Applicants must be able to demonstrate direct community impact and a path to long-term sustainability of the project outcomes.

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 healthcare-related organisations or authorities (for example, integrated care systems)

• statutory social care providers

• social enterprises contracted to provide statutory health or care services

UK universities, UK research institutions, voluntary organisations, social enterprises (not contracted to provide statutory health services) are also eligible to apply, and must partner or collaborate with at least 1 statutory health or care organisation. This is to make sure there is a clear pathway to improving statutory services for people with Parkinson’s. 

For further information on how to apply, please read the application guidance (PDF, 118KB). The guidance contains full details of the assessment criteria. 

For details on grants for pump priming specialist Parkinson’s nurse, or allied health or mental health professional posts, visit the dedicated pump priming page.

For details about research grants for early stage clinical research, clinical trials and non-drug research, visit the dedicated research grants page.

This is an annual rolling scheme and has a 1-stage application process.

Applications are processed as and when they are received. As soon as your application has been peer-reviewed, we'll schedule it for discussion at a Funding Panel meeting. The panel meets monthly, so most applicants will receive a decision about their application within 2 months of submission. Find out more in the small grants review process (updated December, 2023, PDF 108KB).

Expressions of interest for the Excellence Network small project grants scheme for 2024 have now closed. 

Round 1

• Monday 20 January 2025: Open 2025 grant round, invite expressions of interest. 
• Friday 2 May 2025, 5pm: Deadline to submit expressions of interest. 
• Monday 2 June 2025, 5pm: Final deadline for applications.

Round 2

• Monday 7 July 2025: Open 2025 grant round, invite expressions of interest.
• Wednesday 10 September 2025, 5pm: Deadline to submit expressions of interest.
• Friday 10 October 2025, 5pm: Final deadline for applications.

This is an open scheme and each application will be evaluated by the reviewing committee on receipt, on a monthly basis. Results will be announced when the review process is complete. 

Submission of early applications is encouraged. If applications are received over our capacity during the expression of interest or application stage, we reserve the right to close each round before the scheduled deadlines.

Additionally, if successful applications overrun budgetary capacity in round 1, we reserve the right to cancel round 2.

The scheme runs once a year and has a 2-stage application process (if your project meets the eligibility criteria at the Expression of Interest stage). 

If you are successful at the pre-application stage, you'll be invited to the full application stage. The applications are reviewed by expert and lay reviewers at each stage. The final decision about which projects to fund will be taken at the Funding Panel meeting in November 2024. You will receive a final decision about your application after this meeting. Find out more in the large grants review process (updated December, 2023, PDF 108KB).

Expressions of interest for the Excellence Network large project grants scheme have now closed.

• Monday 20 January 2025: Open 2025 grant round, invite expressions of interest.
• Friday 11 April 2025, 5pm: Deadline to submit expressions of interest.
• Friday 16 May 2025, 5pm: Deadline for pre-applications.
• May to June 2025: Review and judging of pre-applications.
• July 2025: Applicants notified of the results of the pre-application stage. Successful applicants are invited to submit a full application. 
• Tuesday 23 September 2025, 5pm: Full application deadline (by invite only).
• September to November 2025: Review and judging of full, invited applications.
• November 2025: Applicants notified of the results of the full application stage.

Please note, early applications are encouraged. If more applications are received than we have capacity for during the pre-application stage, we reserve the right to close the round before the scheduled deadline.