OpenSAFELY is open for submissions
NHS England is now accepting applications for using OpenSAFELY from today until 30th April 2026 at 17:00. After this date, the initial submission window will close.
Important to know before you start
- Complete submissions must have completed all three steps of the OpenSAFELY application process.
- All applications submitted within this timeframe will be reviewed by the Bennett Institute (for things like completeness, accreditations and feasibility). They will then all be passed to NHS England, the Data Controller, who will decide which projects to approve. Please note that applications will not be prioritised based on how quickly they are submitted.
- All applicants, successful or not, will be informed of NHSE’s decision – and when they are likely to be able to start their research project – by 31st May 2026.
New NHS England charge to use the OpenSAFELY Service
NHS England will now charge Project Teams £25,000 per project to use the OpenSAFELY Service. This is paid to NHS England. You can read more about this on their website. It is helpful if NHS England can see prospective use cases for the service, so please do submit the form even if you don’t immediately have funding available, and check the appropriate box on the form to indicate this.