NIHR BioResource

What NIHR BioResource does

NIHR BioResource is a UK government-funded national research infrastructure established in 2007 and operated under the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with its coordinating centre hosted by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with the University of Cambridge. The platform recruits and maintains a panel of more than 350,000 consented volunteers who have donated genetic data, biological samples (1,440,000+ stored items including DNA, plasma, and serum), and health/lifestyle information. Under a single-consent framework, these participants and their samples can be re-contacted or re-used across multiple studies, enabling recall by genotype or phenotype — a capability that materially reduces the cost and time required for downstream research, particularly for rare disease and hard-to-recruit cohorts. Disease-specific programmes include D-CYPHR (children aged 0-15), IBHO (UK Black communities), IBD, IMID, MASLD, Rare Diseases, Mental Health (GLAD, EDGI, SMILE), plus General Population controls and a completed COVID-19 cohort. Specialist technical services include Long Read Sequencing and RNA Phenotyping, with samples processed at the UK Biocentre in Milton Keynes.

The organisation operates through 28 regional centres across England working in collaboration with more than 100 NHS Trusts. Its go-to-market is dual: a community-led model for participant recruitment (via online registration, NHS partnerships, and community organisations) and a sales-led model for researcher access, where academic, NHS, and industry researchers apply through a formal process reviewed by a Steering Committee and Data Access Committee (monthly cadence for academic, quarterly for industry). The business model is primarily grant-funded via NIHR; commercial users pay transaction-based study fees (initial setup £19,202, enrolment £5,684 per centre, sample collection £446–£673 per item, data minimum £13,985 per dataset, with reduced rates for SMEs), while academic and clinical research services are provided largely free on a cost-recovery basis. Customers span three primary segments — Academic Researchers (university-led fundamental and translational research), Industry/Commercial Researchers (pharma, biotech, and medtech), and NHS Researchers (clinical and translational studies) — supported by partnerships with Genomics England, King's College London, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Illumina, NHS Blood and Transplant, and multiple disease-specific charities.

Name

NIHR BioResource

Legal name

NIHR BioResource

Website

https://bioresource.nihr.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Short description

NIHR BioResource is a UK government-funded national research infrastructure providing academic, NHS, and industry researchers with access to 350,000+ consented participants, 1.44M+ biological samples, and recallable cohorts for genetic and disease-specific studies across 28 centres in England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biomedical Research Infrastructure

NAICS

Medical Laboratories (621511), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Population Genomics & Preventive Precision Health Programs (HLAAANAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Genomics & Molecular Diagnostics (Trial Support) (HLAGAEAD), Molecular & Genetic Testing (PCR/NGS/qPCR) (HLAGADAF), Clinical Trial Sample Collection & Site Phlebotomy Services (HLAGACAJ)

Keywords

• Human biobanking services
• Genomic research infrastructure
• Clinical research participants
• Genetic data access
• Biomedical sample storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), part of the UK Government Department of Health & Social Care through a grant
2. Academic and Clinical Research Services: Not-for-profit, cost recovery basis for academic and clinical research. Most services including participant screening, sample collection, and genotyping are currently free. Researchers typically only cover courier and volunteer expenses
3. Commercial/Private Organisation Services: Subject to study-related fees including initial setup fee (£19,202 for primary centre), enrolment fees (£5,684 per centre), sample collection fees (saliva £446, blood £673), and data fees (minimum £13,985 per dataset). Reduced rates available for SMEs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NIHR BioResource is a national research infrastructure that recruits and maintains a panel of more than 350,000 consented volunteers who donate genetic, health, and lifestyle information. It provides researchers from academia, industry, and the NHS with access to biological samples (DNA, plasma, serum), genetic and clinical data, and recallable participants for targeted studies based on genotype and phenotype criteria. The platform operates 28 centres across England and holds more than 1,440,000 samples processed and stored at the UK Biocentre.

Product overview

The NIHR BioResource is a national platform providing an integrated research infrastructure connecting researchers with over 350,000 consented volunteers. The core offering consists of participant recruitment, biological sample biobanking (DNA, plasma, serum from blood and saliva), genetic and clinical data access, and participant recall services. The portfolio includes disease-specific cohorts (D-CYPHR for children 0-15, IBHO BioResource for Black health outcomes, IBD BioResource, IMID BioResource, MASLD BioResource, Rare Diseases BioResource, Mental Health BioResource comprising GLAD, EDGI, and SMILE studies), general population controls, and specialist projects (Long Read Sequencing and RNA Phenotyping). Single consent enables sample use, data access, and recontact across the platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• D-CYPHR: DNA, Children + Young People's Health Resource - a health research programme for children and young people aged 0-15, launched in partnership with NHS and University of Cambridge.
• IBHO BioResource

Products and services

• D-CYPHR (DNA, Children + Young People's Health Resource) A health research programme for children and young people ages 0-15, collecting saliva or blood samples and health data to study factors related to genetics and environment and contribute to new treatments and better care.
• IBHO BioResource (Improving Black Health Outcomes) A health research programme focused on improving knowledge and understanding of health conditions affecting UK Black communities, developed in partnership with Genomics England and King's College London, targeting conditions such as sickle cell anaemia and kidney disease.
• IBD BioResource (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) A national platform supporting research into Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis to increase understanding of IBD through participant recruitment and sample collection.
• IMID BioResource (Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases) A recallable group of participants with immune-mediated inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and psoriasis for targeted research studies.
• MASLD BioResource (Metabolic dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease) Supports research into the causes and progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease through participant data and samples.
• Rare Diseases BioResource Recruits participants with rare diseases to understand genetic causes of over 60 rare diseases, having conducted Whole Genome Sequencing studies and more recently RNA phenotyping projects to deepen understanding of disease development.
• GLAD Study (Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression) The largest anxiety and depression project in the UK, set up to better understand genetic data and health outcomes of people living with anxiety and depression, part of the Mental Health BioResource programme.
• EDGI UK (Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative) A study collecting psychological, genetic and medical information of people with experience of any eating disorder as part of the Mental Health BioResource programme.
• SMILE BioResource (Severe Mental Illness Longitudinal Evaluation) A collaboration with the University of Oxford (Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre) to investigate the causes of severe mental illness.
• General Population BioResource Participants without specific health conditions who serve as control groups for comparison with participants who have particular conditions or characteristics.
• Long Read Sequencing Project A new sequencing method enabling diagnosis for patients where previous methods were unsuccessful; the team has the foremost Long Read Sequencing expertise in the UK.
• RNA Phenotyping Project Building on rare diseases Whole Genome Sequencing work, aims to deepen understanding of how and why rare diseases develop through RNA analysis.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Purple GoatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInclusive marketing agency engaged between 2022-2023 to ensure onboarding documentation and communications are accessible to people with disabilities.
• Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost organization for the NIHR BioResource national coordinating centre in Cambridge. Partnership provides operational infrastructure and NHS integration.
• University of CambridgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing research expertise and hosting the coordinating centre. Partnership enables access to academic research capabilities.
• NHScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NHS trusts across England for participant recruitment and clinical research support. Over 100 NHS trusts involved.
• UK BiocentrecoreTechnology or IntegrationProcesses, stores and analyses biological samples at the National Biosample Centre in Milton Keynes.
• Genomics EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the IBHO BioResource programme and Diverse Data Initiative. Collaboration enables access to the National Genomic Research Library.
• King's College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the IBHO BioResource and Mental Health BioResource programmes. Involved in co-design of research protocols and PPIE groups.
• Egality HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity engagement agency partnered since 2023 to actively improve inclusion and representation of people from diverse ethnic groups in health research.
• Anna FreudmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading mental health charity for children and young people that collaborated to create the D-CYPHR Ambassador programme.
• Black Health Initiative (BHI)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity organisation partner in Leeds working to improve representation of Black communities in health research.
• Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity organisation partner in Manchester engaged in outreach to Black communities for health research participation.
• Chronically BrownmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity organisation partner in Birmingham focused on health research advocacy for communities of colour.
• Connected VoicemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity organisation partner in Newcastle engaged in research outreach and engagement activities.
• Research BlackmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity organisation partner in London focused on Black community health research engagement.
• South Asian Health Action (SAHA)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity organisation partner in Leicester engaged in health research outreach to South Asian communities.
• NHS Blood and TransplantmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the RESTORE study for lab-grown red blood cells trial, providing infrastructure for rare blood type research.
• Wellcome Sanger InstitutemajorTechnology or IntegrationGenomics research partner providing sequencing capabilities and expertise for genetic research studies.
• Health Data Research UK (HDR UK)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder and strategic partner in the Digital Innovation Hub Programme supporting health data research infrastructure.
• Crohn's & Colitis UKminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCharity partner for IBD BioResource, supporting patient engagement and recruitment for inflammatory bowel disease research.
• Cystic Fibrosis TrustminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCharity partner for rare disease research, relaunched partnership in 2026 for cystic fibrosis studies.
• MINDminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMental health charity partner supporting Mental Health BioResource recruitment and patient engagement.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UK Biobank: The UK's flagship population-scale biomedical resource with ~500,000 participants providing genetic, lifestyle and health data to researchers worldwide. Directly comparable to NIHR BioResource as a national consented cohort enabling recall and longitudinal research, though broader in scope and international in access.
• Genomics England: The UK government-owned company running the 100,000 Genomes Project and the National Genomic Research Library. Directly comparable as a publicly funded UK genomics infrastructure with NHS integration and a participant recall model — and is explicitly a partner on NIHR BioResource's IBHO programme.
• All of Us Research Program (NIH): The US NIH's million-participant precision medicine cohort with genetic, clinical and lifestyle data and a recall-by-phenotype model. Directly comparable as a national population genomics programme emphasising diversity and researcher access.
• FinnGen: A Finland-based population genomics project linking genotyped participants to national health registry data at scale. Comparable as a national biobanking/genomics infrastructure leveraging registry linkage for recall and longitudinal outcomes research.
• deCODE Genetics: An Iceland-based population genomics company with near-complete nationwide genotype and health-records linkage. Comparable as a recallable, population-scale genomic resource supporting industry and academic research, though operated as a commercial entity.
• Estonian Biobank (University of Tartu): A population-scale genomics resource at the University of Tartu linking genetic data to national health records for ~200,000 participants. Comparable as a national recallable biobank with strong health-system integration and academic/researcher access.
• Geisinger MyCode Community Health Initiative: A US health-system-based biobank of >300,000 participants with DNA linked to electronic health records, returning results to patients and supporting recall studies. Comparable as a large consented cohort with EHR linkage and researcher access.
• Million Veteran Program (US VA): The US Department of Veterans Affairs' million-participant genomics programme linking genetic data to VA health records for veteran-specific outcomes research. Comparable as a large, government-funded, recallable cohort with deep health-record linkage.

Regional players

• BioBank Japan: A large-scale Japanese population biobank with ~200,000 participants linking genomic data to clinical phenotypes for disease research. Comparable as a national population genomics resource with researcher access, but focused on East Asian populations rather than European.

Emerging players

• 23andMe: A direct-to-consumer genetics company with millions of genotyped customers, a Therapeutics division leveraging genetic data for drug discovery, and research collaborations. Comparable as a large consented genotyped cohort used for research, though commercial and consumer-led rather than health-system-integrated.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nihrbioresource
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nihr-bioresource
• Instagraminstagram.com/dcyphrhealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about NIHR BioResource