Fair Market Value for Charities in Partnership Work 2026

This survey and report is a collaborative project developed by Arthritis UK, Cancer 52, Charities Research Involvement Group, Health Research Charities Ireland, the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society and the Patient Information Forum.

The guidance is a follow up to a survey published in 2023 and tracks progress on partnership since the publication of new guidance in 2024 and 2025, (see further reading). It makes recommendations on setting fair market value rates for charities working in cross-sector partnerships and supporting patient and public involvement activities.

The new guide make 6 key recommendations to stop this inequity:

1. Full cost-recovery to support charity sustainability
   Charities need to recover the full cost of their activity including staff costs and central overheads to to ensure financial sustainability.
2. Minimum entry point of £120/€140 per hour for the work of charities
   Patient Focused Medicines Development (PFMD) has an FMV calculator for people with lived experience. This rate is the entry fee to be paid to a charity working in partnership.
3. Equity of payment with healthcare professionals where this is higher than the PFMD rate
   The staff of health charities sit alongside healthcare professionals on steering groups and conference platforms. There should be equitable payment.
4. Market value add-on costs
   When setting FMV the ‘brand’ benefits of partnering with charities should be taken into account.
5. Fair contracting
   FMV rates should be agreed at the outset. Contracts should be transparent and simplified. Payment terms should be 30 days.
6. Grant funding consistency
   Improve consistency in the grant application process to support multi-company funding of projects.

Download the full report below.