SSI: Research software maintenance fund round two

The Software Sustainability Institute (SSI) runs the Research Software Maintenance Fund, supported by the UKRI Digital Research Infrastructure programme. This initiative offers £4.8 million total funding to support and sustain key research software, ensuring it remains reliable and accessible for the UK research community. Round two of this fund will provide grants of up to £150,000 for projects lasting up to 12 months. The fund is specifically designed for maintaining existing software that is currently used to enable UK research. It is not intended for developing entirely new software, nor for developing software for the purpose of researching it. The application process involves a two-stage approach: eligible applicants must first submit an expression of interest by 25 February 2026. Successful applicants will then receive an invitation to submit a full proposal in April 2026. Final funding decisions will be made by July 2026, with the earliest project start date in October 2026. The fund aims to ensure that critical research software infrastructure continues to be maintained, reliable, and accessible to researchers across the United Kingdom. This represents a significant investment in sustaining the digital research infrastructure that underpins modern research activities.