What does agreement in principle to act as sponsor mean?
The Sponsor is asked to declare in the REC and R&D applications that it is prepared, in principle, to act as sponsor based on the information available to it at the time of preparing applications. It is recognised that sponsors cannot give a final confirmation of their ability to sponsor a study until further arrangements for the study have been made. Once sponsors have declared that they agree in principle to act as a sponsor, the sponsor is expected to make clear in writing to all parties if it no longer agrees to sponsor a study at any stage. It is therefore reasonable for all parties to assume that an organisation that has agreed in principle to act as sponsor is the final sponsor unless the organisation clarifies in writing that it is no longer the sponsor.
