Allocation Process – August 2025

The allocation to the Scottish Foundation School will be conducted via the standard UK Preference Information Allocation (PIA) process for August 2025 intake. Once applicants have received the confirmation of allocation to Scotland on 27 February 2025, there will be an opportunity to preference the Specialist Foundation Programme (SFP).

Those who are interested in a SFP group will be asked to complete a SFP preference form (link to the form will be included in the Welcome email). This will include ranking of the 5 SFP Groups in order of preference (this can be all or some of the groups) and three white space questions focusing on your reason for applying to SFP.

Further information regarding the SFP Preference Form will be available in the Foundation School Welcome email. 

Interviews will no longer be part of the SFP allocation process.

The SFP preference form (white space questions) will be scored by clinical academics from Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow universities. 

Stage 1 - Applicants will be allocated to a Group (region) based on the clinical academics score for the SFP preference questions. Applicants will not know if they have been successful at receiving SFP Group until notification of Group allocation via Oriel and you MUST rank all other Groups in Scotland via Oriel.

Stage 2 - Allocation to a Programme (rotation) will be via Oriel and PIA and you must rank the programmes from your allocated group in order of preference. Applicants will not know which programme in their allocated Group they if they have been allocated to until release of allocations by the UKFPO.

SFP 2025 - Step by Step Process

1. Allocation through national Oriel algorithm to UoA – the Scottish Foundation School
2. Interested applicants to complete and submit SFP preference form (MS Form) (see link to form in Welcome email via Oriel after notification of UoA) - there is no option to upload any addtional documents as part of this submission
3. Attend Scottish Foundation School Groups and Programme webinar for details of the 2-stage process to allocate to Group and Programme (see link to register in Welcome email via Oriel after notification of UoA)
4. Submit completed form by deadline including the completion of 3 white space questions
5. SFP preference form will be scored by clinical academics these are for the 3 white space questions only (scoring matrix will not be made avaliable to applicants)
6. Applicants MUST rank all Groups in Scotland via Oriel
7. 54 applicants allocated to 1 of 5 groups (regions - East, North, South-East and West) according to score from white space questions and applicant group preferencing
8. Allocation to a specific Group (region) – notification via Oriel
9. Preference programmes in allocated Group via Oriel
10. Allocation to programme (rotation/posts) will be via Oriel algorithm
11. Notified of allocated programme (rotation/posts) on national UK allocation day.

For all enquiries, please email the Foundation School: sfas@nes.scot.nhs.uk

SFP 2025 - Appeals Process 

If you feel that the process was not carried out in a fair and transparent manner you may submit an appeal. 

An appeals window will open on 10/04/2025 and 22/04/2025. Further information on the appeals process will be published here on 10/04/2025. 

Please see the UKFPO website for more information on the SFP process across the UK https://foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/programmes/2-year-foundation-programme/specialised-foundation-programme/