Grant opportunity

A guide for the commercialisation of Creative Industries Research

AHRC will fund a collaborative team to develop a practical, sector-specific guide for commercialising creative-industries research.

Pre-announcementUpcoming callUKRIAHRCCreative industriesCommercialisationUnited Kingdom
Funder
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) / Arts and Humanities Research Council
Upcoming call opens 30 July 2026 and closes 15 October 2026 at 4:00pm UK time
Upcoming call opens 30 July 2026 and closes 15 October 2026 at 4:00pm UK time: Oct 15, 2026
Award
Up to GBP 250,000 at 100% full economic cost
Applicant
Eligible UK research organisations led by a university team and working collaboratively with creative-industry investors, lawyers, founders and other commercialisation specialists.
Discipline
Arts, Culture and Creative Industries
Region
United Kingdom
Posted
Jul 24, 2026

Call summary

Overview

This upcoming AHRC opportunity supports development of a guide that addresses barriers to commercialising research in the creative industries.

Who can apply

The lead must be an eligible UK research organisation. The project should be university-led and involve relevant investors, legal experts, founders and creative-industry specialists.

What it supports

  • Map commercialisation barriers and routes across the creative industries.
  • Co-design a practical sector-specific guide with research and industry partners.
  • Produce a resource that supports researchers, institutions and commercial partners.

Funding and duration

  • Up to GBP 250,000 is available at 100% full economic cost.
  • The funded project is expected to run for 12 months.

Upcoming call opens 30 July 2026 and closes 15 October 2026 at 4:00pm UK time

Upcoming call opens 30 July 2026 and closes 15 October 2026 at 4:00pm UK time: Oct 15, 2026

How to apply

Prepare the team and project before the call opens on 30 July 2026, then apply through the official UKRI route by 15 October 2026.

Call details

Source-based overview

UKRI's Arts and Humanities Research Council is pre-announcing funding for a university-led collaborative project to create a sector-specific commercialisation guide for creative-industries research. The call opens on 30 July 2026.

Eligibility

The lead must be an eligible UK research organisation. The project should be university-led and involve relevant investors, legal experts, founders and creative-industry specialists.

Funding and benefits

Up to GBP 250,000 is available at 100% full economic cost.

The funded project is expected to run for 12 months.

Themes and supported activities

Map commercialisation barriers and routes across the creative industries.

Co-design a practical sector-specific guide with research and industry partners.

Produce a resource that supports researchers, institutions and commercial partners.

Deadline and timeline

Upcoming call opens 30 July 2026 and closes 15 October 2026 at 4:00pm UK time: Upcoming call opens 30 July 2026 and closes 15 October 2026 at 4:00pm UK time: Oct 15, 2026.

Applicants should confirm the exact deadline time, time zone, required documents, portal steps and any institutional approvals on the official call page before submitting.

How to apply

Prepare the team and project before the call opens on 30 July 2026, then apply through the official UKRI route by 15 October 2026.

Before applying, check eligibility rules, budgets, attachments, page limits, partner requirements, cost-share conditions and whether the opportunity uses an expression of interest, full proposal, registration or nomination stage.