UK–Ireland Collaboration in the

Application Platform: UKRI Funding Service.

Application Sections: Summary, Vision, Approach, Applicant and team capability to deliver, Ethics and responsible research and innovation considerations, Resources and cost justification, discipline classification and sector classification.

Assessment Process: Applications undergo eligibility checks followed by expert assessment and panel review conducted jointly by AHRC and Research Ireland.

Co-Funders: Taighde Éireann (Research Ireland)

Collaboration Rules: Applications must be jointly led by eligible research organisations in the UK and Ireland, each with a project lead.

Competitiveness: Approximately five awards expected to be funded.

Decision Risks: Applications may be rejected if they do not meet eligibility requirements or fail to follow submission guidance.

Decision Timeline: Outcomes expected to be published around August 2026.

Eligible Expenses: Networking activity costs including travel, meetings, workshops and other engagement activities. Equipment costing more than £10,000 (UK component) or €10,000 (Ireland component) is not eligible.

Eligible Scope: Activities that support networking, partnership development and collaboration between researchers, industry and stakeholders in the UK and Ireland. Activities may include workshops, seminars, mobility activities, engagement events and knowledge exchange.

Employment Requirement: Applicants must hold or be guaranteed at least a 50% full-time equivalent contract with their host research organisation.

Funding Intensity: UK component funded at 80% of full economic cost by AHRC.

Funding Rate: AHRC funds 80% of the full economic cost of the UK component (up to £28,000).

Important Notes: Funded projects must allocate travel funding to attend a programme workshop organised by AHRC and Research Ireland in 2027. Attendance at this workshop will be mandatory for funded networks.

Industry Participation: Organisations from relevant creative industry subsectors should be included as project partners.

Ineligible Projects: Projects that do not focus on networking activities related to the creative economy or that do not involve collaboration between UK and Irish research partners.

Interview Stage: Not specified.

Key Requirements: Projects must demonstrate clear added value of UK-Ireland collaboration and contribute to strengthening partnerships across the creative economy research ecosystem.

Match Funding Requirement: No institutional matched funding required beyond the standard 20% full economic cost.

Project Duration: Fixed term of 12 months.

Project End Date: 12 months after project start.

Project Start Date: Networks must start by 30 September 2026.

Publication Date: 2026-01-12 00:00:00

Renewal Rules: Not specified.

Required Documents: Research Ireland documentation including budget form, application cover sheet, budget justification, gender or sex dimension declaration and letter of endorsement from the Irish host organisation.

Research Category: Research networking awards.

Total Fund Available: £150,000