RFPs: Long-term Cultural and Sporting Events Legacy Grant (United Kingdom)

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), led by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), invites applications for research into the long-term legacy and impact of major cultural and sporting events in the UK. The grant supports a live experimental evaluation approach to address gaps in existing methodologies, including the use of robust counterfactuals. The application opening date is 22 September 2026 (9:00am UK time) and the closing date is 1 December 2026 (4:00pm UK time). Opportunity at a Glance

- Funder(s): Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) (UKRI)

- Co-funder(s): Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)

- Opportunity type: Grant

- Total fund: £1,320,000

- Award range: £1,100,000 – £1,320,000

- Funding model: AHRC and DCMS will fund 80% of the Full Economic Cost (FEC)

- Maximum project FEC: up to £1.32 million

- Project duration: up to 34 months

- Start date requirement: must start by 1 May 2027

- Completion deadline requirement: must be completed by 31 March 2030

- Opening date: 22 September 2026, 9:00am UK time

- Closing date: 1 December 2026, 4:00pm UK time

- Publication date: 22 September 2026

- Official opportunity page: Long-term cultural and sporting events legacy — UKRI

About the Opportunity

This UKRI funding opportunity aims to improve how the long-term legacy of major sporting and cultural events is evaluated in the UK. DCMS views major events as a policy intervention intended to drive local investment, job creation, and social outcomes, but evaluating long-term legacy has historically been difficult. The opportunity is designed to build on a DCMS Research and Development Science and Analysis Programme pilot project (published March 2026) that developed baseline metrics and evaluation methodologies, including counterfactual approaches to support causal claims. Funding and Benefits

- Eligible project cost ceiling (FEC): The full economic cost (FEC) of the project can be up to £1.32 million.

- Funding share: AHRC will fund 80% of the FEC (with DCMS as a co-funder).

- Award size range: Awards are expected to be within £1,100,000 – £1,320,000 (as stated in the opportunity summary).

- Duration limits: Projects can be funded for up to 34 months, must start by 1 May 2027, and must be completed by 31 March 2030.

The opportunity also includes structured engagement with DCMS during delivery, including check-ins, dissemination, and advisory input (details below). Who Is Eligible? This opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility for AHRC funding. Applicants must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding. Eligible applicant teams

UKRI is seeking funding teams that:

- are based in, and have research links with, a range of locations across the UK - include researchers at different career stages - bring together a range of expertise - are supported by dedicated administrative resource recruited specifically for this project Employment requirements (project leadership) - The project lead and any project co-leads must be employed and supported by an eligible organisation for at least the duration of the UKRI support. - A contract does not need to be in place at the point of application submission. - A permanent employment contract is not required to apply. - During the project, the project lead must be primarily based and permitted to work in the UK. Skills and qualifications - Applicants must have the appropriate skills to lead the project in line with UKRI’s terms and conditions. - There are no specific qualification requirements (for example, a PhD is not required). - Applicants do not need to hold an academic research or teaching post; applications are welcomed from practitioners and evaluation experts. Project co-leads - Co-leads are permitted and encouraged for interdisciplinary applications or where specific technical expertise is essential. - There is no maximum number of co-leads, but each must be fully justified in the application. - Business or third sector researchers based in the UK can be included as a co-lead or project partner, and these roles can be funded at 100% FEC. - International co-leads are not eligible under this funding opportunity. Who is not eligible - Government departments and arm’s length bodies are not eligible to apply. - The opportunity does not support project studentships (funding PhD study). Resubmissions - UKRI will not accept uninvited resubmissions of projects previously submitted to UKRI (see UKRI resubmission policy on the official site). Eligible Activities or Priority Areas Aim and focus The research must address the long-term legacy and impact of major sporting and cultural events in the UK, with an emphasis on running a live experimental evaluation that fills gaps in existing methodologies.

The opportunity expects the project to:

- build on the pilot project’s model and approaches for long-term tracking - identify where evidence and data gaps require more than secondary data analysis - fill gaps for at least one major UK sporting or cultural case study event - test and expand the framework set out in the “Measuring the legacy and impact of major events” report Case study events - Applicants may use a case study such as the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes Grand Départ 2027 (example provided). - Applicants are encouraged to suggest their own case study events, provided they have a similar profile (for example, major one-off UK sporting or cultural events that will be live during the project). Timing and evaluation design - Selecting an event before delivery enables pre-event baselines and consistent prospective evaluation. - The research is expected to start before the event and continue for two years afterwards. - The experimental evaluation should help establish best practices for: - data collection - capturing intangible outcomes - demonstrating and mitigating the “drop-off effect” (where event-driven growth