Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are invited to apply for up to £6,750,000 to host a Creative Industries Cluster. The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is looking to expand its portfolio of clusters that bring together universities, businesses, local and regional policymakers, and private funders to drive research, innovation and growth in the creative industries.
The aim is to establish four new Creative Industries Clusters to:
- generate economic growth, social and cultural benefits
- create an ecosystem for new and experimental creative content, products, services and experiences
- generate long-term strategic applied research partnerships between creative enterprises, HEIs and other relevant stakeholders
- improve creative businesses’ access to skills, knowledge and expertise
- address key place-based or sector issues through an applied research programme
- address key equality, diversity and inclusion challenges
- ensure a positive environmental or sustainable impact
Creative Industries Clusters are expected to be highly interdisciplinary, collaborative and flexible, working within an existing place-based creative industries ecosystem to address challenges in the sector by developing a programme of R&D activities that will generate business innovation and growth.
The duration of the funding award is five years: the AHRC will fund 80% of the full economic costs.
Focus of fund/fund aims:
Funding to establish and lead Creative Industries Clusters
Application deadline:
3 March 2026
Fund description:
https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/creative-industries-clusters-round-two-outline-stage/