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Ignite fund 2026/7

The IGNITE fund supports the development of collaborative research or impact projects developed between University of Leeds researchers from any faculty and cultural, arts and third sector organisations in Yorkshire. The scheme aims to initiate partnership working.

Key details

  • Amount: we will fund up to three projects up to £5,000 each. 
  • Deadline for applications: 30 October 2026.

All activities and payments to be completed by 31st July 2027.

Apply

Apply for Ignite 2026/7 (Microsoft Form)

Application deadline: 30 October 2026.

If you prefer to submit an application in an alternative format, e.g., MP3 or MP4, you are welcome to do so. To submit audio and video file applications over 50mb in size, upload them to Vimeo or Soundcloud, set them to downloadable and email the details to the Cultural Institute team at culturalinstitute@leeds.ac.uk. We do not accept WeTransfer as we cannot guarantee download before expiry date.

What the scheme is for

Ignite 2026/7 is open to researchers from across the University of Leeds to develop a research or impact of research project in partnership with an external cultural, arts or third sector partner organisation in Yorkshire.

The aim of the fund is to support the creation/development of exciting collaborative projects that build strong working relationships between their partners and have clear potential for future development.

We aim to support projects that are relevant and rewarding to both partners, and which help develop an effective working relationship between them. We will not support projects where the involvement of an external partner is limited to only use as a venue or to support in recruitment to an activity. We welcome projects initiated by an external partner with a researcher.

You might want to explore a new approach, use research to inform a new creative project, analyse existing data, bring different disciplines together in an original way, or something else entirely. Past Ignite projects have included a collaborative workshop series exploring facilitation and social change, a project looking at reducing waste in clay-based art and a project developing a research relationship that built artistic methodologies into clinical research about fatigue.

All projects should provide the opportunity to explore ideas and areas for development, and demonstrate how they could lay the foundation for a longer-term collaboration.  

What does Impact mean in a University context?

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the current system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. Impact is one of the measures by which the REF judges institutions’ research. 

In the REF, Impact is defined as an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia. For REF2021, impact was assessed in terms of ‘rigour, reach and significance’. More broadly, universities think about ‘impact’ as making change in the real world that can be demonstrated or proved.

Lead academics may wish to discuss their application with their School’s Director of Impact. 

Who the scheme is for

Applications can be made by a researcher from any faculty or discipline at the University of Leeds, working with a partner from the cultural, arts or third sector in Yorkshire. 

Lead applicants must be academic staff employed by the University until at least 31 July 2027, and cannot be a postgraduate researcher.

The co-applicant/s must be a named lead at a cultural, arts or third sector organisation in Yorkshire and must not be employed by the University of Leeds.

Where the co-applicant is from a third sector (non-arts or culture-based organisation), the project itself must have a strong focus on culture, creativity or art making. 

Additional partners can be post-graduate researchers, University of Leeds academics or academics from other institutions.

We will give priority to applications in which at least one of the co-applicants is a constituted organisation.

Some researchers might also be interested in the Sapling Fund, administered by LAHRI and the Cultural Institute. This scheme aims to allow researchers to achieve a step-change in partnership working with at least one non-HE partner through a project rooted in research in arts, humanities and/or culture. Projects must articulate a pathway to economic impact.

For more information, please visit: The Sapling Fund

We will not provide continuation of funding for projects funded through Ignite, The Sapling Fund, Sapling Bradford or Bradford Collaborations Fund in 2024/5 or 2025/6. If you also apply to the Sapling Fund in 2025/6 and are successful, your application to this scheme will not be considered further for the same or a similar project.  

Fund priorities and assessment criteria

Applications will be reviewed against the priorities set out below, so it is important that you explain these aspects of your project in your application.

While we do not expect projects to have all the following elements, we will give priority to projects that include some of the following:

  • the likelihood of generating step-change in partnerships between academic researchers and creative and cultural organisations that lasts beyond the project dates.
  • a demonstrable benefit to both partners
  • a clear relationship to the applicant/s research and/or the impact of their research
  • the possibility of creating change outside the University
  • an employability/student opportunity element for undergraduate students or post graduate researchers

While there is no formal requirement that an external research funding application would be part of or follow an Ignite project, we expect to see activity which has clear potential to lead to substantial future collaboration and impact.

The funding process

We plan to inform successful applicants by 10th November 2026. Please leave sufficient time for your Head of School to read and approve your application before submission. The selection panel will comprise an academic representative, professional staff from the Cultural Institute and a representative from a cultural organisation.

If you are successful, you may start your project immediately. Funding will be administered through the School in which the applicant academic is based. 

You will be asked to report on your project 3 months after it has been awarded and following completion. This reporting is light touch, but mandatory.

If your activity includes public facing events or exhibitions, we require grantees to credit the Ignite Fund. Full details of how to do this will be sent to the successful applicants.

Please contact the Cultural Institute at culturalinstitute@leeds.ac.uk for further information or guidance.

Costs that can be covered by this fund

The funding can cover the full costs of the activity including, but not limited to:

  • University internships or research assistant time. If the proposed work involves engaging project-specific interns and/or research assistants, the academic applicant must liaise with their School professional services team when costing this item.
  • Fees for cultural partner organisations; such as to cover their time, expertise or space. If including fees to a partner is not appropriate to your application, please explain why. 
  • Recompense to individual participants in activity where appropriate. If this will be administered by the academic applicant, they should liaise with their School professional services team about processes which need to be followed when costing this item.
  • Materials
  • Venue and equipment hire
  • UK travel and subsistence – while not ineligible, support to cover international travel is unlikely to be supported by Ignite. A very robust demonstration of value for money must be made for this to be considered.
  • Access costs for participants. 

Costs that are not covered by this fund

  • IT/ substantial equipment purchase
  • Buying out the time of staff who are already contracted at Leeds
  • Conference attendance or course fees
  • Books

If applicants to this scheme have access needs, please let us know as we may be able to support these in addition to the main fund.

Your budget and timeline

  • Please be aware when writing your application that the University cannot recover VAT. Therefore any costs incurring VAT should be budgeted as gross figures. 
  • When creating your project timeline, please include time for the financial management and any other set up processes of the project to be established as these can take significant time within University processes.
  • Sustainability
  • Please consider and show how you are thinking about sustainability in relation to the attached additional guidance. 

Ethics