CoSTAR Showcase Labs: Createch infrastructure and commercialisation (Grant)

Join the Convergent Screen Technologies and performance in Realtime (CoSTAR) Network and host national research and development (R&D) infrastructure for the creative sector. You will reduce barriers to creative businesses’ technology adoption, improve commercialisation support for creative technology businesses and drive scale up and investment. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding. Over three years via the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)’s Createch Futures programme, AHRC will fund up to two Showcase Labs up to £4 million each. Demand management Demand management is not being applied to this funding opportunity. Aim This funding opportunity is an expansion of AHRC’s CoSTAR programme, AHRC’s flagship national network of creative research infrastructure. The expansion is funded from DCMS’s Createch Futures initiative, providing £25 million in additional investment into national R&D facilities in order to drive innovation, creativity, and research commercialisation in the UK’s screen and performance industries. It forms part of and adds significant value to the existing network by enabling greater network cohesion, regional access, clearer commercial pathways and alignment with emerging future technologies, particularly generative AI. It will deliver up to two Showcase Labs and up to two Satellite Labs, a Virtual Compute Lab and additional Access Programmes, primarily funding equipment, technology, staff, utilities and an access programme to support Small Medium Enterprise utilisation. This infrastructure will lead to: • reduced barriers to creative businesses’ technology adoption • broader access for creative businesses to specialist R&D infrastructure at lower cost • faster progression from R&D to commercialisation through support and credible demonstration environments • accelerated development and commercial uptake of high-growth creative technologies, including across a wider range of UK regions Scope This funding opportunity represents Lot one of Createch Futures funding, providing up to £12 million over three years to deliver the Showcase and Satellite Labs. This funding opportunity page covers criteria for Showcase Labs only. For more information on the CoSTAR Network, go to the ‘Additional information’ section. Successful consortia will set out a programme that will: • design and fit out of state-of-the art creative R&D facilities including relevant technology infrastructure. These facilities may constitute a refurbishment or extension of an existing facility and must be co-sited with a screen production facility, studio or performance company • focus on near market research and innovation (TRLs six to nine) and serve an identified geographic or sectoral community act as a hub to drive investment in and adoption of new creative technologies, companies, experiences, applications and products (Showcase Labs only) • collaborate with CoSTAR National Lab and the rest of the network to identify opportunities and needs for coordinated R&D programmes and disseminate research outcomes • contribute to demonstrator or pilot programmes with National Lab • provide access to knowledge exchange, commercialisation and enterprise functions for CoSTAR Network partners • manage the R&D laboratory facilities, including staff resourcing for a period of three years • develop and implement a model to secure external co-investment for their lab to ensure long-term financial sustainability Showcase Labs and their consortia should: • have sufficient capability to act as a lab contributing to the research and innovation activity and impact of the CoSTAR Network • be formed from a demonstrable track record of createch research and innovation activity • be capable and willing to conform to technical standards adopted by the CoSTAR network and play a role in the CoSTAR Technology Roadmap • act as a point of presence providing access to the CoSTAR National Infrastructure including support for companies engaging with the network • have technical expertise and staff resource sufficient to support these objectives • have technologies sufficient to demonstrate research and innovation results including new content outputs, production processes and workflows and novel services • be able to perform as a central presentation environment for industry and investment events from small groups to conferences act as a performance or audience venue to demonstrate immersive experience • be operated by a body or partnership with clear ability to connect businesses with investors (UK creative, seed and Venture Capital, UK and international technology, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) working with industry or government bodies and a track record in delivering creative technology demonstration, conferences and events Duration The duration of this award is three years from April 2027. Projects must start by 31 May 2027. Funding available The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £4 mi

This funding opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility. Check if your organisation is eligible . Organisations, such as businesses or third sector organisations, that are not eligible to receive a direct grant may participate and receive funding as collaborators or partners. Who is eligible to apply The application must be led by a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) eligible organisation at the head of partnerships and/or consortia including at least: • one commercial or industry co-location partner • one local or combined authority or equivalent economic development body or enterprise agency You must also be able to demonstrate proof of wider industry support and collaboration locally that will deliver significant co-investment from the private, public or third sectors. AHRC will award a maximum of four grants: up to two Showcase Labs and two Satellite Labs. Lead bidders may submit for both a Showcase Lab and a Satellite Lab. Other organisations may partner with a maximum of four bids across both Showcase and Satellite Labs. Lead bidders that already hold grants under the CoSTAR programme lots one, two and three can apply to this funding opportunity. However, the final funding decision will take portfolio balance into account, including geographic spread of both new labs and the original CoSTAR labs. Individual eligibility To lead an application for this funding opportunity, you must: • be a resident in the UK • be employed at, or have a formal affiliation with an organisation eligible to receive UKRI funding under standard eligibility criteria (see above) • have a doctorate or demonstrate equivalent professional experience or training • have an outstanding track record of strategic planning and delivery of major capital or R&D and innovation programmes for the screen and performance sectors • have or be able to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders from the creative research community, screen (film, TV, games) and performance sectors government and the wider creative industries • be engaged in leading-edge research and innovation of professorial or equivalent standing applicable to the creative industries • demonstrate a level of skills, knowledge and experience appropriate to the nature of the project You should not apply if your organisation has limited knowledge or does not have expertise in R&D and innovation in the screen and performance industries and in technology related to the creative industries. For further information on eligibility see AHRC’s research funding guide . Who is not eligible to apply This funding opportunity is concerned with the UK context only. International collaborations are not eligible under this scheme. Equality, diversity and inclusion We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers. We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes: • career breaks • support for people with caring responsibilities • flexible working • alternative working patterns UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.

Click here to start an application on the UKRI Funding Service: https://funding-service.ukri.org/OPP1224/apply/1255 We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system. The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application. Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI. To apply Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page. • Confirm you are the project lead. • Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password. • Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page. • Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office. • Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing. • Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI. Please be aware that research office and finance teams undertake checks on hosting arrangements and financial eligibility. The ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance with all opportunity requirements lies with the applicant. Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. When including images, you must: • provide a descriptive caption or legend for each image immediately underneath it in the text box (this must be outside the image and counts towards your word limit) • insert each new image on a new line • use files smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format Images should only be used to convey important visual information that cannot easily be put into words. The following are not permitted, and your application will be rejected if you include: • sentences or paragraphs of text • tables • excessive quantities of images A few words are permitted where the image would lack clarity without the contextual words, such as a diagram, where text labels are required for an axis or graph column. For more guidance on the Funding Service, see: • how applicants use the Funding Service • how research offices use the Funding Service • how reviewers use the Funding Service References References should be included within the word count of the appropriate question section. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the