Economic and Social Research Council · United Kingdom

Pre-announcement: ESRC applicant-led: challenge awards

Opening soon

Deadline: Not published yet — check the official call
Grant amount: £2 million – £10 million per applicant
Funding rate: UKRI usually pays 80% of full economic cost for research organisations Standard rule for this programme; the call can differ.
Likely applicant types: Universities & research, Non-profits From source categories or programme rules; the call decides.
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Reference: UKRI-202677
Last checked: 15 Nov 2026

Programme overview

Apply for funding to bring people, expertise and ideas together in ambitious, larger-scale programmes. Challenge awards tackle major research, economic and societal challenges, generating impactful knowledge and innovation.

Who can apply

You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for ESRC funding.

Applicant categories are a starting point. The official call decides eligibility.

Timing

Closing date: Open - no closing date

How to apply

Apply through the funder’s official page (link below); it states the procedure, documents and deadline.

From the call text

Who can apply: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Company stage: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Single applicant or consortium: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Where applicants must be based: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Where to apply: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Where these facts come from

Fact	Value	How we know	Taken from the source
Deadline	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—
Amount per applicant	£2 million – £10 million per applicant “£2,000,000 - £10,000,000”	read from the official text	15 Nov 2026
Total budget	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—
Funding rate	UKRI usually pays 80% of full economic cost for research organisations	programme standard rule	15 Nov 2026
Who can apply	You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for ESRC funding.	read from the official text	15 Nov 2026
Where to apply	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—

Official sources

Official call page

Facts on this page were read from the official page on 15 Nov 2026. The funder's own documents, including later amendments, always take precedence.