Attendance and engagement at UK sporting, cultural and heritage sites

AHRC and DCMS invite teams to develop data-intensive methods for measuring participation at unticketed cultural, heritage and sporting settings. Proposals must demonstrate a usable measurement tool in at least one DCMS sector.

The project must start on 1 May 2027 and finish by 31 March 2030. The full-economic-cost ceiling is £1.32 million; AHRC normally funds 80%. Applications opened on 22 September 2026 and close at 16:00 UK time on 1 December 2026.

The lead must be based at an AHRC-eligible UK research organisation. Teams need appropriate research or evaluation expertise and dedicated administrative support. UK business and third-sector co-leads are permitted; international co-leads and PhD studentships are excluded.