Collaboration for a Sustainable Future: Coordinating Groups

At a glance

Item	Details
Funder	Research England, through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Purpose	Convene groups of English higher education providers to identify barriers to institutional collaboration and publish accessible work on possible solutions and lessons.
Award size	£10,000–£100,000 per award, for up to 12 months
Total funding	Approximately £750,000 across the opportunity
Funding rate	100% of full economic cost
Who can apply	A coordinating group representing multiple English higher education providers, with a clear reason for working together
Deadline	January 7, 2027, at 4:00 p.m. UK time
Expected decisions	May 2027
Project dates	Start by July 1, 2027; finish by June 2028
Application route	UKRI Funding Service; one submission by the lead coordinating group

This opportunity funds coordination and shared learning across higher education providers: identifying collaboration barriers, considering potential solutions, and publishing accessible lessons for the research and innovation system. It does not fund collaborative research or implementation of solutions, and no follow-on funding is presumed. (Official opportunity: Research England and UKRI.)

What the award supports

Awards are £10,000–£100,000 for up to 12 months. Research England funds 100% of full economic cost; approximately £750,000 is available in total. The brief does not state the number of awards or a typical award size. Check the live call and Funding Service for budget instructions. (Official opportunity, “benefits” information.)

The funded activity is convening providers to identify barriers and challenges to institutional collaboration in England, consider potential solutions, and publish accessible learning. Show how the group’s coordination will produce insight useful beyond its members. The brief does not prescribe output formats; choose them for the intended audience and check current application guidance.

The programme does not fund the delivery of the proposed solutions. It is also not research funding, and applicants should not frame a research project as the central activity. A proposal can discuss solutions as findings or recommendations, but the award’s stated purpose is to coordinate groups, examine barriers, and publish accessible work. The brief further states that follow-on funding is not presumed. Plans should therefore be useful as a completed coordination and publication effort, rather than depending on a later grant to fulfil the promised outputs. (Official opportunity, “benefits” information and stated unknowns.)

Who should apply and eligibility

Applicants must be existing or newly convened coordinating groups representing multiple English higher education providers, with a clear rationale for coordinating. Examples include sector alliances, associations, nonprofits, professional-services groups, and institutional leaders. The essential requirement is multi-provider English representation. (Official opportunity, “eligibility” information.)

Groups may include non-English providers or other perspectives, but still must represent multiple English providers. Groups representing one provider, lacking a clear rationale, or proposing collaborative research are ineligible. Explain who is represented, how members contribute, and what distinctive perspective the group brings; the application specifically asks for this account. (Official opportunity, “eligibility” and “application” information.)

The group selects a project lead to manage the application, and only the lead coordinating group submits it. Agree the lead group and project lead with partners before assembling the application. The brief does not specify a required legal form or type of lead; verify any such details in current guidance. (Official opportunity, “application” information.)

How to apply

Apply through the UKRI Funding Service. The coordinating group chooses a project lead to manage the application; only the lead coordinating group submits. Partners can contribute, but agree one submission route and lead. (Official opportunity, “application” information.)

Explain the group’s representation and distinctive perspective, coordination plan, proposed solutions, expected outcomes, and accessible outputs. Connect these points: define the challenge, explain why this group can examine it, describe how members will coordinate, and state what others can learn. Word limits and a detailed scoring rubric are not provided in the brief; follow the live Funding Service form. (Official opportunity, “application” information.)

When appropriate, partner support letters or emails should be combined into one PDF. Each should confirm commitment, relevance, and value to the partner, and be no longer than half an A4 page. The brief does not say these are mandatory for every proposal; check the live instructions. (Official opportunity, “application” information.)

Preparation advice: settle the group and rationale, appoint the lead, agree the coordination and output plan, gather partner input, then complete the Funding Service form. This is a practical sequence, not a published requirement. Check the live form for additional fields and ensure the requested activity, budget, and dates are consistent.

Timeline and deadlines

Applications opened on October 1, 2026. They close on January 7, 2027, at 4:00 p.m. UK time. The application should be submitted through the UKRI Funding Service by that deadline. The supplied information does not confirm an extension or a different time zone convention, so applicants should plan around the stated UK time and verify the live page for any updates. (Official opportunity, “timeline” information.)

Decisions are expected by May 2027. Successful projects must start by July 1, 2027, and finish by June 2028. Those dates frame the delivery window: proposals should be scoped so that convening, analysis of barriers and potential solutions, and publication of accessible outputs can be completed within the allowed period. The brief does not specify an exact project start date or a more precise end date within June 2028. Applicants should confirm the dates and any start-date instructions in the official call. (Official opportunity, “timeline” information.)

The award can run for up to 12 months, but that maximum should not be read as permission to go beyond the stated completion window. Build a realistic sequence from the confirmed start requirement to a finish by June 2028, leaving enough time to prepare and publish outputs. This is planning advice; the exact workplan format and any detailed milestones are not specified in the supplied brief.

Preparation and common mistakes

These are preparation suggestions, not extra eligibility rules. State which collaboration barriers are shared, why they matter to participating providers, and what joint coordination can clarify. That account helps distinguish a sector effort from a discussion group or one institution’s internal project.

Map represented English providers, member contributions, and the group’s perspective. Explain the role of any other participants while showing how the English multi-provider requirement is met. Agree how the lead group and project lead will coordinate input and submission. How to document this is up to the applicant.

Specify what will be published, who should use it, and how it will communicate barriers, potential solutions, and lessons. Link activities to learning and outputs. The call requires accessible outputs but sets no format. Keep implementation outside the funded scope and make outputs achievable without presumed follow-on funding.

Fit problems include representing one provider only, offering no clear coordination rationale, centring collaborative research, or asking the award to implement solutions. Also explain partners’ contributions and why coordination is needed. These are practical readings of the stated purpose and eligibility, not additional scoring criteria.

Before submitting, check the £10,000–£100,000 request, maximum 12-month duration, and project dates. The brief omits detailed cost rules and form limits, so consult the Funding Service. If appropriate letters are used, check their content, half-page limit, and combined PDF format.

Frequently asked questions

Is this funding for a research project?

No. The brief expressly says this is not research funding. It supports convening groups to identify barriers and challenges to institutional collaboration and publish accessible outputs describing potential solutions and lessons. A collaborative research project is listed as ineligible. (Official opportunity, “benefits” and “eligibility” information.)

Can one university apply on its own?

A group representing only one higher education provider is ineligible. The coordinating group must represent multiple English higher education providers and have a clear reason for coordinating. The group may be existing or newly convened. (Official opportunity, “eligibility” information.)

Can organizations or providers outside England take part?

Yes. Groups may include non-English providers or other perspectives. However, the group must still represent multiple English higher education providers. The brief does not give a separate limit on such participation; check the call guidance if the proposed partnership raises a specific eligibility question. (Official opportunity, “eligibility” information.)

What can the award pay for?

The confirmed funding is £10,000–£100,000 per award, for up to 12 months, at 100% of full economic cost. The activity is coordination, identifying barriers and challenges, considering potential solutions, and publishing accessible outputs. The brief does not give a detailed list of allowable cost categories; check the official Funding Service guidance before building the budget. (Official opportunity, “benefits” information.)

Are partner support letters required?

The brief says partner letters or emails should be uploaded together as one PDF when appropriate to the group and proposal. Each should confirm commitment, relevance, and partner value, and be no longer than half an A4 page. It does not establish that they are mandatory in every application. Confirm what the live application requests. (Official opportunity, “application” information.)

Will the award fund delivery of solutions or a later phase?

No such support is confirmed. The brief states that the opportunity does not fund delivery of proposed solutions and does not presume follow-on funding. Treat the coordination, learning, and accessible publication as the funded work to be completed within the award period.

When will applicants hear and when must work take place?

Decisions are expected by May 2027. Projects must start by July 1, 2027, and finish by June 2028. Applications close January 7, 2027, at 4:00 p.m. UK time. Applicants should confirm the latest timeline on the official opportunity page. (Official opportunity, “timeline” information.)

What remains unconfirmed

The brief does not specify award count or distribution, allowable cost detail, scoring criteria, word limits, output formats, whether letters are compulsory, a contact person, or acceptance odds. Do not infer them from the total budget or eligibility examples. Check the live UKRI page and Funding Service for current instructions; use any official contact route listed there for proposal-specific questions.

Official source

Collaboration for a Sustainable Future: Coordinating Groups — Research England and UKRI