Long-term cultural and sporting events legacy
Long-term cultural and sporting events legacy supports research teams evaluating major UK events to develop practical evidence and tools that help sustain cultural and sporting events’ long-term benefits.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: December 1, 2026, 4:00pm UK time (Application deadline) | May 1, 2027 (Project start) | March 31, 2030 (Completion deadline)
Funding Amounts: £1.1 million–£1.32 million listed award range; 80% of full economic cost, up to 34 months
Summary: Supports live evaluation of major UK sporting and cultural events to improve evidence and tools for sustaining long-term benefits.
Key Information: Research must include the 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Grands Départs.
Description
This UKRI opportunity is led by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in partnership with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). It funds live experimental evaluation of major UK sporting and cultural events, building on the pilot framework in Measuring the legacy and impact of major events. The research should address inconsistent datasets, difficulties measuring intangible outcomes such as community cohesion, and declining benefits after events end.
Teams should establish pre-event baselines, track outcomes for two years afterwards, and test and expand the existing framework. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods approaches are welcomed, with particular interest in experimental methods, including randomisation. The primary emphasis is practical findings and tools for DCMS and sector stakeholders, compatible with government Green Book appraisal and Magenta Book evaluation principles.
