Challenge Fund Scheme A: Seedcorn Projects

For other details regarding eligibility rules please refer to the Challenge Fund FAQ’s Your project must meet ALL of the following eligibility criteria:

Led by a UK Higher Education Institution (HEI) or research organisation – Check UKRI eligibility rules

• Preference will be given to those that involve Early Career Researcher (ECR)or Mid Career Researchers (MCR) as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator See our definitions
• Funding submissions must be co-produced between academic leads and non-academic partners.  A noticeboard (registration required) has been supplied to help build new collaborations.
• Involve public or community engagement – Either in project design or delivery
• Deliverable within 12 months –Evidence to demonstrate this, including evaluation and communication /reporting outputs
• Budget under £40,000 – Must demonstrate value for money.
• PI’s will be limited to one application 

We actively encourage applications from across all four UK nations (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland). Geographic diversity will be weighted in our selection process where possible.

Projects must span the intersection of climate change and health, and align with at least one of the following research areas:

• Resilient Urban Environments
• Resilient Green and Blue Infrastructure
• Resilient Food Systems

Eligible project types can include:

• Empirical studies
• Evaluations and assessments
• Task force activities
• Capacity building initiatives
• Responsive research addressing urgent issues
• Impact delivery projects
• Large-scale arts-based activities

Projects should complement, rather than duplicate, activity already being carried out by Centre members. To ensure alignment and avoid duplication, please refer to the information available on our website.

All applications are assessed against our six Foundational Principles. Your project should demonstrate clear alignment with at least two:

1. Inter-disciplinary working and knowledge exchange
2. Demonstrating a needs-led approach
3. Involving communities in meaningful ways
4. Identifying barriers to action on climate and health
5. Advancing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
6. Environmental sustainability in project delivery

Additionally, your application should demonstrate:

• Academic rigour and clear research objectives
• Value for money
• Feasibility of delivery within the specified timeframe
• Strong commitment to collaboration across disciplines and sectors

Your application will be scored against each of these criteria and weighted accordingly.

We operate a two-stage process to manage applications efficiently:

Stage 1: Expression of Interest (EOI)

Submit a concise Expression of Interest in one of these formats:

Option A: Complete our template 

Option B: Video presentation (add lin

• Maximum 5 minutes
• Include captions/ and pdf transcript for accessibility
• Upload to YouTube (unlisted) / google drive or similar or Vimeo and provide link ensuring permissions allow anyone with that link to view.

Option C: Alternative format

• Other formats considered on request
• Must be pre-approved by contacting [email protected]

Important: Due to the expected volume of applications, no feedback will be provided at the EOI stage.

Outcome: Up to 12 projects will be shortlisted to submit full applications.

Stage 2: Full Application (by invitation only)

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to develop a full proposal with detailed budget and project plan. Guidance will be provided at this stage.

Timeline

• Call opens: Partnership webinar & noticeboard live: 30 March 2026
• Partnership development period: 30 March – 11 May 2026
• EOI deadline: 11 May 2026
• Panel reviews EOIs: 11 May- 23 June 2026
• Shortlisted candidates notified: 25 June 2026[MP1.1][MP1.2]
• Full application development period: 25 June – 10 Sept 2026
• Full application deadline: 10 Sept 2026
• Panel reviews full applications: Sept – Nov 2026
• Selected projects notified: 12 Nov 2026
• Projects commence: 12 Nov 2026
• Project completion & reporting deadline: 11 Nov 2027

We know that strong partnerships are essential to impactful projects. We’re here to help:

Partnership Noticeboard – Use our online noticeboard to:

• Advertise your project idea and seek partners
• Offer your expertise to others
• Browse opportunities from academic and non-academic organisations

Access the noticeboard here (available from 30^th  March 2026)

Submit your Expression of Interest via our online form.

Funding mechanism:

• Funding will be at 80% FEC and is provided through the University of Exeter’s invoicing system
• 50% paid in advance upon project commencement
• 50% paid on delivery and submission of final report

Reporting requirements: Before the 12 month completion date all funded projects must submit a final report (500-1,000 words) outlining:

• Key outputs and learnings
• How the funding supported your work
• Main achievements and impact
• Examples of outputs (e.g., draft article, toolkit, training course, artistic work, etc.)
• Feed in to the Net Positive Centre’s Communication Channels (for example a website summary, blog, social media updates, etc)