British Council Springboard 2026 Research Grants
The British Council Springboard Research Grants offer up to £10,000 to support international research collaborations between the UK and institutions in France, Germany, and Spain.
Overview
The British Council Springboard Research Grants provide seed funding to help research teams establish sustainable international partnerships between the United Kingdom and partner countries including France, Germany, and Spain. Rather than financing full research projects, the scheme supports networking, researcher mobility, and joint proposal preparation to build long-term academic cooperation.
Successful projects are scheduled to begin from January 2027.
Benefits
- Funding of up to £10,000 per successful research team.
- Support for a compulsory collaborative Springboard Team Meeting.
- Access to optional online communication skills training for early-career researchers.
- Funding support for one-week research placements at partner institutions for up to two PhD students per participating country.
- Opportunities to prepare competitive international funding proposals, particularly for Horizon Europe.
Eligibility
Applications are open to higher education institutions and not-for-profit research institutions. Each proposal must involve one lead institution from the UK and one lead institution from France, Germany, or Spain.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted through the British Council's online grant platform. Applicants need to register on the platform and locate the application form titled "Going Global Partnerships – Multi Country – Springboard 2026." Only the UK Lead Institution can initiate and submit the form.
Deadline
Applications close on 30 September 2026 at 16:00 BST.