CoSTAR Inclusive Multisensory Experience: Up to £40,000 for UK Immersive Creative Companies
CoSTAR National Lab has opened its Inclusive Multisensory Experience funding call for UK-based creative companies with an existing audience-ready experience or event. The scheme is designed for teams that want to test how a specific sensory change influences accessibility, engagement and the commercial potential of immersive work. Applications close on 24 November 2026 at 2 pm GMT.
Funding and support at a glance
CoSTAR expects to support at least two projects. Typical individual cash awards are approximately £20,000–£30,000, while the maximum funding request is £40,000. Selected teams can also access equipment and facilities at the CoSTAR National Lab at Pinewood Studios and receive guidance from specialists in inclusive design, audience research and human–computer interaction.
The programme welcomes smaller, proportionate projects as well as more ambitious applications. Applicants should budget for the necessary creative adaptation, audience testing, venue arrangements and related project costs rather than treating the award as an unrestricted production grant.
Which projects are eligible?
The lead applicant must be a UK-based company operating in the creative industries. Collaborative teams may involve researchers, technologists and creative practitioners, but the programme is aimed at businesses with an existing project that can already be demonstrated to audiences.
This is not a fund for an untested idea alone. The proposed research must add, remove or modify one principal multisensory element of an existing experience or event. Examples given by the organisers include immersive sound, smell and touch. The purpose is to examine whether that intervention changes the way audiences experience the work.
A comparison with real audiences is essential
Successful applicants will collaborate with the Inclusive User Futures research team to test an original and an adapted version of their experience. CoSTAR specifies a public showcase with at least 50 audience members for each version—at least 100 people altogether. A sound proposal therefore needs a credible plan for recruitment, accessible delivery and measurement of results.
The application should explain the expected commercial value, cultural and social impact, accessibility benefits and practical barriers associated with the proposed sensory intervention. Teams that need a third-party venue should describe its role and include the relevant cost in the budget. Evidence of the venue partnership will be required if a project is selected.
Key dates for applicants
Applications opened on 29 September 2026. CoSTAR will hold an online question-and-answer session on 19 October 2026, from 1 pm to 2 pm BST. The submission deadline is 24 November 2026 at 2 pm GMT. Successful applicants are expected to be informed in February 2027, with research and development delivery planned from March to June 2027.
Preparing a stronger application
Begin with a clearly documented audience-ready creative work—such as an immersive event or interactive experience—and define the single sensory variable you intend to change. The distinction between the existing and proposed versions should be clear enough to evaluate, not simply a broad intention to make the work more immersive.
Then map the participant journey and the needs of audiences who could otherwise be excluded. Identify the outcomes you will measure, how the two audience groups will be recruited, the role of any specialist collaborators and the equipment or lab support needed. CoSTAR provides an applicant guidance pack, budget template, project-plan materials and FAQs on the official call page.
Apply through the official programme
Applicants should read CoSTAR’s eligibility guidance and full terms before submission. The official call page provides the application portal, documents, timeline and details of the October Q&A. The selection decision remains with the funder, and meeting the headline UK-company criterion does not guarantee eligibility.