Apply now for the next round of our AHRC Impact Acceleration Account Grants!  

We’re excited to announce the launch of three more MOLA Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) grant opportunities. These will support public impact-focused projects between MOLA staff and non-academic partners. Our IAA grants are made possible by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). 

Our current grant opportunities are: 

  1. Partnership Grants: Grants of up to £20k to support innovation in project design and delivery in partnership with at least one other archaeology unit, developer, charitable body, or small-to-medium-sized enterprise (SME).    

  1. Business Development Grants: Grants of up to £15k to help creative producers and entrepreneurs progress their product ideas from the conceptual stage to the planning/design stage in partnership with MOLA staff.  

  1. Creative Residencies: Grants of up to £15k each for a creative professional to work with MOLA staff to experiment with translating MOLA’s archaeological research into unusual forms for different audiences.   

Interested in applying and want to know more

Read more about each type of IAA grant in our FAQ section below.  

Nigel Jeffries and Emma Dwyer are acting as the MOLA IAA leads, supporting external collaborators in matching their ideas and interests with MOLA staff. To express an interest in partnering with MOLA on one of our IAA grants, please contact us on the IAA email account - iaa@mola.org.uk.   

If you would like to meet with MOLA staff and external partners, come to our matchmaking session on Thursday 13 November 2025 at 17:00GMT for MOLA staff and external partners to meet and discuss possible project ideas together. Click here to register your interest.   

Applications must be submitted by MOLA staff members, and further details on the IAA grants will be made available to external partners following matching with a MOLA staff member. The deadline for applications is Friday 19 December 2025. 

What is the timeline for applications

Grants are adjudicated via a two-stage process, starting with a simple Outline Proposal submitted via a MOLA staff member.

Monday 27th October: Outline Proposals round opens

Friday 19 December 2025: deadline for Outline Proposals

A panel will select the projects they want to invite for a second round of applications.  

Monday 19 January 2026: 2nd round opens 

Friday 6 March 2026: 2nd round closes 

Selection of successful applicants in April, projects to start from May 1 2026. Awards must finish within 9 months of project start date.

What are partnership grants

Partnership grants fund MOLA staff members in collaboration with external partners – specifically other archaeological units, curators, consultants, clients, or underfunded charitable organisations or SMEs – to co-design and test new methods that increase the positive social and environmental impact of archaeological fieldwork and post-excavation research.   

The grant allows you and your partners to bid for up to a total of £20k. This is designed to cover the costs of MOLA staff and partner time, as well as other allowable expenses. The funding must be spent within a maximum period of nine months.   

Examples of projects include, but are not limited to:    

  • Teaming up with a climate action or environmental charity to design low-carbon alternatives to standard archaeological field, lab, office, or other practices.  

  • Partnering with another archaeological unit to pool data and expertise from across a region to develop a new experience or product for non-specialist audiences.  

  • Collaborating with a curator or consultant to rethink approaches to designing archaeological programmes to achieve greater social impact for local communities.  

  • Working with a charity or small enterprise to develop greater opportunities for, and decrease barriers around, the employment of individuals who are currently underrepresented in archaeology.  

  • Cooperating with an arts or cultural organisation to develop new ways of engaging citizens in real-time with live excavation or post-excavation activities.  

  • Partnering with a media-oriented charity or small-to-medium-sized media company to design and test a novel and wide-reaching approach to public broadcasting of archaeology.  

What are business development grants

Business development grants offer seed funding of up to £15,000 per project for creative practitioners, small/medium-sized enterprises, and our staff. This funding should be used to collaborate in developing educational or playful products and other evidence-informed, revenue-generating business plans based on archaeological and heritage research.   

The grants enable teams of MOLA staff and external non-academic partners to progress their product ideas from the conceptual stage to the planning/design stage. This process will allow all participants to learn from each other and share their creative, business, and research expertise.

What are creative residencies

These 6-month residencies will fund creative professionals to experiment, bringing our archaeological research to different audiences. There is funding (up to £13,000 per residency) for 6 creative residencies.  

This residency is aimed at creative practitioners working in sectors with mass followings but who may struggle to access, or may be unaware of, archaeological research and its creative potential. This could include areas such as interior design, comedy, fashion, food, sport, gardening, music, and creatives working in languages other than English.  

Examples of projects include, but are not limited to:    

  • Working with a horticulturalist to design a new garden inspired by our archaeo-environmental research    

  • Partnering with a chef to produce a new recipe book or a cooking podcast based on interests in past food practices     

  • Collaborating with a comedian to communicate MOLA’s archaeological stories into entertaining performances for others    

  • Engaging with a weaver to produce a new range of rugs or tapestries influenced by MOLA’s archaeological finds    

  • Teaming up with a board game or escape room (or other!) designer to transform our archaeological interpretations into an experience or product for new audiences 

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