EPIC Futures NI, a Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) hub led by Ulster University, is pleased to announce the launch of Phase 1 of its policy commissioning call, with a total funding pot of £250,000.
The call invites proposals of up to £30,000 that can be completed within six months, addressing issues related to economic activity and socio-economic factors impacting skills and employability in Northern Ireland.
The aim of this commissioning call is to build a robust, evidence-base exploring themes that can contribute towards a more inclusive and sustainable labour market in Northern Ireland.
Who Should Apply?
This opportunity is designed for a broad audience, including academics, researchers, policymakers, and organisations from sectors such as:
- Skills and the economy
- Community and voluntary work
- Special educational needs and disability
- Health and social care
- Childcare and youth services
- Climate and environment
Professor Kristel Miller, Co-Director of the project and Professor of Entrepreneurship & Small Business Development, Ulster University Business School commented:
“We are excited to launch this phase 1 commissioning call for EPIC Futures NI as we seek to challenge economic inactivity in Northern Ireland by removing the barriers that people face to fair and meaningful employment. This commissioning call provides the opportunity to gain new insights from a variety of disciplines. We are open to all types of projects to help build an evidence base to inform policy and programmes. We strongly encourage collaborative approaches which include insights into the lived experiences of individuals facing skills and employability challenges. We are working with a range of valued partners who are key to moving this agenda forward and we look forward to widening the partnership approach through this commissioning call”
More information
Phase 1 of the EPIC Futures Policy Commissioning Call opens at 12 noon on Friday 18 October and closes at 12 noon on Monday 18 November.
Phase 1 of this call may also serve as a scoping exercise for Phase 2, which is expected to launch in April/May 2025 with a larger funding pot of £750,000. The threshold limit for phase 2 to be confirmed before the call opens.
About EPIC Futures NI
EPIC Futures NI (Economic and Social Partnering for Inclusive Innovation and Collaboration) is a first of its kind research project in the UK. Bringing three government departments together (Communities, Economy and Finance) to work in an open forum with stakeholders in research, education, industry and community organisations, EPIC Futures NI will fill data and knowledge gaps on the hidden unemployed; mainly women, the over 50’s, and individuals with disabilities; to develop an evidence base and inform policies and programmes that support these groups to secure fair and meaningful work.
Taking a holistic approach to addressing Northern Ireland’s skills and labour market challenges, EPIC Futures NI is supported by 11 business and community organisations as co-investigators: Queen’s University Belfast, Open University, Disability Action, Women’s Resource and Development Agency, Women’sTec, Involve, Business in the Community Northern Ireland, Social Enterprise Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Confederation of Health and Social Care, Chief Executives’ Forum and Centre for Cross Border Studies.
A three-year project, EPIC Futures NI is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Innovate UK, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). EPIC Futures NI is committed to driving innovation in policy development, contributing to a more equitable and dynamic economy for Northern Ireland.
For queries, contact: EPICFutures@ulster.ac.uk.