2. What is this briefing?
• A digest of useful information for UK creative industries
businesses seeking funding,financing and business
development support, updated every month
• Brought to you by the following organisations:
3. Contents
• Public funding calls
• Other public funding
• Private financing
• Other financing mechanisms
• Support resources
• February events
• Other information
• Create UK
4. Public funding calls
Building whole-life performance
Key feature: Investment for collaborative R&D projects that can lead to
improve the whole-life performance of buildings. Proposals should involve
research into new knowledge for developing products, processes or services
intended for deployment during any stage of a building’s lifecycle.
Scale:
• Up to £4m
Programme: collaborative R&D between business and academia
Closes: This is a two-stage competition that opens for applicants on 23
February 2015. The deadline for registration is at noon on 1 April 2015 and the
deadline for expressions of interest is at noon on 8 April 2015.
Details of how to register for UK brokerage events available here.
Further competition info at innovateuk.org
5. Public funding calls
Childcare provision for parents
Key feature: DfE is seeking the development of a new, engaging and
innovative solution which provides accurate information about childcare
provision for parents. DfE, supported by Innovate UK is using Phase 2 of
the SBRI process to support the prototype development of selected
proposed solutions.
Scale:
• Up to £200K
Programme: Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) – relevant for
SMEs
Timeline: competition opens 2nd Feb 2015; registration closes 25th March
2015; competition closes March 2015.
More info at innovateuk.org including details of how to register for a briefing
Event, March 13th
6. Public funding calls
Circular economy: business models
Key feature: Investment in feasibility studies into the business case for
retaining value in durable goods through reuse, remanufacture or
leasing/maintenance.
Scale:
• Up to £800K
Programme: Feasibility Studies – must be collaborative and business-led,
open to companies of any size
Closes: registration closes Wednesday 11th March 2015; deadline for
applications Wednesday 18th March 2015.
Details of how to register for a competition workshop on March 3rd at Resource
2015 available here.
More info at innovateuk.org
7. Public funding calls
Solving urban challenges with data – Feasibility study
Key feature: Investment for feasibility studies projects for innovative,
commercial solutions to increase the resilience, quality of life or economic
performance of urban areas by integrating environmental, social and/or
economic data with data from other sources.
Scale:
• Up to £2.5m
Programme: Feasibility Studies – must be collaborative and business led,
open to companies of any size
Closes: registration closes Wednesday 11th March 2015; deadline for
applications Wednesday 18th March 2015.
More info at innovateuk.org
8. Public funding calls
Better interactions between people and machines –
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
Key feature: Investment in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) in the
area of user experience (UX) to encourage new, enhanced forms of
interaction between computing systems and the people who use them. This
KTP competition also runs in parallel with a competition for feasibility
studies (see following slide).
Scale: up to £1m available
Programme: KTPs – opportunity for businesses of any size to work with
academic institutions.
Competition opened 7th November 2014, and the deadline for applications
is noon on the 15th April 2015.
More info at innovateuk.org.
9. Public funding calls
Better interactions between people and machines –
Feasibility Studies
Key feature: Investment in feasibility studies in the area of user experience
(UX). The aim is to encourage new and improved ways for machines, their
computing systems and people to interact.
Scale: up to £500K available. Small businesses could receive up to 70%
of their eligible project costs and medium-sized businesses up to 60%.
Projects are expected to have total costs of up to £50K.
Programme: Feasibility Studies – must be collaborative and business-led,
open to companies of any size
Competition opens 16th February 2015, registration closes 25th March and
the deadline for applications is 1st April 2015. More info available at
innovateuk.org.
10. Public funding calls
Wearable Technologies Innovation Contest
Key feature: The IC tomorrow Wearable Technologies Innovation contest
is aimed at encouraging innovation in wearable technology across the
themes of hospitality, accessibility, entertainment, design, sport and
wellbeing, health and safety.
Scale: this contest will offer 6 businesses up to £35K each
Programme: IC tomorrow - connecting start-ups and SMEs with leading
commercial partners and investors.
More info available at innovateuk.org
11. BFI Film Fund
Each year the BFI Film Fund invests over £26m of Lottery funds to support film
development, production and distribution activity in the UK and the budget is set to
rise to £30m by 2017.
• Applications are welcomed for film projects in all genres, and we are committed
to promoting diversity in the filmmakers we support, the stories they tell and the
audiences they reach.
• The fund also supports: a) independent UK distributors to help ensure that the
best British and specialised films connect with a wide range of audiences across
a range of platforms b) sales companies that are launching new UK films at key
international film festivals and markets.
Applications can be made to the Film Fund at any time, and you should expect to
receive an initial response within six to eight weeks. Full application guidelines
available here.
Public funding calls
12. Creative England film production funding
Key feature: Creative England now offers two strands of film production funding for
both feature and high-end TV drama.
• Lottery-based Production Fund: this is targeted at feature films with budgets of
up to £2m and looking to experiment with innovative approaches; the fund has
doubled from £500K to £1m for 2014/2015.
• West Midlands Production Fund: invests in the production of feature films and
high-end TV drama from companies based in the West Midlands as well as from
producers looking to establish a base to film in the region. Circa £4m funding
available for 2015, with a maximum investment of £1m per project. .
More info at creativeengland.co.uk
Public funding calls
13. Public funding calls
Creative Industry Finance
Key Feature: This is an Arts Council England initiative offering business
development support and access to finance to a wide range of creative and
cultural enterprises, from micro-businesses through to major institutions.
Scale: will consider applications for loans from as little as £2,500 up to
£15m
Closes: there is no deadline for applying to Creative Industry Finance
More info on creativeindustryfinance.org.uk
14. Public funding calls
Nesta Impact Investment
Key feature: An equity investment fund investing in social ventures with
innovative products or services that are addressing some of the UK’s most
pressing challenges. Investments are made in areas that tackle:
• the health and wellbeing of an ageing population
• the educational attainment and employability of children and young people
• the social and environmental sustainability of communities.
Scale: between £150k - £1m
Closes: ongoing
More info on Nesta Investments
15. Public funding calls
Open Project Funding
Key feature: This fund supports the arts, screen and creative industries, with
projects that help them explore, realise and develop their creative potential, widen
access to their work, and enrich Scotland’s reputation as a distinctive creative
nation connected to the world.
Scale:
• For applications up to £15K - decisions will take up to 8 weeks from the date
application form received.
• For applications over £15K – decisions will take up to 12 weeks.
• For applications over £100K (up to a maximum of £150K) - prior approval
required from Creative Scotland before applying.
Opens: all applications accepted from 31st October 2014
More info at creativescotland.com
16. Public funding calls
Horizon 2020 ICT-19-2015
Key feature: R&D funding of new or emerging technologies (e.g. 3D and
augmented reality technologies) for digital content creation to support the creative
and media industries and for unlocking complex information and media and
interacting with them.
Scale: €561,000,000
Closes: 14th April 2015
Click here for a complete briefing on Horizon 2020.
Further info: Horizon 2020 website, UK list of National Contact Points for Horizon
2020 and the Enterprise Europe Networks
17. Public funding calls
Horizon 2020 ICT-20-2015
Key feature: This challenge encourages public procurement of innovative
solutions to address the needs of the digital learning ecosystem in making better
use of educational cloud solutions, mobile technology, learning analytics and big
data, and to facilitate the use, re-use and creation of learning material and new
ways to educate and learn online.
Scale: €561,000,000
Closes: 14th April 2015
Click here for a complete briefing on Horizon 2020.
Further info: Horizon 2020 website, UK list of National Contact Points for Horizon
2020 and the Enterprise Europe Networks
18. Other public funding
• Arts & Humanities Research Council – the AHRC offers postgraduate
and research funding opportunities which include opportunities in
knowledge exchange and partnerships and international research.
• Creative Europe - here you can find relevant information concerning
funding opportunities within the Creative Europe programme. .
• Arts Council of Wales – offer a selection of arts grants for creative
professionals and organisations.
• Screen Yorkshire – Yorkshire Content Fund – production finance
available; can invest £1m+ in individual film or TV dramas that will be in
production by December 2015.
19. Private financing
• Better Business Finance is an excellent tool for identifying the right type
of finance at all stages of a business as well as identifying providers who
can help. This section provides a searchable directory of information
about the members of the UK Business Angels Association, what
services they provide and how to contact them.
• British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association provides an
explanation of different types of financing and other resources for
entrepreneurs.
• The UK Business Angels Association is the national trade association
representing angel and early-stage investment in the UK.
20. Other financing mechanisms
• Crowdfunder.co.uk – UK’s largest crowdfunding network having
launched 1000’s of projects and raised over £2m, platform launched by
KEO digital and partners include NESTA and Plymouth University
• Funding Circle – an online marketplace which allows savers to lend
money directly to SMEs; the first site to use peer-to-peer lending for
business funding in the UK; as of February 2014 Funding Circle has
facilitated £223 in loans to SMEs
• Kickstarter.com – a global crowdfunding platform based in the United
States; the company’s stated mission is to help to bring creative projects
to life; since launching in 2009, 7m people have pledged $1bn, funding
70,000 creative projects
21. Support resources for businesses
• AIM Start Up Loans - Government supported start-up loans for the
Creative Industries.
• Creative skillset – supports businesses within the Creative Industries to
develop skills and talent
• East London Small Business Centre - ELSBC is a not for profit
organisation dedicated to helping businesses reach their entrepreneurial
potential through one to one business support and loan funding.
• Growth Accelerator – works with businesses from a diverse range of
sectors; key eligibility criteria include fewer than 250 employees and
annual turnover under £40m.
22. Support resources for businesses
• NESTA’s Creative Business Mentor Network - offers ambitious
creative companies one-to-one mentoring with some of the creative
sectors most successful business leaders.
• Seedcamp - a London based accelerator that provides startups with
seed money, mentorship, office space, support over a year long
programme.
• School for Creative Start-ups - delivers programmes that teach people
how to start and run better businesses.
23. February Events
Digital Bristol Week – Bristol, 2nd -8th February
Skills empowerment workshop for women working in the games industry –
London, 2nd February
Animex Festival at Teeside University – Middlesbrough, 9th-13th February
Arts Council of Wales’ annual conference ‘Risking Delight: The Arts as a
Resource for Hope’ – Cardiff, 12th February
Digital Innovation The Shed Launch Event – Manchester, 12th February
Innovate UK Creative and Digital Meet-up Event – Liverpool, 12th February
Funding for innovation in the creative industries – organised by Golant Media
Ventures & Digital Catapult Centre, London 16th February
New Social Media & Streaming in Music & Media – London, 24th February
24. Other Information
• The Creative England 50 – from filmmakers to animators, app makers to
scriptwriters, this study showcases companies across England that have
turned a bright idea into commercial success.
• ‘The geography of the UK’s creative and high–tech economies’ – this Nesta
report is the first systematic analysis of employment in the UK’s creative and
high-tech economies. It analyses their size, growth and distribution across the
country
• Scotland’s Cultural Enterprise Office maintain a comprehensive list of
organisations and websites providing support to creatives working in Scotland
• GP Bullhound is a leading investment bank providing advice on M&A and
institutional capital-raising to growth companies in the technology sector. Its
‘Technology Predictions 2015’ publication offers an informed overview of key
trends currently driving innovation across the creative industries.
25. Other Information
• The Copyright Hub provides: copyright information/education to a wide
audience; and access for users to simpler licensing, with much lower
transaction costs, via websites connected to the Copyright Hub
• International Broadcasting Convention(IBC) 2015 Innovation Awards - Call for
Entries – There are three core IBC Innovation Awards: for the most innovative
projects in Content Creation, Content Management and Content Delivery. The
deadline to apply is 21st February.
• The Business Finance Guide – a journey from start-up to growth is a joint
publication by the ICAEW Corporate Finance Faculty and the British Business
Bank. The guide sets key things to consider and outlines sources of finance
available to businesses – ranging from start-ups to SMEs and growing mid-
sized companies.
• A Short Guide For Innovate UK Competition Applicants - The Knowledge
Transfer Network (KTN) has produced this short guide to help make clear what
an assessor for Innovate UK competitions is looking for.
26. • Key findings from the DCMS Creative Industries Economic Estimates report
published last month include: the GVA of the creative industries is now worth £76.9bn
per year to the UK economy which equates to £8.8m per hour; in 2012 the creative
economy provided 2.6m jobs (1 in 12 UK jobs).
• Click here to read Creative Industries Council’s strategy, Create UK
• Go to www.thecreativeindustries.co.uk website for sector specific data and
information
• Visit https://app.hiive.co.uk/talent/ to find employees or join the workforce
• Read Innovate UK’s Creative Industries Strategy 2013-2016 highlighting
convergence, data and transactions as key pillars of innovation
27. Something else we've missed?
Please let us know, plus sign up for monthly updates at:
creativeindustries@ktn-uk.org