A digest of useful information for UK businesses seeking funding and support, updated monthly.

1. Creative, Digital & Design
Business Briefing
A digest of useful information for UK businesses seeking
funding and support, updated monthly
March / April 2016
@KTN_Creative

2. Brought to you by the following
organisations:

3. Contents
• Public funding calls
• Horizon 2020
• Other public funding
• KTN events
• Other events
• Public investment
• Accelerator programmes
• Private financing
• Other financing mechanisms
• Launching a new business?
• Non-financial support for your business
• Training & skills

4. Public funding calls
Key feature: Innovate UK is investing £180K to encourage innovation
in the sharing economy, across the themes of trust, tourism and travel,
opening up new sectors, home improvement, construction, and data
and analytics.
Scale: Up to £30K for each of the selected 6 businesses
Closes: 12 April 2016, 12:00
More info on: innovateuk.org
Digital Innovation in the Sharing Economy

5. Public funding calls
Key feature: Innovate UK and the Department for Culture, Media and
Sport is jointly investing up to £0.5m to help UK companies establish
new Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) in the area of cyber
security. The funding is aimed at supporting collaborations between
HEIs and SMEs.
Scale: up to £500K
Closes: The final deadline for proposals will be 11 May 2016 but it is
strongly recommended to apply as soon as possible.
More info on: _connect
Cyber Security KTP

6. Public funding calls
Key feature: Innovate UK is investing up to £1.5m in technical feasibility
studies to encourage new entrants to the energy sector and stimulate the
adoption of disruptive technologies. In order to encourage novel and radical
solutions, projects must be led by an SME whose main business lies
outside the energy sector.
Briefing event: London – 6 April 2016
Opens: 28 March 2016 Closes: 4 May 2016, 12:00
More info on: innovateuk.org
Energy Game Changer

7. Public funding calls
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
Key feature: A scheme to help businesses innovate and grow by
linking them with a university and a graduate to work on a specific
project. Each KTP is a three-way partnership between a business, an
academic institution and a graduate. The academic institution employs
the recently-qualified graduate who works at the company. The
graduate, known as the ‘associate', brings new skills and knowledge
to the business.
A KTP is part-funded by a grant. You will need to contribute to the cost
of the supervisor and the salary of the associate.
Closes: 24 November 2020
More info on: innovateuk.org

8. Creative England Production Fund
The Creative England Production Fund is targeted at feature films with
budgets of up to £2 million from up-and-coming talent or from
established directors looking to experiment with innovative
approaches. The fund is particularly interested in projects from
regionally-based filmmakers or those which have a strong regional
voice.
The fund is looking to support around three to five features per annum
over the next four years, with production awards of up to £200,000 per
project.
More info at creativeengland.co.uk
Public funding calls

9. Creative England Interest Free Business Loans
This scheme offers loans of between £60,000 and £150,000 per application.
A small arrangement fee of 5% of the loan value will be charged to cover
assessment, due diligence, and legal and administration costs.
The loan will be interest free for three years with very low repayments for
the first 12 months, followed by equal repayments for 24 months.
Established digital companies based in the English regions outside of
Greater London may apply.
Interested parties should submit applications at your earliest
convenience, before the end of March 2016.
More info at creativeengland.co.uk
Public funding calls

10. Public funding calls
UK Games Fund – second round
Key feature: The UK Games Fund will provide grants up to £25,000 to
help new and young games development businesses create working
prototype games. On occasion a limited number of £50,000 grants may
be provided to projects that are further advanced, to be negotiated on a
case-by-case basis.
The deadline for full completion of applications is Monday 18th April
2016, 12 noon. UKGF intend to hold application workshops for this
round details of which will be added here when they become available.
More info on: ukgamesfund.com

11. Public funding calls
Human Dimensions of Cyber Security
Key feature: This EPSRC call is looking to support academic
researchers, businesses and government users to develop around six
collaborative, international and problem-driven projects which address
the human dimensions of cyber security.
Scale: up to £5m
Closes: 8 June 2016
More info at: epsrc.ac.uk

12. Public funding calls
Nesta Impact Investment Fund
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: on-going
More info on: Nesta Investments

13. Public funding calls
Interactive Healthcare Programme
Creative England has announced the extension of its Interactive
Healthcare Programme, pledging £750k for digital companies outside
of London to develop innovative healthcare technology and solutions.
Key information:
- Programmes will run in the North West, West Midlands and
Yorkshire & Humber
- £250,000 will be available via investments of up to £50,000 per
application
- Funding will support the development of innovative concepts or
prototypes using digital technology to improve patient care and health
services
More info on: creativeengland.co.uk

14. Public funding calls
Design-Based Consumer Goods
Key feature: This European Commission call for design-based
consumer goods aims to shorten the time-to-market of innovative
solutions, remove obstacles to wider application of creative solutions,
create or enlarge markets for related products (or services) and finally
improve the competitiveness of European SMEs in world markets.
Scale: Up to EUR 4,000,000. The typical size of the EU contribution
will be between EUR 800 000 and 1 million per selected project. The
call expects to fund between 4-5 proposals.
Closes: 14 April 2016
More info on: ec.europa.eu

15. Horizon 2020 (H2020)
Key feature: The H2020 programme is the major funding opportunity
for R&D initiatives across Europe running up until 2020. There is a
strong emphasis on creative industries, design and digital technologies.
Upcoming calls:
Full details about workplan for the Information and Communication
Technologies Call are available here. Calls within the H2020 ICT work
plan that are relevant to the creative and digital industries include:
ICT 21: Support Technology Transfer to the Creative Industries -
Deadline 12 April 2016
ICT 36: Boost Synergies between Artists, Creative People and
Technologists - Deadline 12 April 2016

16. Horizon 2020
Upcoming calls:
ICT 24: Gaming and Gamification Deadline - Deadline 12 April
2016, 5pm
ICT 10: Future Internet Software Technologies - Deadline 12 April
2016, 5pm
ICT 22: Call Technologies for Learning and Skills - Deadline 12
April 2016, 5pm
ICT 19: Media Content and Convergence – Deadline 8 November
2016
ICT 4: Smart Anything Everywhere Initiative - Deadline 8
November 2016

17. Horizon 2020
Upcoming calls:
ICT 8: 5G PPP Convergent Technologies – Deadline 8 November
2016
ICT 11: Collective Awareness Platforms for Sustainability and
Social Innovation – Deadline 25 April 2017
ICT 20: Tools for smart digital content in the creative industries -
Deadline 25 April 2017
Further information on H2020 Work Programmes can also be
found here.

18. Horizon 2020
A list of all upcoming Knowledge Transfer Network events offering
information and support in connection with H2020 funding
programmes is available here.
KTN Guide to Horizon 2020 and Other European Funding for
the Creative Industries
This is a short guide to help you submit a proposal for the Horizon 2020
funding programme (H2020), as well as describing other European
Commission funding sources. It provides a brief overview of how to
apply, things to think about, where to get support and useful links.
You can also keep up to date with the latest info via our Creative,
Digital and Design portal and by joining our dedicated LinkedIn group.

19. H2020 SME Innovation Associate
Key feature: The H2020 SME Innovation Associate is a new pilot action
under the EU Research and Innovation Framework Programme 'Horizon
2020’ that will support 90 European SMEs and Start-ups to recruit post-
doctoral research associates from other countries to explore an innovation
business idea.
The following costs are eligible under this programme: salary of the
researcher for a period of one year; relocation cost for the researcher up
to a maximum total of €5000; travel and subsistence costs related to the
training.
Deadline to apply: 30 June 2016
More info at ec.europa.eu

20. Other public funding
• 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.
• Wellcome Trust Arts Awards – offer two levels of funding to
encourage collaboration between arts and science.
• Creative Scotland Open Project Funding - This fund supports the arts,
screen and creative industries, with projects that help them explore,
realise and develop their creative potential.

21. Other public funding
• Funding Central and Finance Funder - Online guide to over 4,000
grants, contracts and other forms of finance: fully searchable based on
finance type, scale and your geographical location; especially good for
businesses seeking charitable or grant funding.
• Creative Skillset - Creative Skillset directs collective investment through
the Skills Investment Fund to create new and innovative training in
priority skills and in-demand roles to ensure growth in the UK’s Creative
Industries.
• Creative Industry Finance - Delivered by Creative United and funded by
Arts Council England, this programme is designed to assist creative and
cultural enterprises in securing access to loan finance from £2,500
upwards.

22. There is general recognition that health data analytics will play a critical role in
transforming health and social care, but relatively poor understanding of the
current UK landscape, research priorities and barriers to translation.
Therefore the KTN and UK Health Data Analytics Network (UK-HDAN) are inviting
practitioners and industry experts to attend a regional workshop to contribute to a
UK health data analytics roadmap for funders and policy-makers.
UK-HDAN are keen to draw on insights from industry colleagues to ensure they
present a holistic picture and develop partnerships that will drive innovation and
put the UK at the forefront of the field internationally.
Events are taking place in Sheffield 14 March, Birmingham 17 March and
Newcastle 23 March
Further information and registration details available here.
KTN Events
Engaging with the UK Digital Health Industry: Getting
Health Data Analytics onto the Map

23. Pilot event: 2-5pm 30 March 2016 KTN Suite 220, Business Design
Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH.
KTN are launching a series of regional events at which selected designers,
inventors, entrepreneurs and manufacturers can obtain confidential expert
feedback and guidance on developing/commercialising their dementia-
friendly product ideas.
This initiative is intended to stimulat the market for everyday products which
are inclusive of people living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
The programme is inspired by the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia
2020 and Innovate UK’s Long Term Care Revolution Challenge. It also
builds on the Design Council 2012 Dementia Challenge and complements
BSI’s Design for Mind initiative.
Further info and details of how to apply available here
KTN innovation panel for dementia-friendly products

24. 9:30-12:00, Thursday 7 April 2016 – Digital Catapult Centre, 101
Euston Rd, Kings Cross, London NW1 2RA
An informal information sharing session designed to support digital
companies and learn more about Innovate UK and the Digital Catapult. This
session will include representatives from across Innovate UK’s programmes
highlighting a range of upcoming funding opportunities for digital
companies, researchers and academic institutions working across a diverse
range of sectors.
Please note: If you are interested in giving a 5 minute presentation, slots
are given on a first come first served basis at the event.
Further info and registration details available here
Digital Business Drop-In

25. Innovate UK is investing up to £1.5m in technical feasibility studies to
encourage new entrants to the energy sector and stimulate the adoption of
disruptive technologies.
Innovate UK are looking for innovative proposals led by businesses from
outside the energy sector such as automotive, defence, aerospace,
creative industries, telecommunications and space. They believe this will
require expertise in areas such as: inspection, ICT, digital, sensors, virtual
reality, gaming, robotics, autonomous vehicles and high value
manufacturing/materials.
Briefing event : London – 6 April 2016 (Briefing event)
Energy Game Changer – Brokerage and Briefing
Events

26. 10:00-16:00, Wednesday 13 April 2016 – Digital Catapult Centre, 101
Euston Rd, Kings Cross, London NW1 2RA
This event will showcase the fifteen selected finalists creating next generation
digital solutions to enhance the retail landscape.
These entrepreneurs will pitch to a panel of expert judges, including a range of
industry professionals, journalists, investors, and representatives from the contest
challenge partners: Tesco and WRAP, Digital Anthropology Lab, London College
of Fashion, UAL, Unilever, Barclays, and the Greater London Authority.
The winner of each challenge will be awarded up to £35k to develop and trial their
solution, and will benefit from the expertise and support of the challenge partners
in testing their technology. Alongside the industry challenge partners, the
competition is supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC),
who have invested millions in retail focused research, training and knowledge
exchange over the past five years.
Further info and registration details available here
Future Retail Innovation Contest Final Event

27. This event offers urban authorities and also business the opportunity
to access use cases for future cities solutions, and to have a say on
the future of Innovate UK’s Urban Living Programme.
Over the past 2 years, Innovate UK has invested £33m in future cities
demonstrators across Glasgow, London, Bristol and Peterborough. This
series of workshops, one in each demonstrator city, will draw together the
key players who made these interventions fly, sharing their learning and
insights with other cities to help address a common challenge of how to
mobilise investment in new smart city initiatives.
13 April 2016, Glasgow
KTN events
City Demonstrator Learning Event

28. KTN Entrepreneur’s Forum is a group in the North of England formed by
Freshly Squeezed in collaboration with the Knowledge Transfer Network with
the aim of bringing local innovative businesses together to meet, share ideas
and collaborate. There are a number of events taking place from
February to April in Sheffield and Liverpool.
The Entrepreneurs' Forum events are intended to promote and support
entrepreneurship and innovation in the North and will feature discussion
forums with case studies from fellow entrepreneurs, opportunities to learn
from other professionals as well as share inspiring stories and have
questions answered in real-time.
The Funding Surgery events are monthly one-to-one drop-in sessions
offering free advice on a range of business finance including grants, loans
and investment.
Places are limited so register now to avoid disappointment.
KTN Entrepreneurs' Forum in the North - Meet, Share
Ideas & Collaborate

29. MiniBar – London, 25 March
Digital Cream – London, 25 March
Design Day: Future City – London, 7 April
EGX Rezzed – London, 7-9 April
VR World Congress 2016 Brokerage Event – Bristol, 12 April
Smart IoT London – London, 12-13 April
Practical Digital Fundraising – London, 14 April
Eco-Design and Product Sustainability in the Transport Sector –
London, 17 May
Other events

30. Public Investment
Arts Impact Fund
Key feature: Funded by Arts Coucil England, Bank of America Merrill Lynch,
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Nesta, the Arts Impact Fund is a new
£7million initiative set up to demonstrate the potential for social investment in
arts. It offers repayable finance to arts organisations working in England that
can show how they are sustainable, have great artistic ambitions and have a
positive impact on society in at least one of the following areas: citizenship &
community, young people & educational attainment, health & wellbeing.
Scale: between £150k - £600k
Closes: on-going
More info on: Arts Impact Fund

31. Public Investment
Creative Skillset Film Skills Fund
Key feature: The Creative Skillset Film Skills Fund is dedicated to
supporting film-specific training. You can benefit directly through funding for
training - grants of money towards the costs of courses.
Craft and Technical Bursaries – up to £800 for film professionals working in
eligible craft and technical departments to spend on training
International Scholarships – up to £5,000 for experienced film professionals
to attend intensive and high-level developmental programmes in the UK or
overseas
Management and Leadership Bursaries – up to £1,000 for film professionals
to spend on training and professional development
More info on creativeskillset.org

32. Accelerator Programmes
Property Innovation Labs (Pi Labs) is a venture capital platform to
investing in early stage ventures in the property tech vertical. This 13-
week mentor led programme accelerates the growth of exciting
property tech start-ups. Companies joining the accelerator programme
will have two investment options: £50k for 7% equity or 5% warrant.
Startupbootcamp FinTech is a leading accelerator focused on financial
innovation. It provides funding, mentorship, office space in the heart of
London and access to a global network of investors and VCs, for up to
10 selected FinTech startups across the globe. Applications open 21
March & close 26 June.

33. Accelerator Programmes
Applications for Cohort 3 of Cyber London (CyLon), Europe’s first
business accelerator programme and incubator space dedicated to
developing and supporting cyber security startups, are now open. If you
are developing innovative cyber security solutions, in anything from
blockchain to biometric authentication, apply at cylonlab.com by 27
March.
TrueStart hold The Collection twice a year in winter and summer. The
Collection is a startup accelerator programme focussed on the retail
and consumer sector. The six months programme is structured to
support companies that are in the early stages of their development.
Applications for the summer deadline are now open – deadline 24
April.

34. Private financing
Edge Investments is the specialist investment house focused on the
creative industries sector, in particular media and entertainment. Launched
last month the Edge Creative Enterprise Fund is a £40m fund raised, with
UK Government support, to invest in high growth companies in the creative
industries.
Balderton has a track record of helping entrepreneurs build substantial
businesses – with more $250m+ exits in the past five years than any other
European venture firm
Connect Ventures, London – invest in mobile, internet and digital media
businesses; invest at the early stage and focus on seed investments;
investment size ranges from £200K-£600k
Index Ventures, London, San Francisco & Geneva – venture capital firm
making investments in information technology and life sciences companies,
since 1996 they have teamed up with technology entrepreneurs in more
than 30 countries

35. Private financing
Notion Capital, London – invest in B2B Cloud & SaaS companies who have
sustained 100% Year-over-Year growth; investment areas include adtech,
communications and collaboration tools, ecommerce, enterprise software,
fintech and security; portfolio raised over £200m in 2014
Hoxton Ventures, partners with founders seeking to invent new market
categories or transform large, existing industries; their sweet spot is
internet, mobile and software startup investing - up to $2m
The Business Finance Guide, devised for businesses and advisers by the
ICAEW Corporate Finance Faculty together with the British Business Bank
and is supported by 17 major professional, membership and representative
organisations; outlines sources of finance available to businesses – ranging
from start-ups to SMEs and growing mid-sized companies

36. 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.
The AngelCo Fund is a £100m investment fund with objectives to back
promising UK businesses at all stages of development and in most
sectors, provided they qualify as an SME.

37. 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 Creative England
Funding Circle – an online marketplace which allows savers to lend money
directly to SMEs; as of February 2014 Funding Circle has facilitated £223m
in loans to SMEs
Crowd2Fund – a crowdfunding platform designed to enable a range of
funding options, from loans to equity
SyndicateRoom – equity crowdfunding platform for investing in UK startups
backed by experience business angels
CrowdShed - covers rewards, lending and donation-based crowdfunding
opportunities, focused on creative, academic, charity and cause-based
projects.

38. Launching a new business?
• Tech City UK offers advice and support to start-ups looking for guidance
in and around London. It has launched its Digital Business Academy.
Tech City UK can also endorse visa applications to help recruit talent to
Britain.
• Innovate UK - IC tomorrow connects start-ups and SMEs with leading
commercial partners and investors, through funded contests, events,
and strategic matchmaking opportunities.
• Enterprise Europe Network is a key instrument in the EU's strategy to
boost growth and jobs. Bringing together around 600 business support
organisations from more than 60 countries, EEN help small companies
seize unparalleled business opportunities in the EU Single Market.
• Seedcamp is a London based accelerator that provides startups with
seed money, mentorship, office space, support over a year long
programme.

39. Launching a new business?
• The British Business Angels Association can help put you in touch
with relevant business angel investors.
• Aimed at creative industries businesses seeking funding and
investment from both traditional and non-traditional sources, the
‘Routes to Finance’ guide is a new initiative by the ICAEW’s
Corporate Finance Faculty, supported by the Creative Industries
Federation and 52 organisations in the UK’s creative economy.
• As the membership body for providers of enterprise support services
in London, Capital Enterprise and its members provide a wide range
of support services including advice, training, mentoring, accelerator
programmes, specialist technical expertise, networking, soft loan
finance and incubator accommodation to both pre-start and trading
entrepreneurs and small businesses in all 33 London Boroughs.

40. Launching a new business?
• Transmit Start Ups provide financial support and mentoring to
creative and digital entrepreneurs that would not normally be
available via traditional banking relationships
• AIM Start Up Loans - Government supported start-up loans for the
Creative Industries.
• The Open Data Institute runs a start-up programme that helps start-
ups build business models around open data
• The Path Forward features The Path - a practical and interactive
methodology to assist entrepreneurs take a valid idea from concept to
valuable business in 12 months.
• European Startup Resource Page - a Techstars idea to help founders
of European startups save time and internal resources by supplying
some useful templates, valuable resources and good examples.

41. Are you an existing business seeking
non-financial advice or support?
• Nesta’s creative business mentor network offers ambitious
businesses looking to grow one-one mentoring with some
of the creative digital sector’s most successful leaders
• The UKTI offers advice to help with exporting
• Tech City UK can help advise on inward investment
• The Digital Catapult can help you showcase your business

42. Are you an existing business seeking
advice or support?
• AngelList – helps source angel investors
• Subsidised costs to work with a specialist to build and deliver
business growth – GrowthAccelerator
• Capital List - is an investor-introduction service available free
of charge to London based SMEs as part of the Capital
Accelerator Programme
• Interactive Scotland is a Scottish Enterprises project providing
specialist expert advice to all Digital and Creative Businesses
across Scotland
• Grant Thornton provide a specialist service for R&D tax relief/
credits claims

43. Industry specific support
• The Digital Catapult is working with Innovate UK to research,
develop and deliver datasets and lessons for industry from the
Building Performance Evaluation programme through the
development of the Building Data Exchange. This is a platform
built to provide easy access to data, and stimulate the
crossover of digital technology in the built environment in order
to create a proactive community that drives rapid
improvements in the performance of buildings. More info here.
• Over the next few months Ogilvy Labs is embarking on its
Retail Semester to ‘exhibit knowledge’ into five identified
‘pillars’: In-Store, Online, Payments, Operations and
Engagement.

44. Personal Data and Trust Network
A digital business network to build and nurture a community that
brings together industry, the public sector, funders, research
organisations and innovators to support the UK in becoming the
global leader in trust and responsible innovation with personal data.
For more information and to join, visit pdtn.org.

45. Training and skills
• Training in Open Data from the Open Data Institute
• Digital Business Academy – via Tech City
• Digital Project Management – via @IABUK
• Digital Acceleration – via @hyperisland_uk
• Digital training – via @Econsultancy – e-marketing courses

46. Useful reports/ market research
• Innovate UK - Additive manufacturing: mapping UK research
into 3D printing
• KTN – A Guide to Horizon 2020 and Other European Funding
for the Creative Industries
• Imperial College / Citi – Releasing The Flow of Digital Money
• Imperial College / Citi – Digital Money Index 2016
• Deloitte – Blockchain: Enigma. Paradox. Opportunity

47. Useful reports/ market research contd.
• Nesta – Business Insights 2016
• The Open Data Institute - The Open Banking Standard
• Ofcom / Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) - Innovation in
UK consumer electronic payments
• Samsung – Smart Things Future Living

48. Something else we've missed?
Please let us know: cdd@ktn-uk.org
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