Screen South is a delivery partner in the new DCMS South East Create Growth Programme, with a range of co-partners from Kent, Essex and Sussex. The aim of the Create Growth Programme is to support creative businesses to explore and secure commercial investment opportunities. To this end each of the selected regions will have a Programme of activity that will enable businesses to be ready for investment and facilitate access to additional funding from Innovate UK and commercial investors in 2023 and beyond. Â
Create Growth is comprised of three complementary strands:
Six English regions outside London to benefit from £17.5 million to help scale up creative businesses and increase job opportunities. Companies in six regions will receive support through the Create Growth Programme to help get themselves investment ready. The regions are:
South East, including Essex, East Sussex, West Sussex, Kent, Medway, Brighton and Hove, Southend on Sea and Thurrock
Greater Manchester, including Wigan, Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Salford, Oldham, Trafford, Manchester, Tameside and Stockport
East Anglia, including Norfolk, Suffolk, Peterborough and Cambridgeshire
North East, including North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Gateshead, Sunderland, Durham, Northumberland and Newcastle
West of England, including Bristol, Bath, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
East Midlands, including Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Rutland
The Create Growth Programme will offer a range of opportunities for businesses in the Creative Industries in the South East region over the next two years. The first two opportunities will be live in the next few months:
This £3 million funding round will be delivered by Innovate UK, and opens 28 Nov 2022, closing at 11am on 8th February 2023.
Proposals must; be from the creative industries – be from a Create Growth Programme region – focus on a clear growth opportunity and the proposed innovation to address it – demonstrate the impact funding and support can have on the growth plan of the business – engage with the regional support
A webinar briefing will take place on Dec 5th 10am – 12 midday. To sign up for this free event, click here
The Programme will be tailored to the participating businesses and sub sector specialisms (for example fashion, design, createch, games, film/TV, performance and music). Participants will take part in investment readiness workshops and mentoring as well as developing local and national networks across the creative industries and within the commercial investment world. Participants will also have access to pitching events and further funding rounds delivered by Innovate UK. Our target is for 75% of participating businesses to secure commercial investment by the end of the programme.
Make sure to keep an eye on the website to find out more inforamtion including how you can apply for these opportunities, or to sign up for more news and announcements from the South East Create Growth Programme please e-mail: info@createsoutheast.org.uk