Government announces £40m in funding for creative industries grant schemes

Several grant schemes for creative businesses, including film companies, gaming start-ups and music venues, will receive new funding, the government has announced.

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy said £40m in total will be provided this financial year. It includes:

• £16.3m for the Create Growth Programme: Supports creative businesses to secure commercial investment opportunities.

• £2.5m for the Supporting Grassroots Music Fund: Supports the independent music sector, including rehearsal and recording studios, venues, festivals, and promoters.

• £5.5m for the UK Games Fund: Supports the UK's early stage games development and digital interactive businesses.

• £1.6m for the Music Export Growth Scheme: Supports small music companies to build commercial potential by profiling their artists in overseas markets.

• £7m for the UK Global Screen Fund: Supports the international development, production, distribution, and promotional opportunities for the UK's independent screen sector.

Speaking at the Creative Industries Growth Summit in Gateshead, Nandy also announced the government's 11 priority areas for the creative sector.

They are the North East, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, Greater London, West of England, South Wales, Glasgow, Edinburgh-Dundee corridor, and Belfast. 

Six mayoral combined authorities (North East, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, West of England) will also receive additional creative industries funding, to be agreed as part of the government's spending review.

Industrial strategy

As announced in its industrial strategy green paper last year, the government is working on support plans for eight key sectors, one of which is the creative industries.

Ahead of that plan being published later this year, Nandy revealed that the British Business Bank, which supports finance for smaller businesses, will increase its support for creative businesses, and UK Research and Innovation, which has an annual budget of £9bn, will strengthen its support for the sector.

In addition, the government is bringing forward changes so that shorter apprenticeships are available from August 2025, which it says "recognises the particular needs of the creative industries, as one of our first steps towards a more flexible growth and skills levy".

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy said:

"From film and fashion to music and advertising, our creative industries are truly world-class and play a critical role in helping us deliver on this government's mission to drive economic growth in all parts of the UK.

"Our £60m funding boost will support creative and cultural organisations across the UK to turbocharge growth by transforming local venues, creating jobs, supporting businesses and spreading opportunity across the country.

"But this is by no means the limit of our ambitions, which is why the creative industries are at the heart of the forthcoming industrial strategy and will continue to play a key part in this government's plan for change."

Other announcements at the summit included four cultural projects receiving £16.2m in total funding from the Cultural Development Fund.

They are the Centre for Writing in Newcastle (£5m), Glassworks in Sunderland (£5m), Harmony Works in Sheffield (£3.5m) and The Tropicana in Weston-super-Mare (£2.7m).

Finally, 127 creative businesses across England have been awarded a share of £3.6m through Innovate UK's Create Growth Programme.

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