Creative Business

Development Briefing

February 2015

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:

Contents

• Public funding calls

• Other public funding

• Private financing

• Other financing mechanisms

• Support resources

• February events

• Other information

• Create UK

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

• 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

Something else we've missed?

Please let us know, plus sign up for monthly updates at:

creativeindustries@ktn-uk.org

Thanks

laura.scanga@ktn-uk.org

Head of Creative Industries

Knowledge Transfer Network