The East of England is among six regions awarded a  share of £10.9 million to scale up hundreds of creative industry businesses. The funding will boost access to private finance and business support. 

Today the Culture Secretary is doubling the areas covered by the programme, announcing six new areas that will receive a share of £10.9 million to deliver targeted business support, bringing the total number of creative organisations expected to be supported by the programme to 1,800.

The region was successfully awarded the funding as part of the Create Growth Programme which helps creative businesses access private investment and scale-up advice - to turn today’s start-up founders into tomorrow’s CEOs.

The other regions receiving a share are Hull and East Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, the East and West Midlands and Devon. 

Creative businesses across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have already benefited from the first round of Create Growth Programme last year. The funding supported businesses like Trett Films, a Norwich-based video production company, which was able to access specialist workshops and industry mentoring to help them take their businesses to the next level.  

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “From TV and film to video games and design, creative industries can thrive in the East of England. I want to maximise the potential in the next generation of the region’s creativity and talent for years to come.

“We’re already making progress towards the ambitious goals set out in our sector vision, unveiling millions in new funding to drive growth in our grassroots and scale ups and banging the drum for creative careers.”

Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership will lead the distribution of funding to best meet the needs of creative businesses across the East.

Neil Hayes, CEO, Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "We are thrilled that DCMS has recognised the strength of our application and the leading role we can play in delivering the Create Growth Programme.

"This substantial investment in the future of our local creative businesses will catalyse enhanced productivity, job creation, and growth across existing enterprises for years to come. It will also spawn a new generation of talent who see opportunities to enter this exciting and growing sector, pivoting their skills and experience. We encourage a wide and diverse range of creative start-ups to apply, flourish, and prosper."

Supporting Grassroots Live Music Fund

The Culture Secretary is also calling on grassroots music venues, studios, promoters and festivals in the East of England to apply for grants of up to £40,000 to develop new revenue streams, make repairs and improvements, and enhance the live music experience for millions of gig-goers across the UK, as part of a £5 million fund.

The Supporting Grassroots Music Fund has been expanded to ensure grants reach more parts of the grassroots industry, including rehearsal and recording studios, promoters, festivals and venues hosting electronic music. The broader eligibility criteria reflects the wide range of spaces and skills that are needed to help musicians perform and thrive. 

Since ACE launched the original Supporting Grassroots Live Music Fund’s in 2019, more than £9 million has been invested in over 450 projects. Over £780,000 has been awarded to 27 organisations.

A pipeline of skills is key to industry growth, and today marks the beginning of this year’s Discover! Creative Careers Week, with digital resources and more than 70 in-person and virtual events in more than 270 schools and colleges across the country to introduce the next generation of creatives to different sectors, job roles and career pathways. This builds on support from the Local Skills Improvement Fund - announced last week - to improve creative skills training, deliver new creative courses and invest in new facilities and equipment across West Yorkshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire and London.

It will see North Hertfordshire College receive £485,000 to develop courses that meet the skills needs of the film and production industries, and deliver industry-standard equipment for film and media projects.