Bristol creative businesses that want to expand are being encouraged to bid for a new funding programme before its March 31 deadline.
The Creative Scale Up programme, run by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and financed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, aims to boost opportunities for the creative industries – a sector crucial to the West of England’s economy. 
The programme was launched in January by West of England Metro Mayor Tim Bowles with the announcement of the first 15 businesses for the inaugural cohort.
WECA is now seeking more creative businesses to bid for a place on the programme, which will run until next January.
Businesses selected will receive a package of creative sector-specific tailored business support, including mentoring, facilitated face-to-face peer support, training and workshops. They will also be supported to engage with networks of investors.
Mayor Bowles said: “Creative industries have been one of the fastest-growing sectors across the UK for the past decade, and this is reflected in our region with 27% growth in digital and creative employment between 2015 and 2017.
“I want our region to become the go-to place for the creative and cultural sector. I want the world to know that the West of England is home to talented people and businesses and to help them grow into the big names of the future. That’s what our Creative Scale Up programme is all about.”
To be eligible for the programme, businesses need to:
- Be a creative industries business – such as: advertising & marketing; architecture; arts & culture; craft; createch; design; fashion; gaming; music; publishing; TV & film
- Be based in the West of England (Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire)
- Have scaled by 10% in the past year (turnover or employees)
- Have a minimum of eight employees with up to four of them regular freelance staff
- Have not received more than €200,000 in government-funded business support in the past two years.
There will be two further cohorts starting in April and July. Applications are open to join either of these cohorts with the deadline for the April programme being March 31.
The first businesses on the West of England Creative Scale Up programme were Arcadia, pictured above; Crack Publishing, Luke Jerram Limited; Trigger Stuff; Waller&Wood, Cognitive Paths; Knowle West Media Centre (The Factory); Complete Control; Limina Immersive; Auroch Digital; Wardrobe Theatre; Encounters Film Festival, We Are Anagram, Visuable and MAYK.
To find out more or to apply, visit www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/business/creative-scale-up/
