Medway Council has announced that a funding pot has been created to help local creative business in Medway, Kent, Essex and East and West Sussex with expansion, scaling and investment attraction.
Coming from the Government’s Create Growth Programme, the funding amounts to £7 million and will support creative business with high-growth potential outside of London. This will not only help them to become ready for investment, but will also increase the number of investors that are willing to invest in creative businesses through the education and development of investor networks.
Grant funding from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has been awarded to a consortium of partners that are working on behalf of the south-east Creative, Cultural and Digital sector, support businesses that work in:
- Screen, radio and photography
- Design and designer fashion
- Music, performing and visual arts
- Digital and gaming
Deputy Leader of Medway Council and Portfolio Holder for Community Services, Cllr Howard Doe, said:
“We are delighted that the south-east bid for the government’s Create Growth Programme has been successful. Medway is home to a wide range of diverse, innovative and thriving creative businesses and this is a fantastic opportunity to help them continue to grow. The Create Growth Programme also supports Medway’s cultural strategy, delivered by Creative Medway, and aim for the area to be internationally recognised for its creativity and culture by 2030.”
Companies that plan on applying for any funding will need to demonstrate their potential to grow rapidly, as well as becoming sustainable through private investment. This funding will be offered through Innovate UK, alongside investor building activities that are designed to encourage investment networks locally, regionally and nationally to invest in the creative industries.
