Creative Industries Grants
25 active UK funding opportunities for Creative Industries businesses , each linking to its official source.
CfI: Innovation in play to improve child outcomes
UKRI
Organisations can apply for a share of £3 million, inclusive of VAT, to develop practical solutions that reignite the importance of play and increase access to high quality, real world play experiences, improving outcomes for children and young people.
CoSTAR Showcase Labs: Createch infrastructure and commercialisation (Grant)
UK Research and Innovation, Arts and Humanities Research Council
Join the CoSTAR Network and host national infrastructure for creative sector research and development. Reduce barriers to creative businesses’ technology adoption and support commercialisation, scale up and investment for creative tech businesses. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding.
CoSTAR Satellite Labs: Accessible creative R&D infrastructure (Grant)
UK Research and Innovation, Arts and Humanities Research Council
Join the CoSTAR Network and host national infrastructure for creative sector research and development. Reduce barriers to creative businesses’ technology adoption and support commercialisation, scale up and investment for creative tech businesses. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding.
DCMS Place-Based Philanthropy Community of Practice
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is offering up to £997,000 to a single delivery partner or consortium to establish and manage a national Community of Practice for place-based giving initiatives across England and deliver a programme of targeted capacity-building support, including onward grants. The fund aims to strengthen the capacity, capability and sustainability of place-based giving initiatives, improve their ability to attract and grow philanthropic investment, and generate learning to support the wider development of place-based philanthropy. Activity will be delivered between November 2026 and March 2029.
Unlocking advanced capabilities in conservation and heritage science (Grant)
UK Research and Innovation, Arts and Humanities Research Council
Apply for funding to strengthen conservation and heritage science infrastructure by building sustainable capability, improving access to nationally significant facilities and driving innovation with industry partners. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding.
Attendance and engagement at UK sporting, cultural and heritage sites (Grant)
UK Research and Innovation, Arts and Humanities Research Council
Apply for funding to research the development of novel data-intensive approaches for capturing engagement data from unticketed cultural, heritage, and sporting events, activities and locations, demonstrated through a deployable tool in at least one DCMS sector. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding.
Long-term cultural and sporting events legacy (Grant)
UK Research and Innovation, Arts and Humanities Research Council
Apply for funding to research the long-term impact and legacy of major sporting and cultural events in the UK, focusing on running a live experimental evaluation of a major event that fills gaps in existing methodologies. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding.
AHRC Working with Brazilian researchers: Applicant-led mode (Grant)
UK Research and Innovation, Arts and Humanities Research Council, State of São Paulo Research Foundation
Apply for funding to work with overseas researchers in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Submit a collaborative research grant application within the remit of Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP). You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding. There is no limit on the value of the grant, the value specified within the summary page is an example
AHRC Standard research grant: applicant-led mode (Grant)
UK Research and Innovation, Arts and Humanities Research Council
Apply for AHRC standard research grant funding to support well-defined collaborative projects across the arts and humanities, in areas covered by our remit. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding. There is no limit on the value of the grant, the value specified within the summary page is an example.
AHRC Curiosity Award: applicant-led mode (Grant)
UK Research and Innovation, Arts and Humanities Research Council
Apply for funding for flexible awards to fund fundamental research that leads to new research agendas, networking activity and idea generation, which enables the development of further research opportunities and new research agendas. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding. There is no limit on the value of the grant, the value specified within the summary page is an example.
Enterprise Capital Funds Programme
Department for Business and Trade
Enterprise Capital Funds (ECFs) bring together private and public money to make investments in high growth, early stage, businesses.
Regional Growth Loan Scheme - East of England
Department for Business and Trade
Loans to finance growth for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the east of England.
Investment Fund - North of England
Department for Business and Trade
Finance to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the North West, Yorkshire, the Humber and Tees Valley
Stronger Communities Inspire Fund
Department for Business and Trade
Resident groups or community organisations can apply for grants of up to £1,000 to help fund local projects and events.
Northamptonshire Community Foundation
Department for Business and Trade
Potential grant funding is available to community or voluntary groups in Northamptonshire.
Business loan scheme (CWRT) - Coventry and Warwickshire
Department for Business and Trade
Loans for companies in Coventry and Warwickshire that can’t get finance from mainstream lenders
Arts Derbyshire
Department for Business and Trade
Provides artists and those with an interest in employing artists in Derbyshire with useful information and advice, including funding, awards, events and free online directory listing.
Rosebud Finance - Lancashire
Department for Business and Trade
Loans, support and advice for Lancashire businesses.
The Hive - North Somerset
Department for Business and Trade
Workspace with on-site business support in Weston-super-Mare.
Midlands Engine Investment Fund II – Debt Fund
Department for Business and Trade
Part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II, flexible loans to SMEs looking to grow and help drive their expansion plans across the Midlands Engine area.
Oldham Council Innovation Grant
Department for Business and Trade
Innovation grant scheme to support business growth, encourage inward investment, and drive productivity through innovation.
Liverpool City Region Flexible Growth Fund
Department for Business and Trade
Providing fee free, Interest subsidised loans up to £1m, this fund can provide up to 50% of eligible capital expenditure repayable over a maximum 5 year term.
Invest to Grow
Department for Business and Trade
Loans and grants to support private sector businesses across the East Midlands to innovate, grow and create jobs.
Innovate UK - grant funding, innovation loans and expert support
Department for Business and Trade
Supports innovative UK businesses to realise the potential of new technologies, develop ideas and make them a commercial success.
Key Fund - Midlands and the North of England
Department for Business and Trade
Grants and loans for social enterprises in the North and the Midlands.
Check if your Creative Industries business qualifies
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