Beam in collaboration with the Wakefield Business Support Programme presented a day-long creative and practical conversation exploring recent/current trends - in the UK and internationally - about how towns and cities are using the arts and creative businesses to develop, and how artists and creatives are responding to the opportunities. This document provides an overview to access finance and funding for those involved in the arts and creative industries.

1. Accessing Finance and Funding
Creative, Digital and Cultural SMEs
We’ve put some information together to help you find financial support in your sector and
hope you find this helpful.
This is just a sample of the help available to your industry – Our Business Advisors can help
you find the right source of support for you and your business.
If you want to talk to a Business Advisor to discuss your own individual business needs
please contact us at the Wakefield Business Support Programme and we’ll do whatever we
can to help! The support is free and is tailored to your needs.
Our contact details are:
Tel – 01924 306008
Email - info@wakefieldfirst.com
Digital R&D Fund for the Arts
The Digital R&D Fund for the Arts is a £7 million fund to support collaboration between organisations with
arts projects, technology providers, and researchers.
We want to see projects that use digital technology to enhance audience reach and/or develop new business
models for the arts sector. With a dedicated researcher or research team as part of the three-way collaboration,
learning from the project can be captured and disseminated to the wider arts sector.
We have introduced two strands within the fund, which adhere to the key values of the fund,. These are the Call
for Big Data and Research+.
http://www.artsdigitalrnd.org.uk/

2. Creative Industry Finance
What is it? Creative Industry Finance is an exciting new joint initiative between Key Fund &
Arts Council England designed to help Yorkshire and Humbers creative businesses develop
and grow.
How will you be supported?
Through the Creative Industry Finance programme you will receive:
1. Free, tailored and practical one-to-one business support from Key Funds
experienced creative sector business advisors.
2. An opportunity to apply for a specialist creative industry loan of between
£5,000 - £25,000
Who can apply? Creative Industry Finance is available to Yorkshire and Humber based
businesses who can show that creativity is at the heart of their business and have been
trading for at least 6 months.
In order to be considered for the programme, your business has to be from one of the
following creative sector categories:
 Architecture
 Crafts
 Computer games
 Design
 Fashion
 Film
 Video
 Music
 Performing arts
 Publishing / Literature
 Computer software
 TV
 Radio
 Visual arts
How can you apply? If your business can meet the above eligibility criteria, then either
email us directly at info@thekeyfund.co.uk or visit www.creativeindustryfinance.org.uk to
complete a short online application form.
Creative Industry Finance is an Arts Council England initiative delivered in
partnership with Key Fund

3. Creative England
Creative England invests in and supports creative ideas, talent and businesses in film, TV,
games and digital media. We aim to grow the brightest, the best, and those with the most
promise so that individuals and businesses can achieve their full creative and commercial
potential. We help identify future opportunities to grow the economy and generate jobs.
What we do
 Grow talent and businesses
 Address market failure and raise ambition
 Build the right climate for creative industries to thrive
Why we do it
Because England’s creative businesses are already a big success.
 They generate jobs, profile and value. They drive innovation. We can help raise their
ambition further
 But some are under-capitalised and under-skilled. They need better access to mentoring,
infrastructure, business planning, finance, markets, new ideas and wider networks. We help
provide it
 And because there is a damaging inequality of access to these things between London and
the rest of the country, talent is wasted, opportunities are lost. We believe London’s world
position should benefit the whole country
How we do it
We don’t just invest money; we provide a ‘money plus’ service. We are building strong,
long-term relationships with industry and our partners. We provide practical support for
film and TV production; organise networking and events; provide mentoring, information
and business advice. We connect and combine local knowledge with national and
international reach.
 We help grow talent and businesses
 We help secure a sustainable infrastructure of support for creative companies outside
London
 We identify new and expanding markets for creative content
 We promote the creative talent of the English regions to the world
 We champion the economic and cultural contribution of the creative industries
Web http://www.creativeengland.co.uk Tel 0844 824 6042