Digital & Creative Business Briefing

Creative, Digital & Design
Business Briefing
A digest of useful information for UK businesses seeking
funding and support, updated monthly
October / November 2015
@KTN_Creative

Brought to you by the following
organisations:

Contents
• KTN events
• Other events
• Public funding calls
• Other public funding
• Public investment
• Accelerator programmes
• Private financing
• Other financing mechanisms
• Launching a new business?
• Non-financial support for your business
• Training & skills
• Useful reports

14:00-17:30, Tuesday 3 November – 8 John Adam St, London WC2N
6EZ
The IC tomorrow ´Intelligent Data Insights Contest´ is offering six
businesses up to £35,000 each to encourage innovation in artificial
intelligence, data analysis and sensors across the themes of education,
finance, advertising, wellbeing and travel.
In addition to the funding awards available, the winners will have an
exclusive opportunity to test and develop their solution in collaboration with
our leading industry partners: IBM Watson, Carnival Corporation, London
City Airport, Office of National Statistics, Barclays Bank and NMP with
Bathstore.
More info and how to register available here
Intelligent Data Insights - Innovation Contest Briefing

12:30-15:00, Wednesday 4 November – Digital Catapult Centre, 101
Euston Rd, Kings Cross, London NW1 2RA
An informal information sharing session designed to support digital
companies and learn more about Innovate UK and the Digital Catapult. This
session will include representatives from across Innovate UK’s programmes
highlighting a range of upcoming funding opportunities for digital
companies, researchers and academic institutions working across a diverse
range of sectors.
Please note: If you are interested in giving a 5 minute presentation, slots
are given on a first come first served basis at the event.
Further info and registration details available here
Digital Business Drop-In

14:00-17:00, Thursday 5 November - The Mac, 10 Exchange St West,
Belfast BT1 2NJ
Join the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and Innovate UK in Belfast as
part of the Belfast Media Festival for an afternoon session aimed at
creative, digital and design companies, looking to access funding and
support to grow. There will be presentations from both Innovate UK and
KTN on the types of support and funding available, and also be a chance to
meet with and discuss your business over a networking lunch.
More info and how to register available here.
Regional Digital Business Drop-In Belfast

Thursday, 5 November 2015 from 10:00 to 16:00 – Central London
The KTN, in collaboration with the H2020 NCP for ICT, is organising a
briefing event for the European funding competitions for projects covering
the following competition calls:
ICT-01-2016: Cyber Physical Systems
ICT-03-2016: SSI - Smart Systems Integration
ICT-04-2017: Smart Anything Everywhere Initiative
FoF-11-2016: Digital Automation
FoF-12-2017: ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS)
More info and how to register available here.
H2020 funding for Smart Systems and ICT for
Factories of the Future

Wednesday, 11 November 2015 from 10:00 to 13:30 – Somerset House,
Strand, London WC2R 1LA
Innovate UK is to invest up to £4 million in collaborative R&D projects that
stimulate innovation in the UK's creative industries. This competition aims to
support projects that address convergence in digital media technologies. It
covers film, television, online video, animation and video games, and
includes pre- production, production and post- production processes,
particularly for visual effects technologies. Projects must be collaborative
and led by a business.
Cross-platform production in digital media –
competition briefing event

These events offer urban authorities and also business the
opportunity to access use cases for future cities solutions, and to
have a say on the future of Innovate UK’s Urban Living Programme.
Over the past 2 years, Innovate UK has invested £33m in future cities
demonstrators across Glasgow, London, Bristol and Peterborough. This
series of workshops, one in each demonstrator city, will draw together the
key players who made these interventions fly, sharing their learning and
insights with other cities to help address a common challenge of how to
mobilise investment in new smart city initiatives.
16 November 2015, Bristol
21 January 2016, Glasgow
8 February 2016, London
2 March 2016, Peterborough
City Demonstrator Learning Events

Wednesday, 18 November 2015 from 10:00 to 17:00 in Central
London
The Knowledge Transfer Network are hosting a one day briefing event
covering the funding opportunities for creative and digital businesses in the
H2020 ICT work plan. Philippe Gelin from the Creativity Unit at DG Connect
in Luxembourg will talk through calls aimed to enable collaboration and tech
transfer between creatives and technologists for commercial applications.
This will also be a valuable opportunity to learn more about making funding
applications and finding European partners. Participants will also have the
chance to put forward ideas and priorities to be considered in the European
Commission's funding plans.
H2020: Creativity and Technology Opportunities for
the Creative Industries

Tuesday, 24 November 2015 from 16:00 to 19:00 in Brighton
The Knowledge Transfer Network is hosting an afternoon briefing event
covering the opportunities available for creative and digital businesses in
the H2020 ICT work plan focusing on call ICT 24 Gaming and Gamification,
from the ICT H2020 Workplan.
This will also be a valuable opportunity to learn more about making
applications and finding European partners.
Participants will also be able to put forward UK creative industry priorities to
be included in European Commission's funding policy development.
Gaming and Gamification: European Funding
Opportunities for the Creative and Digital Industries

5.30pm–8.30pm, Wednesday 25 November 2015 in Central London
Innovate UK's IC tomorrow programme, in partnership with the Knowledge
Transfer Network, is hosting an exclusive Digital Inclusion and Care Speed
Networking event to connect leading industry partners with entrepreneurs
developing innovative solutions to tackle challenges from accessing online
services, to navigating complex environments, to enabling older people to
live independently.
If you are a digital company and would like to be considered for this
opportunity, please fill out a short online application form by 12 noon
Tuesday 10 November. If you are an established brand and would like to
attend as an industry partner, Serena Connor will advise on availability and
potential opportunities for future involvement in the speed networking event
series.
Further info at ictomorrow.org
Digital Inclusion and Care Speed Networking

10:00-17:00, Tuesday 8 December – ICO Conference Centre, 22
Berners St, London W1T 3DD
The KTN in collaboration with the H2020 NCP in ICT bring you this thematic
event on upcoming Big Data H2020 calls for 2016. The purpose of this
event will be to:
- Present information on the range of European funding available in 2016 &
2017 via Horizon2020 relating to Big Data
- Network with stakeholders already engaged in or seeking to engage in
these areas
- Learn from case studies of active projects in these areas, and;
- Present practical aspects on 'How to do it'
Further info and registration details available here
H2020 – Big Data Topics Brokerage

Other events
Screen Awards 2015 – London, 22 October
Annual Payments Conference 2015 – London, 22 October
Creative Scotland Open Sessions – x5 events around Scotland from
19 October to 19 November
TEDx Brighton 2015 – Brighton, 30 October
Meeting the changing needs of the creative workforce – London, 4
November

Other events contd.
Business Revolution – ExCel London, 4-5 November
KTP @40: How can KTP help my company grow? – London, 9
November
Sustainable Innovation 2015 – Epsom, 9-10 November
VRTGO 2015 – Newcastle, 12 November
Transforming our Future Conference: Robotics and Autonomous
Systems – London, 13 November

Public funding calls
Key feature: This collaborative R&D investment aims to support
projects that address convergence in digital media technologies. It
covers film, television, online video, animation and video games, and
includes pre-production, production and post-production processes,
particularly for visual effects technologies.
Register for briefing event: London - Wednesday, 11 November 2015,
10:00 to 13:30
Scale: Up to £4m
Closes: 23 December 2015, 12:00
More info on innovateuk.org
Cross-platform production in digital media

Key feature: Innovate UK and DSTL investing in technical feasibility
studies to stimulate innovation throughout the software development
lifecycle (SDLC) while focusing on the verification and validation*
(V&V) of two classes of complex systems: cyber physical systems
(CPS) and systems with emergent behaviours.
Scale: up to £580K
Information event: A competition information event will be on 9 October
in Birmingham – click here to register
Closes: 11 November 2015, 12:00
More info on: innovateuk.org
Software verification and validation for complex
systems

Key feature: Innovate UK is offering 4 businesses up to £35,000
(excluding VAT) each to encourage innovation around smart urban
spaces across the themes of engaging spaces, active citizenship and
urban travel. We are looking for digital solutions that improve cities on
a human scale for the people who live, work and play in them. The
winners will also be able to trial their solutions with one of the
challenge partners: Transport for London, Centro, Clear Channel and
Atkins
Scale: Up to £140K
Closes: 24 Nov 2015, 12:00
Innovation in urban spaces

Key feature: The purpose of this call for research proposals is to
identify innovative technologies or approaches to meet the security
challenges created by the Internet of Things.
Scale: Up to £1 million is available for phase 1 of this competition. A
number of projects will be funded between £60,000 to £90,000 for a
duration of around 3 months. Up to a further £1 million will be made
available for phase 2. Funding will be considered on a per-project
basis.
Closes: 29 October, 2015
More info: innovateuk.org
Security for the internet of things

Key feature: Investment in collaborative R&D projects to catalyse
innovation to improve the efficiency and experience of the end-to-
end journey for people and freight.
Scale: Up to £1 million
Closes: 11 November, 2015
Enhancing the end-to-end journey

Key feature: investment by Innovate UK and the National Council of
Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACYT) in collaborative
research and development projects to stimulate innovation across
three sectors that underpin future Mexican socio-economic growth.
Scale: Up to £6 million
Applicant briefing recording is available here. The passcode to
access this recording is Mexico. Applicants are strongly
recommended to view these alongside the other competition
documentation.
Closes: 27 January, 2016
Mexico-UK Collaborative Industrial R&D Competition

Key feature: investment by Innovate UK and the National Research
Foundation, Singapore for Small and Medium Sized enterprises (SMEs) in
the UK to develop and test out their ideas in the area of technologies for
smart urbanisation - working and building partnerships with Singapore.
Scale: Up to £250K per project
UK-Singapore: technologies for smart urbanisation

Key feature: This competition invites companies to specifically turn their
minds to developing products that will help patients, clinicians and
managers deliver high-quality and efficient urgent and emergency care.
Bids are welcomed from all sectors and particularly keen to invite
companies working in non-health fields to consider whether the
technologies they are developing could be applied to the challenges we
face for urgent care.
Scale: Up to £100K
Reducing pressure on urgent and emergency care

Key feature: Competition involving Scottish Government and Scottish
Diabetes Group, in association with Scottish Enterprise, Innovate UK and
NHS Scotland, to find innovative new solutions focused on diabetes
education and mobile health.
Scale: Up to £150K for phase 1 ( up to £30K per project)
Closes: 30 December, 2015
Personalised diabetes education and care - a
systemic approach

Key feature: This Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE) SBRI themed
competition seeks proof-of-concept research proposals for innovative
component technologies and techniques to acquire, process, visualise
and analyse data that can be used to support decision making for both
human and autonomous systems. Proposals can relate to any military
environment, in the air, on land or at sea..
Scale: Up to £2m of funding is available for Phase 1 of this competition.
More info on: gov.uk
Autonomy and big data for defence

Key feature: Investment in collaborative R&D projects to address the
UK’s need for improved analytical technologies that support the
development of current and next generation biopharmaceutical
products.
Scale: Up to £4m
Closes: 21 October 2015, 12:00
Analytical technologies for biopharmaceuticals

Key feature: Innovate UK and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport are
running a competition to generate new innovative solutions to address the
problem of nuisance calls.
Scale: up to £1.5m
Nuisance calls

Key feature: Innovate UK and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is
jointly investing up to £0.5m to help UK companies establish new Knowledge
Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) in the area of cyber security. The funding is
aimed at supporting collaborations between HEIs and SMEs.
Scale: up to £500K
Register for Briefing Event: 10:00-16:00 5 November 2015, Coventry
More info on: _connect
Cyber Security KTP

Key feature: Investment in technical feasibility studies that explore
the operational and financial feasibility of integrating planned new or
retrofit infrastructure projects into other urban systems in a beneficial
way.
Briefing event:
Wednesday, 4 November 2015 from 10:00 to 13:00, Salford
Scale: Up to £800K
Cities integrated by design

Key feature: Innovation voucher scheme funding for start-up, micro, small
and medium-sized enterprises to work with an external expert to gain the
knowledge to innovate and grow.
Scale:
• Up to £5k voucher for SMEs
Closes: 20 October 2015, 12:00
Innovation Vouchers – Round 13

Smart 2015/16
Key feature: A grant scheme which offers funding to small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to engage in R&D projects in the
strategically important areas of science, engineering and technology.
Scale:
• Proof of market - up to £25k - 60% of project cost
• Proof of concept - up to £100k - 60% of project cost
• Prototype development - up to £250k - up to 45% of project cost

Horizon 2020 (H2020)
Key feature: The H2020 programme is the major funding opportunity for
R&D initiatives across Europe running up until 2020. There is a strong
emphasis on creative industries, design and digital technologies.
H2020 funding events:
Smart Systems and ICT for Factories of the Future - Thursday 5 November
2015 from 10:00 to 16:00, London
Border Security and Cyber Security - Tuesday 10 November 2015 from
10:00 to 17:00, Glasgow
Creativity and Technology Opportunities for the Creative Industries -
Wednesday 18 November 2015 from 10:00 to 17:00, London
Smart Cities and Communities: EU Information Day – 6 Nov, Brussels
H2020 Coffee Chats (with KTN & Innovate UK) – 3 Nov, 23 Nov - London

Horizon 2020 (H2020) contd.
KTN Guide to Horizon 2020 and Other European Funding for the
Creative Industries - This is a short guide to help you submit a proposal
for the Horizon 2020 funding programme (H2020), as well as describing
other European Commission funding sources. It provides a brief
overview of how to apply, things to think about, where to get support
and useful links.
All information about H2020 calls now released is available via the
H2020 Participant Portal.
Further information on H2020 Work Programmes can also be found
here.
You can also find out more by joining our dedicated LinkedIn group.

Creative England film production funding
Key feature: Creative England now offers two strands of film production
funding for both feature and high-end TV drama.
• Lottery-based Production Fund: this is targeted at feature films with
budgets of up to £2m and looking to experiment with innovative
approaches; the fund has doubled from £500K to £1m for 2014/2015.
• West Midlands Production Fund: invests in the production of feature films
and high-end TV drama from companies based in the West Midlands as
well as from producers looking to establish a base to film in the region.
Circa £4m funding available for 2015, with a maximum investment of £1m
per project.
More info at creativeengland.co.uk

Other public funding
• Creative Europe - here you can find relevant information concerning
funding opportunities within the Creative Europe programme.
• Arts Council of Wales – offer a selection of arts grants for creative
professionals and organisations.
• Wellcome Trust Arts Awards – offer two levels of funding to encourage
collaboration between arts and science.
• Screen Yorkshire – Yorkshire Content Fund – production finance
available; can invest £1m+ in individual film or TV dramas that will be in
production by December 2015.

Other public funding
• Creative Industry Finance - Delivered by Creative United and funded by Arts
Council England, this programme is designed to assist creative and cultural
enterprises in securing access to loan finance from £2,500 upwards.
• Funding Central and Finance Funder - Online guide to over 4,000 grants,
contracts and other forms of finance: fully searchable based on finance type,
scale and your geographical location; especially good for businesses seeking
charitable or grant funding.
• Creative Scotland Open Project Funding - This fund supports the arts, screen
and creative industries, with projects that help them explore, realise and
develop their creative potential.
• Creative Skillset - Creative Skillset directs collective investment through the
Skills Investment Fund to create new and innovative training in priority skills
and in-demand roles to ensure growth in the UK’s Creative Industries.

Public Investment
Nesta Impact Investment Fund
Key feature: An equity investment fund investing in social ventures with
innovative products or services that are addressing some of the UK’s most
pressing challenges. Investments are made in areas that tackle:
• the health and wellbeing of an ageing population
• the educational attainment and employability of children and young people
• the social and environmental sustainability of communities.
Scale: between £150k - £1m
Closes: on-going
More info on: Nesta Investments

Public Investment
Arts Impact Fund
Key feature: Funded by Arts Coucil England, Bank of America Merrill Lynch,
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Nesta, the Arts Impact Fund is a new
£7million initiative set up to demonstrate the potential for social investment in
arts. It offers repayable finance to arts organisations working in England that
can show how they are sustainable, have great artistic ambitions and have a
positive impact on society in at least one of the following areas: citizenship &
community, young people & educational attainment, health & wellbeing.
Scale: between £150k - £600k
Closes: on-going
More info on: Arts Impact Fund

Public Investment
Digital Innovation Fund for the Arts in Wales
Key feature: The Digital Innovation Fund for the Arts in Wales is a new
strategic partnership between Arts Council of Wales and Nesta, following on
from the Digital R&D Fund for the Arts in Wales. It aims to encourage arts
organisations to undertake innovation projects, using digital technology as a
tool to help improve audience reach and engagement, or develop new
business models.
A series of information workshops will take place between 20-28 Oct –
registration details available here.
Scale: £5K - £75K (according to stage)
Closes: stage 1 applications – 11 Dec 2015
More info on: nesta.org

Public Investment
Open Data Incubator Europe (ODINE) – Round 3
Key feature: ODINE offers financial support to European innovators to grow
their open-data idea into a sustainable business. Project proposals from
SMEs working with open data are being assessed every two months from 1
May 2015 to 31 August 2016. All proposals are assessed by a panel of
external reviewers and selected projects will run for up to six months.
Scale: up to £100K per company plus: expert advice from business
mentors, peer-networking and support, brokering introductions to business
angels and investors.
Closes: 31 October, 2015
More info on: opendataincubator.eu

Accelerator Programmes
• Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited (MSD) and Wayra have recently
launched Velocity Health - a digital preventative healthcare accelerator.
Up to a total of £64K will be offered in investment to a selected number
of start-ups which will include 50 per cent funds and the rest made up of
dedicated acceleration services such as access to a network of mentors,
coaches and investors. Deadline for submissions is 11:59pm on
Monday 9th November, 2015.
• Launched by the Design Council and MedCity, and supported by Axa
PPP Healthcare, the MedTechSouthEast programme offers south-east
based individuals and teams with a technology at proof of concept stage
a chance to compete for one of ten places on the intensive coaching
course, which will be led by design experts and medical technology
industry leaders. Deadline to submit proposals: Friday 23 October.

Private financing
Balderton has a track record of helping entrepreneurs build substantial
businesses – with more $250m+ exits in the past five years than any other
European venture firm
Connect Ventures, London – invest in mobile, internet and digital media
businesses; invest at the early stage and focus on seed investments;
investment size ranges from £200K-£600k
Index Ventures, London, San Francisco & Geneva – venture capital firm
making investments in information technology and life sciences companies,
since 1996 they have teamed up with technology entrepreneurs in more
than 30 countries
The AngelCo Fund is a £100m investment fund with objectives to back
promising UK businesses at all stages of development and in most sectors,
provided they qualify as an SME.

Private financing
Notion Capital, London – invest in B2B Cloud & SaaS companies who have
sustained 100% Year-over-Year growth; investment areas include adtech,
communications and collaboration tools, ecommerce, enterprise software,
fintech and security; portfolio raised over £200m in 2014
Hoxton Ventures, partners with founders seeking to invent new market
categories or transform large, existing industries; their sweet spot is
internet, mobile and software startup investing - up to $2m
The Business Finance Guide, devised for businesses and advisers by the
ICAEW Corporate Finance Faculty together with the British Business Bank
and is supported by 17 major professional, membership and representative
organisations; outlines sources of finance available to businesses – ranging
from start-ups to SMEs and growing mid-sized companies

Private financing
Better Business Finance is an excellent tool for identifying the right
type of finance at all stages of a business as well as identifying
providers who can help. This section provides a searchable directory
of information about the members of the UK Business Angels
Association, what services they provide and how to contact them.
British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association provides an
explanation of different types of financing and other resources for
entrepreneurs.
The UK Business Angels Association is the national trade
association representing angel and early-stage investment in the UK.

Other financing mechanisms
Crowdfunder.co.uk – UK’s largest crowdfunding network having launched
1000’s of projects and raised over £2m, platform launched by KEO digital
and partners include Nesta and Creative England
Funding Circle – an online marketplace which allows savers to lend money
directly to SMEs; as of February 2014 Funding Circle has facilitated £223m
in loans to SMEs
Crowd2Fund – a crowdfunding platform designed to enable a range of
funding options, from loans to equity
SyndicateRoom – equity crowdfunding platform for investing in UK startups
backed by experience business angels
CrowdShed - covers rewards, lending and donation-based crowdfunding
opportunities, focused on creative, academic, charity and cause-based
projects.

Launching a new business?
• The Open Data Institute runs a start-up programme that helps
start-ups build business models around open data
• Tech City UK offers advice and support to start-ups looking for
guidance in and around London. It has launched its Digital
Business Academy. Tech City UK can also endorse visa
applications to help recruit talent to Britain.
• Innovate UK - IC tomorrow connects start-ups and SMEs with
leading commercial partners and investors, through funded
contests, events, and strategic matchmaking opportunities.
• Transmit Start Ups provide financial support and mentoring to
creative and digital entrepreneurs that would not normally be
available via traditional banking relationships.

Launching a new business?
• AIM Start Up Loans - Government supported start-up loans for the
Creative Industries.
• Seedcamp is a London based accelerator that provides startups
with seed money, mentorship, office space, support over a year
long programme.
• The British Business Angels Association can help put you in touch
with relevant business angel investors.
• Over the next few months Ogilvy Labs is embarking on its Retail
Semester to ‘exhibit knowledge’ into five identified ‘pillars’: In-
Store, Online, Payments, Operations and Engagement.

Are you an existing business seeking
non-financial advice or support?
• Nesta’s creative business mentor network offers ambitious
businesses looking to grow one-one mentoring with some
of the creative digital sector’s most successful leaders
• The UKTI offers advice to help with exporting
• Tech City UK can help advise on inward investment
• The Digital Catapult can help you showcase your business

Are you an existing business seeking
advice or support?
• AngelList – helps source angel investors
• Subsidised costs to work with a specialist to build and deliver
business growth – GrowthAccelerator
• Capital List - is an investor-introduction service available free
of charge to London based SMEs as part of the Capital
Accelerator Programme
• Interactive Scotland is a Scottish Enterprises project providing
specialist expert advice to all Digital and Creative Businesses
across Scotland
• Grant Thornton provide a specialist service for R&D tax relief/
credits claims

Personal Data and Trust Network
A digital business network to build and nurture a community that
brings together industry, the public sector, funders, research
organisations and innovators to support the UK in becoming the
global leader in trust and responsible innovation with personal data.
For more information and to join, visit pdtn.org.

Training and skills
• Training in Open Data from the Open Data Institute
• Digital Business Academy – via Tech City
• Digital Project Management – via @IABUK
• Digital Acceleration – via @hyperisland_uk
• Digital training – via @Econsultancy – e-marketing courses
Develop your skills with these world-class courses:

Useful reports/ market research
• Ofcom – The Communications Market 2015
• Nesta – A guide to successful corporate-startup collaborations
• Centre for Cities – Small Business Outlook 2015: cities and ‘new
work’
• PwC – The Wearable Future (Consumer Intelligence Series)
• KTN – A Guide to Horizon 2020 and Other European Funding for
the Creative Industries
• comScore – The 2015 U.S. Mobile App Report
• App Annie – The Most Popular iPhone and iPad Apps of All Time

Something else we've missed?
Please let us know: cdd@ktn-uk.org
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