Create Growth Programme

Tender description

Funded by the DCMS, the Create Growth Programme (CGP) aims to stimulate investment into the creative industries (CI), through the provision of three complementary strands of activity: The CGP comprises three complementary strands: A) business support targeted at the creative industries; B) access to finance; C) investor capacity-building activities. Strand B (access to finance) is separately funded by Government, and is being delivered by Innovate UK through tranches of grant funding and innovation competition funding rounds that will be delivered concurrently with this tender (details of which will be announced in April / May 2025). The successful tenderer will be expected to deliver strand A (business support), and collaborate with Innovate UK on strand B (finance) and strand C (investor capacity building) in West Yorkshire, while collaborating with Innovate UK, to enhance West Yorkshire businesses' access to the available funding. As such, the delivery partner should be able to demonstrate extensive experience of delivering business support activities for Creative Industrise businesses, a track-record of securing investment funds from local, regional and national investment networks, and experience of working with the investor community to build capacity and confidence to invest in Creative Industry businesses. The initial contract period budget is £318,750. We anticipate including 2 x 12 months optional extensions subject to funding. The 2 x 12 month extensions equate to £850,000 or £425,000 per optional extension.