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Applications Open: West Midlands Create Growth Programme
Deadline: Thursday 15th May 2025, 5pm
The West Midlands Create Growth Programme is designed to support creative businesses* working in the West Midlands Combined Authority area who need help building confidence as a founder to make decisions on investment, IP, business structures and growth plans.
If your company is based in the West Midlands, we invite you to complete the expression of interest form (button below). If you are eligible, our team will invite you to submit a full application form. To learn more, make sure to attend one of our webinars.
Stage One
Are you ready for your business to grow but don’t know how to achieve it? Create Growth Programme – Stage 1 has been designed for businesses like you, who want to grow and explore commercial investment pathways, but need a little help to do so. Over six months, you will be placed in a cohort of businesses with access to:
– A course of workshops designed to grow your confidence, ambition and show the different pathways to investment
– One-to-one coaching sessions with our world-class coaches, to support you to define and achieve your goals
Stage Two
Ready to take the leap into investment?
Stage 2 is an intensive, high-impact programme designed for ambitious businesses that are ready to commercial investment. Over six months, you’ll embark on a tailored journey that prepares you to pitch with confidence and scale with purpose. You will receive:
– One-to-one mentoring to address your challenges and craft, with sector specific thought leaders
– A course of workshops designed to make your investment proposition airtight including intellectual property law and good financial hygiene
– Opportunities to meet and pitch to our network of over 100 investors, including sector specific funds and angels.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible for support under the programme, you must meet the following criteria:
- Registered as a business on Companies House.
- Trading or registered within one of the following priority areas: Birmingham, Solihull, Sandwell, Dudley, Coventry, Walsall, Wolverhampton. We will also consider applicants from certain wider region areas, however a smaller proportion of businesses will be selected from these areas: East Staffordshire, Cannock Chase, Lichfield, Tamworth, North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Rugby, Warwick, Stratford-on-Avon, Redditch, Bromsgrove, Wye Forest.
- Operating across one of the following creative sectors; advertising and marketing; architecture; crafts; design and designer fashion; film, TV, video, radio and photography; IT, software and computer services (including gaming); publishing; museums, galleries and libraries; music, performing and visual arts.
Read our FAQs for more information.
Stage One
Are you ready for your business to grow but don’t know how to achieve it? Create Growth Programme – Stage 1 has been designed for businesses like you, who want to grow and explore commercial investment pathways, but need a little help to do so. Over six months, you will be placed in a cohort of businesses with access to:
– A course of workshops designed to grow your confidence, ambition and show the different pathways to investment
– One-to-one coaching sessions with our world-class coaches, to support you to define and achieve your goals
Stage Two
Ready to take the leap into investment?
Stage 2 is an intensive, high-impact programme designed for ambitious businesses that are ready to commercial investment. Over six months, you’ll embark on a tailored journey that prepares you to pitch with confidence and scale with purpose. You will receive:
– One-to-one mentoring to address your challenges and craft, with sector specific thought leaders
– A course of workshops designed to make your investment proposition airtight including intellectual property law and good financial hygiene
– Opportunities to meet and pitch to our network of over 100 investors, including sector specific funds and angels.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible for support under the programme, you must meet the following criteria:
- Registered as a business on Companies House.
- Trading or registered within one of the following priority areas: Birmingham, Solihull, Sandwell, Dudley, Coventry, Walsall, Wolverhampton. We will also consider applicants from certain wider region areas, however a smaller proportion of businesses will be selected from these areas: East Staffordshire, Cannock Chase, Lichfield, Tamworth, North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Rugby, Warwick, Stratford-on-Avon, Redditch, Bromsgrove, Wye Forest.
- Operating across one of the following creative sectors; advertising and marketing; architecture; crafts; design and designer fashion; film, TV, video, radio and photography; IT, software and computer services (including gaming); publishing; museums, galleries and libraries; music, performing and visual arts.
Read our FAQs for more information.
To learn more, make sure to attend one of our webinars.
Email our Creative UK West Midlands programme team at westmidlandscgp@wearecreative.uk to start a conversation.
Complete the form below to be added to our mailing list and start receiving updates on the programme and other West Midlands opportunities.
Delivery and funders
The Create Growth Programme is funded by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) and aims to support creative businesses in planning for growth and exploring and securing commercial investment opportunities.
The programme is delivered by Creative UK in partnership with West Midlands Combined Authority and Create Central.
To learn more, make sure to attend one of our webinars.
Email our Creative UK West Midlands programme team at westmidlandscgp@wearecreative.uk to start a conversation.
Complete the form below to be added to our mailing list and start receiving updates on the programme and other West Midlands opportunities.
Delivery and funders
The Create Growth Programme is funded by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) and aims to support creative businesses in planning for growth and exploring and securing commercial investment opportunities.
The programme is delivered by Creative UK in partnership with West Midlands Combined Authority and Create Central.
Meet the 2024/25 stage two cohort
Meet the 2024/25 stage two cohort
DCMS Create Growth Fund Competition 3
UK registered micro, small or medium enterprises in the creative sector, in twelve specified regions of England, can apply for £10k-£30k for innovation projects to grow their business via Innovate UK.
Learn more about the opportunity and how to apply at Innovate UK’s website.