West Midlands creative SMEs get funding boost to bring ideas to life

Creative Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the West Midlands are being offered grants of up to £10,000 to bring their innovative ideas to life through the newly launched CreaTech Frontiers creative industries cluster.

With a £250,000 funding pot available, the initiative is part of a larger £7.2m, five-year cluster programme supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

The collaborative effort involves Birmingham City University (BCU), University of Birmingham, Coventry University, University of Warwick, and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Professor Lamberto Coccioli, Director of CreaTech Frontiers at BCU said: “These initial grants will give freelancers and small companies access to capital and to the research expertise and resources of CreaTech Frontiers to bring to life their most innovative ideas. It’s not just about developing new technologies, it’s about creating opportunities for companies to think about how they can have a cultural and social impact on the region.”

The launch event for CreaTech Frontiers took place on Tuesday, 29 April, at STEAMhouse, BCU’s renowned innovation hub.

It marks the first time the UK Research and Innovation’s creative industries cluster funding has been granted to the West Midlands.

The project aims to unlock the creative potential of the region, supporting research, innovation, and skills development in the local creative industries.

Plans for the coming year include £250,000 in initial grants, a second round of larger grants, a collaboration with the Birmingham Opera Company, demonstrations with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the establishment of an apprenticeship working group.

Successful applicants will receive not just financial backing, but also access to the facilities and academic expertise of the five partner institutions to aid their research and development efforts.

The focus areas for projects include gaming, immersive experiences, live performance, enabling technologies, visual arts, and research into creative technologies.

Professor David Mba, Vice-Chancellor of BCU said: “BCU stands proudly alongside our partners to boost innovation and creative growth across the entire West Midlands. We’re helping build a sustainable, thriving creative ecosystem that will outlast this five-year project. By capitalising on the region’s unique diversity, depth, and energy, we’re creating something both regionally rooted and globally relevant.”

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is also supporting CreaTech Frontiers, noting that the creative content and gaming sectors in the region could generate £65m and create 1,500 jobs by 2030.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands said: “We’ve got a young, diverse region full of bold thinkers and creative minds who are really pushing the limits of what’s possible with technology. I want them to be able to take advantage of the amazing research and innovation coming out of our world-class universities and turn their great ideas into global success stories. And as we do that, we’re creating exciting new jobs and showing the world what the West Midlands is made of.”

Applications open from Monday, 2 June 2025.