Creative Catalyst Challenge Fund 2024

Apply for funding of up to £100,000 to grow your business

The Creative Catalyst Challenge Fund is a bespoke fund offering a total grant pot of £250,000 for creative entrepreneurs and businesses working within the creative industries in the UK.

The fund will finance research and development (R&D) of an innovative new product/system or process that decarbonises or reduces waste within the creative industries, reducing climate impact and/or leading towards net zero.

The proposed new product/system or process will enable businesses to build upon their creative and commercial ideas, creating opportunities for business growth.

For round 2 of the Creative Catalyst Challenge Fund, the £250,000 funding pot will be divided as follows:

• one award of up to £100,000 for more established businesses with market traction and customers of a product, ideally with co-investment in place
• two awards of up to £50,000 each for businesses 2+ years old looking to develop a new product or idea
• two awards of up to £25,000 each for very early-stage/new businesses and R&D ideas

You may only make one submission per business.

Who can apply?

The Creative Catalyst Challenge Fund is open to creative industries SMEs registered and trading in the UK in the following sub-sectors:  

• music and sound  
• advertising and marketing 
• crafts 
• visual arts 
• dance, theatre and performance 
• architecture 
• publishing 
• augmented and virtual reality, and immersive  
• createch 
• TV and broadcasting 
• film 
• gaming  

If you applied for round 1 of the Creative Catalyst Challenge Fund and were unsuccessful, you should not apply again with the same idea.

Find out more about the Creative Catalyst Challenge Fund.

Potential applicants can register to join a briefing webinar on Monday 1 July 2024.

First published 25 June 2024