Creative industries sector vision · first published 14 June 2023
This is the UK government's strategic plan for the creative industries up to 2030, published in June 2023. It sets three headline goals: add £50 billion in economic output through creative clusters, create one million additional jobs, and strengthen the sector's social and cultural impact. It is not a procurement policy note — it does not change how public contracts are scored — but it does announce roughly £310 million in public funding programmes (grants, R&D support, investment-readiness schemes, export funding) that small creative businesses can apply to directly. Many of the named programmes — such as the Create Growth Programme, UK Games Fund, Creative Catalyst grants, and Music Export Growth Scheme — are explicitly targeted at SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and early-stage firms. The vision covers all UK creative sub-sectors, with some programmes England-only and others UK-wide; devolved nations have parallel strategies.
WHO THIS APPLIES TO
THE ENKII VIEW
For small creative businesses, this document is a funding map more than a procurement rulebook. The explicit expansion of investment-readiness and cluster R&D programmes into more English regions, and the tripling of the Music Export Growth Scheme, means more geographic coverage and more firms eligible than before. The acknowledgement that micro-businesses (94% of the sector) often lack resources to innovate is the stated rationale for the Creative Catalyst grants of up to £50,000 — a relatively accessible ticket size for small firms. SMEs should act now to identify which programmes align with their growth stage (pre-seed through to scale-up) before funding windows close.
1. Check your eligibility for Innovate UK's Creative Catalyst grants (up to £50,000 per business) and monitor Innovate UK's website for the next funding round — 55% of funding is ring-fenced for regions outside the Greater Southeast.
SMEs and micro-businesses in all creative sub-sectors, UK-wide — The document confirms the 2023 round funded over 200 businesses at up to £50,000 each, with a deliberate geographic spread beyond London, making this one of the most accessible grant tickets in the vision.
2. Register interest in the expanded Create Growth Programme (CGP), which is growing from 6 to 12 English regions outside London — if your region is newly included, this is a new route to investment-readiness support and introductions to angel investors.
Creative SMEs in English regions outside London (excluding the 6 original CGP regions) — The document commits £10.9 million in additional CGP funding (2023–2025), explicitly to support over 2,000 businesses to 'access private investment and scale up'.
3. Apply to the UK Games Fund, which now has a total pot of £13.4 million following a £5 million top-up — check the fund's current application window.
Early-stage games studios, UK — The document states an additional £5 million was provided between 2023 and 2025 specifically 'to invest in early-stage games studios'.
4. Apply to the Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS), now tripled to £3.2 million over 2023–25, to fund costs of breaking into new international markets.
Emerging music businesses and artists seeking international markets — The document triples MEGS funding explicitly 'to enable emerging artists to break into new international markets', and the previous scheme delivered a 320% increase in exports for recipients.
5. Use the British Library's Business and IP Centre network (funded to £13 million 2020–2023) for free or low-cost advice on protecting your intellectual property and accessing business support — locate your nearest centre via the British Library website.
Creative businesses at any stage, UK-wide — The document highlights IP as the engine of creative sector growth and confirms ongoing investment in the Business and IP Centre network specifically for creative businesses.
6. Investigate whether your business sits within or near one of the 55 identified creative clusters; if so, engage with the next £50 million Creative Industries Clusters Programme wave (at least 6 new clusters) to access R&D co-funding and university partnerships.
Creative businesses interested in R&D, UK-wide — The document states over 90% of creative industries turnover is generated within clusters, and cluster-based businesses are shown to grow faster; the new wave supports R&D in at least 6 new clusters.
7. Monitor the IPO (Intellectual Property Office) and DCMS for the draft code of practice on text and data mining, planned before summer 2023 Parliamentary recess, to understand how your IP rights and AI use will be governed.
All creative businesses using or creating AI-generated content — The document commits to a 'principles-based code' ensuring rights holders can 'monetise that content' and that 'AI-generated outputs are labelled appropriately' — this will directly affect how creative SMEs license and protect their work.
8. Engage with the government's review of creative apprenticeships — the document explicitly flags SME engagement and the Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Model as areas being improved, so feed your experience into consultations to shape standards that work for small firms.
Creative SMEs considering apprenticeships — The document commits to improving apprenticeships 'with regards to Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) engagement' — SME input now can shape the final framework.
Every rule below quotes the official document verbatim.
The government's ambition is to grow the creative industries by an extra £50 billion in GVA and create one million extra jobs by 2030. (All UK creative industries, by 2030)
“Our ambition is nothing less than to grow the creative industries by an extra £50 billion while creating one million extra jobs by 2030.”
Total public funding committed is approximately £310 million since 2021, comprising ~£233 million from the 2021 Spending Review and £77 million in new spending announced at the 2023 creative industries growth moment. (UK creative industries sector, 2021–2023)
“This includes almost £310 million in public funding since 2021... approximately £233 million of existing public funding since the 2021 Spending Review and £77 million in new government spending announced at the 2023 creative industries growth moment.”
Innovate UK's Creative Catalyst programme provides grants of up to £50,000 to over 200 creative businesses, with 55% of funding going to regions outside the Greater Southeast. (Creative businesses across the UK; Innovate UK Creative Catalyst programme, 2023 round)
“Innovate UK have announced the winners from the 2023 round of the Creative Catalyst which will provide funding of up to £50,000 for over 200 creative businesses across the UK to invest in innovation, with 55% of funding being delivered to regions outside of the Greater Southeast.”
The Create Growth Programme (CGP) budget is increased by £10.9 million to a total of £28.4 million, expanding from 6 to 12 English regions outside London, supporting over 2,000 businesses to access private investment and scale up. (Creative businesses in 12 English regions outside London; 2023–2025)
“DCMS will provide £10.9 million in additional funding between 2023 and 2025 to expand the Create Growth Programme into a £28.4 million programme. The CGP will grow from 6 to 12 English regions outside of London, supporting over 2,000 businesses to access private investment and scale up.”
The UK Games Fund receives an additional £5 million (2023–2025), bringing its total value to £13.4 million, to invest in early-stage games studios. (Early-stage games studios, UK; 2023–2025)
“provide an additional £5 million for the UK Games Fund to invest in early-stage games studios, bringing its total value to £13.4 million”
The Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS) funding is tripled to £3.2 million over 2023–25 to help emerging artists break into new international markets. (Emerging music artists/businesses, UK; 2023–2025)
“triple the funding for the Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS) to £3.2 million over 2023-25 to enable emerging artists to break into new international markets”
The CoSTAR (Convergent Screen Technologies and Performance in Realtime) programme is funded at £75.6 million over 6 years, matched by £63 million co-investment, bringing total government and industry investment to over £138 million. (Creative and digital economy businesses, UK-wide; 6-year programme from 2023)
“AHRC, in partnership with universities and creative businesses from across the UK, is delivering the new £75.6 million Convergent Screen Technologies and Performance in Realtime (CoSTAR) programme over 6 years... matched by £63 million of co-investment, bringing total government and industry investment in CoSTAR to over £138 million.”
The next wave of the Creative Industries Clusters Programme is £50 million, supporting R&D in at least 6 new clusters. (Creative businesses in clusters, UK-wide)
“deliver the next £50 million wave of the Creative Industries Clusters Programme to support R&D in at least 6 new clusters”
Micro-businesses make up 94% of companies in the creative industries. (All creative industries, UK)
“some creative businesses - in particular the micro-businesses that make up 94% of companies in the creative industries”
Creative businesses spent £3.3 billion on R&D in 2020, equivalent to 3.2% of the creative industries' total GVA — higher than the UK economy average of 2.3%. (Creative industries, UK, 2020 data)
“Creative businesses spent £3.3 billion on R&D in 2020, equivalent to 3.2% of the total GVA of the creative industries and a greater proportion than the UK economy average of 2.3%.”
Over 90% of creative industries turnover is generated within the 55 creative clusters identified across the UK. (Creative industries clusters, UK)
“DCMS-commissioned research, carried out by Frontier Economics, identified 55 creative clusters across the UK and further analysis finds that over 90% of creative industries turnover is generated within these clusters.”
The British Business Bank has provided over £4 billion of finance to more than 6,800 creative businesses across its programmes to date. (Creative businesses, UK)
“The British Business Bank (BBB) has across its programmes to date provided over £4 billion of finance to more than 6,800 creative businesses to help them grow and access investment.”
A code of practice on text and data mining (AI and copyright) was committed to be published in draft before the summer 2023 Parliamentary recess, aimed at protecting creator rights while enabling AI innovation. (Rights holders and AI developers, UK; 2023)
“We are aiming for a principles-based code, to be published in draft before the summer Parliamentary recess.”
The government committed to improving creative apprenticeships with regard to SME engagement, training provision, relevance of standards and effectiveness of the Flexi-Job Model. (SMEs in the creative industries, UK)
“improve creative apprenticeships, with regards to Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) engagement, training provision, relevance of standards and the effectiveness and sustainability of the Flexi-Job Model”
Arts Council England's Supporting Grassroots Live Music fund receives an additional £5 million over the next 2 years. (Grassroots live music venues and organisations, England)
“extend and increase funding for Arts Council England's (ACE) Supporting Grassroots Live Music fund with an additional £5m over the next 2 years”
The sector vision was drafted by the UK Government and covers England and UK-wide reserved policy areas; education, most culture/arts and some economic matters are devolved. (All UK creative industries; devolved matters handled separately by Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)
“This document sets out the UK government and industry's ambition to support the creative industries in England and across the UK where policies are reserved.”
This briefing is enkii's interpretation of the official document — the official text always governs.
Source document © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0 via the GOV.UK Content API. enkii tracks every Procurement Policy Note and briefs changes the day they land — see all briefings.