Release date: 23 March 2023
Applications are now open for the Create Growth South East programme. Ambitious owners of businesses in the creative sector in West Sussex can now benefit from a special programme of support designed to help them prepare for future financial investment and enable them to scale and grow their businesses.
The Create Growth South East Programme, which starts this Spring and runs to 2025, will provide support for high-growth potential businesses in the creative industries through the development of the knowledge and skills needed to access investment.
Business owners can benefit from 1-2-1 expert mentoring to help address challenges, explore opportunities and develop new networks. There will also be tailored workshops covering business foundations and sub sector- specific challenges, along with the opportunity to meet and pitch for investment as part of the national Create Growth Programme.
Cllr Paul Marshall, Leader of West Sussex County Council, said: “The future wellbeing of the county is reliant on the growth of a sustainable and prosperous economy. As outlined in our council plan, we will focus on supporting new and existing businesses and the Create Growth Programme is the perfect example of that.
“The creative industries make a huge contribution to the economy, and West Sussex County Council is committed to supporting ambitious businesses to realise their potential. The Create Growth Programme offers a fantastic opportunity for these creative businesses to attract investment for growth”.
The programme has been developed by a consortium of partners, including West Sussex County Council, after successfully securing funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport last year. It will be delivered locally by sector experts Angels@Essex, Creative UK, Screen South and Wired Sussex, who say: "Our region is full of incredible creative talent. Create Growth South East is here to bring our collective expertise and experience, so whether you work in architecture, design, fashion, films, games, performance or tv, let’s take your ambitions a step closer to being a business reality."
Successful applicants have the chance to join a curated cohort of their peers over a 9-month programme, giving them the opportunity to champion and learn from each other. The programme is free to the businesses that take part, with an estimated value of £10,000.
For anyone with an ambition to successfully grow their creative business, now is the time to apply for this free government-backed programme of support. Businesses can do this by submitting an expression of interest form on the website and keep up to date with the programme by signing up to the Create South East newsletter.
