Applications have opened for the next cohort of a £1.2 million support programme for East Midlands creative businesses.
Companies are being encouraged to apply for the second phase of Create Growth, which is funded by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS).
It comes as 23 East Midlands businesses completed the first cohort of the regional business growth accelerator.
The inaugural cohort, made up of firms from across Leicester, Leicestershire, Derby and Derbyshire, and Lincoln, Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland, have benefited from a programme of focused support over the last eight weeks.
Participants ranged from marketing and design agencies to architects, theatre companies to video producers.
Businesses completed an initial business health check, attended a full-day business bootcamp – which included opportunities to network, and logged on to eight virtual masterclasses covering themes including leadership, marketing, sales, finance and business planning.
As well as the 90-minute masterclasses delivered by industry experts, all participants were also assigned a mentor offering five hours of free support.
Guy Lewis, Director at programme delivery partner CDI Alliance, said: “Our first cohort were enthusiastic, engaged and committed to the programme.
“We’ve had some really encouraging feedback about the bootcamp session, masterclasses, and support offered throughout the programme, and look forward to seeing what’s next for the businesses who took part in Cohort One.”
All of the participating businesses now have the option to complete a fully funded 12-hour investment readiness workshop, helping to prepare their firms for growth.
To be eligible for Cohort 2 of the East Midlands Create Growth programme, businesses must:
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Have turnover growth of 10% year-on-year over approximately 3 years (including either prior to or during the Pandemic)
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Employ a minimum of 2 people over the last two years (full-time, part-time or freelance)
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Have created a revenue generating product, launched a new platform or service, or reached a market of scale
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Generated sales revenue in the last 2 years
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Be trading or registered within Leicester, Leicestershire, Derby, Derbyshire, Greater Lincolnshire, or Rutland.
