Overview

• The Creative Places Growth Fund assigns £25 million to Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, the North East, West of England, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.
• Allocations will flow to Mayoral Strategic Authorities over three years beginning in the 2026 financial year.
• The funding is intended to unlock innovation, skills and private investment through access to finance, mentoring, networking and sector-specific programmes.
• Separately, more than 100 creative businesses across 12 regions are sharing £8 million through the Create Growth Programme, with individual grants ranging from £20,000 to £140,000.
• Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced the package, which implements a June Sector Plan commitment under the Industrial Strategy.