Creative UK Celebrates New Three-Year BFI Funding to Continue Supporting Screen Businesses across England

Creative Enterprise Business Support Programmes will mark a new chapter with a series of regional events this April.

Creative UK – the national organisation for the cultural and creative industries – is delighted to announce that Creative Enterprise - a bespoke set of initiatives supporting the growth of ambitious screen businesses – will be delivered for a further three years, thanks to support from the British Film Institute (BFI), awarding National Lottery funding.

Creative Enterprise, which was first launched by Creative UK in 2018 with support from the BFI, has proved transformational for participating businesses, with an earned reputation for providing intensive support, connections and opportunities to fulfil growth potential.

Designed with industry leaders, and always adapting to respond to the changes across the sector, Creative Enterprise aims to help entrepreneurs working in moving image storytelling - spanning film and television, games, digital content and createch - to grow, scale and strengthen their businesses.

Since launch, Creative Enterprise has supported over 1000 businesses and individuals working across the screen industries in England, providing funding, mentoring and industry connections to help creative entrepreneurs maximise their potential and build sustainable companies. The BFI will also support Business Development programmes covering Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland which will be announced in the coming months.

With the next iteration launching in April 2026, Creative Enterprise will deliver four impactful programmes over three years – each designed to support businesses at different stages of their development.

About Screen Launchpad (October ‘26 - February ‘27)

Screen Launchpad is a dedicated business support programme for aspiring, diverse leaders in the screen industries.

This new and revised iteration of the programme is the entry point for aspiring founders as well as early-stage businesses, led by individuals from underrepresented groups. With two tracks of Pre-StartUp and Early StartUp, this programme’s focus is on creating opportunities and more inclusive network while offering tailored skills development at each stage.

About Female Founders & Female Founders: Introduction to Investment (June ‘ 26 – March ‘27)

(Sponsored by British Business Bank)

Female Founders is an exclusive and highly-coveted initiative, tailored to ambitious female founders operating screen-based enterprises.

This iteration is a six-month programme supporting women leading screen-based businesses. Through expert workshops, mentoring and business coaching, the programme helps founders strengthen leadership skills, develop growth strategies and connect with a network of peers across the screen industries.

Female Founders: Introduction to Investment is a brand-new short course designed to help women-led screen businesses understand the investment landscape. The programme introduces key funding options and gives founders practical insight into how investors assess opportunities, helping them build confidence in preparing their businesses for future investment.

About Fast Forward (October ‘26 - March ‘27)

(Sponsored by Barclays)

This programme is a direct evolution of previous Creative Enterprise investment initiatives, and it’s designed to bridge the gap between ambition and action for growth-stage creative businesses. The programme will address key executive development areas including strategic partnerships, product diversification, governance, financial strategy, decision-making, exit planning, and investment to develop truly resilient screen businesses.

All the intensive programmes will be complemented by Trade Talks - open access series of online and in-person events providing businesses with industry insights and trends and opportunities to network.

Commenting on the announcement, Haley Edwards, Head of Creative Enterprise, said: Haley Edwards, Head of Creative Enterprise said: “The success of Creative Enterprise is ultimately the success of the founders and businesses we’ve supported. We’re incredibly grateful to the BFI for their continued support through National Lottery funding, which enables us to keep championing entrepreneurs working across the screen industries. These events are a chance for us to bring the community together - celebrating the achievements of the businesses we’ve supported, sharing experiences and creating new connections between founders and the industry.”

Sara Whybrew, Director of Skills and Workforce Development at BFI said: “Through the BFI National Lottery Business Development Training fund, we’re delighted to be supporting the next phase of Creative Enterprise, enabling even more emerging and established SMEs to access crucial business development support including investment readiness. Creative UK’s multi-stranded offer is committed to engaging a true diversity of beneficiaries, to ensure support reaches those who can benefit the most, including female company founders who remain vastly underrepresented in our sector. We look forward to seeing more screen businesses succeed because of this programme and to announcing Business Development programmes specifically covering Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland in the coming months.”

Elaine Dowman, Head of Media & Creative Industries, Barclays said: “Marking 40 years of supporting the UK’s media and creative industries, we’re proud to champion this programme. It’s a privilege to help businesses accelerate their growth and unlock new opportunities.”

To find out more about each programme and sign up for updates, please visit our website:

https://creativeenterprise.wearecreative.uk/home

Bringing the Creative Enterprise Community Together

Alongside the announcement of these programmes, Creative Enterprise is also launching a series of celebratory events called Creative Enterprise Live! designed to showcase the impact of the initiative to date and highlight the achievements of the businesses it has supported.

Taking place in four cities this spring, these events will bring together alumni, mentors, partners and industry leaders from across the screen sector to reflect on the programme’s successes while also demonstrating the breadth of talent and innovation emerging from the English regions.

The events will take place in:

• 14 April – York
• 15 April – Newcastle
• 21 April – Nottingham
• 23 April – Bournemouth

The events will also provide opportunities for networking, collaboration and new industry connections. Free tickets are available now, and you can book your place here: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/creative-enterprise-live-4823593