New £300k funding pot for creative start-ups

A new Northern Irish funding initiative has launched a £300,000 grants programme to help music and creative start-ups grow their businesses.

Anita Awbi
  • By Anita Awbi
  • 16 Jan 2014
  • min read
NI Creative Marketplace, funded by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) in partnership with CultureTECH, NORIBIC, Digital Circle and C-TRIC, is looking for Northern Irish individuals and organisations that currently supply creative services.

These companies and freelancers are being urged to apply to join a new creative services supply panel which will complete paid work  for local businesses needing their expertise.

To be considered eligible to join the panel, you must be an organisation or freelance supplier that regularly supplies products or services in one of the following categories: advertising, architecture, arts and antique markets, crafts, design (including communication design), designer fashion, film, video and photography, software, computer games and electronic publishing, music and the visual and performing arts, publishing, television and radio.

You must also have a business address in Northern Ireland.

Between January and February 2014, the Creative Marketplace programme will allocate vouchers to individuals and organisations from outside the creative industries - with the majority receiving a voucher worth £3,000.

These vouchers will be spent with the select panel of creative industries suppliers to help the recipients develop their businesses through creative services - whether that be graphic design, animation, filmmaking or any other service.

Anyone interested in joining the panel can submit their application online between 14 January and 31 January.

Around 65 suppliers will then be invited to attend the Creative Marketplace event on 24 February in Derry-Londonderry, with the aim of having all the vouchers spent in just one day.

For more information and to apply to join the creative services supplier panel, please visit http://www.ignitn.com/creativemarketplace