• be registered or operational in one of the 12 Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) Create Growth Programme appointed regions
• have a demonstrable ambition for growth
• be from the creative industries and focused on one or more of the creative industries sub-sectors

Businesses who have accountants registered in one of the 12 regions but are not operational in one of the appointed regions will not be eligible to apply.

The 12 DCMS Create Growth Programme appointed regions are:

• Greater Manchester
• Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire
• North East of England
• West of England and Cornwall
• South East Coast
• Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Greater Lincolnshire
• Nottingham and Nottinghamshire
• Hull and East Yorkshire
• West Midlands
• West Yorkshire
• Devon
• Hertfordshire

You can check your local council with your post code.

More information on the different types of organisation can be found in our Funding rules.

Subcontractors

Subcontractors are allowed in this competition.

You cannot allocate more than 75% of your total project costs to subcontractors.

Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK and you must select them through your usual procurement process.

All subcontractor costs must be justified and appropriate to the total eligible project costs.

Number of applications

You can only apply for this Create Growth Competition 4 programme once. If more than one application is submitted, only the first application will be progressed and any subsequent applications will be deemed ineligible. Previously funded Create Growth Programme businesses are eligible to apply for this round.

Sanctions

This competition will not fund you, or provide any financial benefit to any individual or entities directly or indirectly involved with you, which would expose Innovate UK or any direct or indirect beneficiary of funding from Innovate UK to UK Sanctions. For example, through any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any entity as lead, partner or subcontractor related to these countries, administrations and terrorist groups.

Use of animals in research and innovation

Innovate UK expects and supports the provision and safeguarding of welfare standards for animals used in research and innovation, according to best practice and up to date guidance.

Any projects selected for funding which involve animals will be asked to provide additional information on welfare and ethical considerations, as well as compliance with any relevant legislation as part of the project start-up process. This information will be reviewed before an award is made.

You can use a previously submitted application to apply for this competition.

Exclusions

Innovate UK are not funding projects that:

• support business as usual (BAU) activities
• are without evidence that the proposed innovation will lead to business growth
• do not address how potentially negative outcomes will be considered, for example, on the environment
• are without innovation, for example, the creation of information only websites
• sit outside of the creative industries
• are registered or operational outside of the 12 appointed DCMS regions
• have registered accountants in the region but are not operational in one of the 12 appointed DCMS regions

Innovate UK cannot fund projects that:

• involve primary production in fishery and aquaculture
• involve primary production in agriculture
• are not allowed under De minimis regulation restrictions
• are not eligible to receive Minimal Financial Assistance
• are dependent on export performance, for example, giving an award to a baker on the condition that they export a certain quantity of bread to another country
• are dependent on domestic inputs usage, for example, if we give an award to a baker on the condition that they use 50% UK flour in their product

Innovate UK are unable to progress applications who haven’t submitted their application form correctly, this includes applications who:

• enter £0 in the funding sought section of the project costs
• have not provided appropriate project start or end dates
• have entered project costs outside of the specified range
• have entered project durations outside of the specified range

Funding Costs

Innovate UK have allocated up to £8 million to fund growth focused innovation projects in the Create Growth Programme Competition 4.

Your total project costs must be between £20,000 and £50,000 and can be funded up to 100%. Total project costs outside the minimum and maximum limits will be deemed ineligible. The application form will not validate your costs.

This competition strand is for Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) and you can claim up to 100% of your total project costs, subject to your MFA limit. Please see the MFA section for further guidance.

You can make reference to any additional voluntary contribution to your project in your application answer to question 10. It must not be detailed in the finance section.

All claims will be paid three months in arears on evidence of spending being incurred.

If you are applying for an award funded under European Commission Regulations, the definitions are set out in the European Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003.

Innovate UK may revoke our decision to provide funding without notice if government commitment for this initiative is withdrawn.