Creative Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the West Midlands are being offered grants of up to £10,000 to bring innovative ideas to life, as part of the newly launched CreaTech Frontiers creative industries cluster. 

With a £250,000 funding pot available, the initiative forms part of an Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded £7.2 million, five-year cluster programme between Birmingham City University (BCU), University of Birmingham, Coventry University, University of Warwick, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. 

“These initial grants will give freelancers and small companies access to capital and to the research expertise and resources of CreaTech Frontiers to bring to life their most innovative ideas”, said BCU Professor Lamberto Coccioli, Director of CreaTech Frontiers. 

“It’s not just about developing new technologies, it’s about creating opportunities for companies to think how they can have cultural and social impact for the region. 

“There are a lot of companies and entrepreneurs already suggesting collaborations and wanting to apply. I'm delighted we're filling a gap that West Midlands businesses need.” 

The official launch of CreaTech Frontiers took place this week (Tuesday 29 April) at STEAMhouse, BCU’s iconic innovation centre. 

It marks the first time funding from the UK Research and Innovation’s creative industries cluster programme has been awarded to the West Midlands. 

The project will unleash the creative potential of the West Midlands and help drive research, innovation, and skills development within the region’s creative industries ecosystem.  

Ambitious plans for the year ahead include the initial £250,000 in grant awards, a second round of applications for larger grants later this year, a pilot programme with the Birmingham Opera Company, a series of demonstrators with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the establishment of an apprenticeship working group. 

Successful applicants will gain not only financial support but also free access to facilities at one of the five core institutions, along with expert academic guidance during their research and development phase. 

Projects must align with one of several focus areas, which include gaming, immersive experiences, live performance, enabling technologies, visual arts, or research into creative technologies. 

Rachel Davis, Director of Warwick Enterprise at The University of Warwick, commented that being part of the CreaTech Frontiers consortium is a powerful way for the university to work in partnership for the benefit of our region.

“By working collaboratively, we can create lasting impact for this high growth, high potential sector and really establish the West Midlands, Coventry & Warwickshire creative cluster as the destination for inspiration, innovation and investment.

“With inclusion and sustainability at the heart of our collective approach, CreaTech Frontiers will ensure diverse voices are embraced as we build the West Midlands CreaTech eco-system together.”

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) are also backing CreaTech Frontiers, and believe the creative content and gaming sectors have the potential to generate £65m and create 1,500 jobs by 2030Link opens in a new window.  

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “We’ve got a young, diverse region full of bold thinkers and creative minds who are really pushing the limits of what’s possible with technology.

“I want them to be able to take advantage of the amazing research and innovation coming out of our world class universities and turn their great ideas into global success stories. And as we do that, we’re creating exciting new jobs and showing the world what the West Midlands is made of.”

Applications open from Monday 2 June 2025. Register your interest for CreaTech FrontiersLink opens in a new window.

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University of Warwick Press Contact:

Ann Baylis – Media & Communications Officer

ann.baylis@warwick.ac.uk | +44 (0) 7876 876937

General and out of hours press office number +44 (0)7392 125605 (please call as emails are not checked out of office hours)

Notes to editor

Photo credit: Junction10 Photography

Photo 1: CreaTech Frontiers Co-Directors, (L-R) Chris Bilton, James Green, Annie Mahtani, Ian Williams, Lamberto Coccioli, Rachel Davis, Nick Henry, Laura Vert, Jamie Wright, Sarah Ellis.

About the University of WarwickLink opens in a new window

The University of Warwick is one of the UK’s leading universities, marking its 60th anniversary in 2025. With over twenty-eight thousand students from 147 countries, it's currently ranked 8th in the UK by The Guardian University Guide. It has an acknowledged reputation for excellence in research and teaching, for innovation, and for links with business and industry. The recent Research Excellence Framework classed 92% of its research as ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. The University of Warwick was awarded Midlands University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times.

About Birmingham City UniversityLink opens in a new window
From art, accounting and architecture to midwifery, media and mechanical engineering, BCU transforms the lives of its students by offering a wide range of contemporary and flexible courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Home to the award-winning School of Jewellery, the internationally renowned Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and the innovative business incubator STEAMhouse, BCU has a history stretching back to 1843. It is also focused on the future, with its new strategy – ‘Rooted in Birmingham, Reaching Beyond’ - committed to the regeneration of the city and to enhancing communities across the West Midlands.

About the University of BirminghamLink opens in a new window  
The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries. 

About Coventry UniversityLink opens in a new window  
Coventry University is a global, modern university with a mission of creating better futures. We were founded by entrepreneurs and industrialists in 1843 as the Coventry School of Design and we continue to work with businesses to ensure we provide job-ready graduates with the skills and creative thinking to improve their communities.  

With a proud tradition of innovative teaching and learning, Coventry University is now one of the largest in the UK and has world-class campus facilities, the UK’s first standalone 5G network and a digital community of learning. Our students are part of a global network that has 50,000 learners studying Coventry University degrees in more than 40 different countries and partnerships with 150 higher education providers worldwide.  

About the Royal Shakespeare CompanyLink opens in a new window 
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) mission is to bring people together to experience stories that deepen our understanding of ourselves, each other and the world around us, and that bring joy. Shakespeare’s exploration of all human nature is our inspiration and touchstone. 

The Company’s roots lie in the bold vision of a local brewer, Edward Fordham Flower, who in 1879 established a theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon with his son Charles. The RSC as we know it today was formed by Sir Peter Hall, whose ambition was to produce new plays alongside those of Shakespeare and his contemporaries.  

The RSC continue this today across our three permanent theatres in Stratford – the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, the Swan Theatre and The Other Place – and indeed online and around the globe. We believe everybody’s life can be enriched by culture and creativity. Our transformative Creative Learning and Engagement programmes reach over half a million young people and adults each year. We have collaborated with generations of the very best theatre makers and we continue to nurture the talent of the future. 

About the West Midlands Combined AuthorityLink opens in a new window  
Led by the Mayor of the West Midlands, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) brings together 18 local councils and three Local Enterprise Partnerships to oversee the transfer of powers and funding from Whitehall to the West Midlands. The WMCA is putting these new powers from government back where they belong, in local hands, bringing the region together to build a healthier, happier, better connected and more prosperous West Midlands. 

Billions of pounds are being invested by the WMCA to improve the region’s transport network, transform its derelict industrial land into new homes and workplaces, support existing businesses and help grow the innovative, green industries of the future. 

At the heart of this vision is a strong economy that is both green and inclusive, one that supports the region’s ambition to be net zero carbon by 2041 and offers everyone the opportunity of a good quality, affordable home and the skills needed for a worthwhile job.