Hull and East Yorkshire is home to a vibrant and fast developing creative economy. The region’s creative industries are expanding, ambitious, and an increasingly important engine of growth, with digital innovation, software development, screen, design and immersive experiences at the forefront of its success. Hull and East Yorkshire benefit from a growing cluster of creative digital tech businesses centred around hubs such as C4DI and the Edge Hub, which provide incubation, collaboration space and access to investors and partners. This is underpinned by one of the fastest and most resilient internet networks in the UK.
Combining this state-of-the-art infrastructure with the region's rich offering of theatres, festivals, music and live events creates a hugely fertile creative ecosystem. This is bolstered by the area's further education and skills pipeline, with the many colleges and the University of Hull offering a range of creative and digital programmes. The region is home to over 1,400 creative businesses who employ over 13,000 people, and a 2023 survey of the region's creative businesses found they expected to expand by more than 20% in the next two years, with over half having increased their turnover by at least 10% in recent years. 58% of these businesses were actively innovating, developing new products and services.
The sector has the potential to play a key role in wider economic development by supporting digital adoption and creative innovation in other sectors, growing the visitor economy, and increasing talent retention for creative practitioners. Additionally, it can help to broaden and strengthen the region’s economic base and attract firms and workers who sit outside traditionally dominant regional sectors such as manufacturing and logistics. To support the creative industries and help it realise its full potential, Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority is committed to continuing to improve investment readiness, market development and attract diverse talent, with a key strategic focus on subsectors including immersive technology, digital content, games, film and creative tech. The sector will also benefit from wider initiatives including improved skills development, inward investment, and place based regeneration, ensuring the creative industries are supported, innovating and strongly positioned for future acceleration.
Directory of national organisations that fund the Creative Industries
Please note that this information is accurate at the time of writing. For the most up-to-date details, please refer to the individual organisation’s website.
Private Finance and Investment
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) – UKRI - a UK government-funded body that supports world-class research and postgraduate training in arts and humanities, ranging from history and philosophy to creative industries. Part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), it funds projects addressing societal challenges.
Arts & Culture Impact Fund - Figurative - Loans of between £150,000 to £1m Open to socially driven arts, culture and heritage organisations.
Innovation Loans - Innovate UK Business Connect - Loans of £100,000 - £500,000 Specialised, government-backed loans form SME’s, intending to bridge the gap between prototype development and full scale commercialisation. Open to SME’s focused on late-stage R&D (experimental development) with a clear route to commercialization within two to three years.
Smaller Loans | British Business Bank - Loan finance of between £25,000 - £100,000 Managed by British Enterpirse Fund in Yorkshire and The Humber. The fund provides small business loads to fill funding gaps for growth and development. Open to new and growing businesses.
Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II - Debt Finance | British Business Bank - Debt finance of between £100,000 - £2m Managed by Mercia in Yorkshire and The Humber. The fund aims to drive sustainable economic growth through supporting innovation and creating local opportunity. Open to high growth potential organisations in the North looking to grow and expand.
Angel Investment
Leeds Angels | Angel investing - A group of exited tech founders and entrepreneurs, who host quarterly dinners in Leeds where startups can pitch to a curated group of angel investors. Open to in high-potential, early-stage tech businesses (SaaS, AI, deep tech) in the North and wider UK.
Home - Lifted - A female focussed angel network designed to help women invest in other women, plus investment readiness support. Open to female founders outside London and the South East.
Manchester Angels | Deal Platform for Angel Investors - A network of exited technology founders, operators, and industry leaders, who host local ecosystem and pitch events. Open to early-stage tech businesses, particularly in B2B SaaS, AI and Deeptech in the North of England
NorthInvest - NorthInvest - Investor readiness support and investor matchmaking. Open to start ups based in the North of England, who use technology as a core component of their business.
The leading SEIS fund | SFC Capital - An early-stage investment firm and angel syndicate that specialises in seed-stage funding for startups.
Home - UK Business Angels Association - The trade body for angel and early-stage investment, UKBAA connects founders to investors via their Dealshare platform, networking events and investment readiness support.
York Angels: Backing Beginners - An investor network providing seed capital, mentorship, and strategic connections to start ups, and host pitch and networking events. Open to early-stage, high-growth Yorkshire based startups
Equity Investment
Adeline | Family office for early-stage startups, science & the arts - Funding starting at £150k A specialised investor, acting as a "family office for early-stage startups, science & the arts". Aimed at entrepreneurs who have already developed a product-market fit or are showing early, significant traction.
Emerging Indie Fund | Channel 4 - Provides slate development funding to boost development teams. A developmental support program designed to nurture small, talented production companies based in the UK's Nations and Regions (outside London), aiming to help them become sustainable, established partners of Channel 4.
Europe's largest private market investment platform | Crowdcube - Investment platform, allowing individuals to invest in startups, early stage and growth stage businesses, alongside professional investors.
Finance Yorkshire - Funding to Grow: Business Loans, Micro-loans, Equity Linked Investments and Seedcorn Startup Finance - Managed by Anticus Partners, this fund provides an equity and loan fund of £100k - £1.5m. Open to early stage, innovative SMEs across Yorkshire and the Humber, with a focus on technology and innovation.
Haatch - Backing founders solving deep pains - An early-stage venture capital firm and investor. Specialises in funding B2B SaaS (software-as-a-service) companies.
Investor Partnerships - Innovate UK Business Connect - Funding of £900,000 - £1m Combines government grant funding with private investment. Investor Partnerships connect businesses with a curated pool of over 150 vetted partners to fund project development and accelerate commercial growth simultaneously. Open to SME’s invited to apply by an Innovate UK selected investor partner. Projects must be R&D focussed with high growth potential.
Home | Investor Ladder - An invitation-only network designed to connect investors with high growth technology startups and scale-ups, primarily focusing on the UK ecosystem.
Northern Investor Hub - Connects investors with high-growth businesses, startups, and SMEs across the North of England, helping startups, scale-ups, and entrepreneurs become investor-ready.
Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II | British Business Bank - Equity Finance of up to £5 million Managed by Mercia in Yorkshire and The Humber, the fund aims to drive sustainable economic growth through supporting innovation and creating local opportunity. Open to high growth potential organisations in the North. looking to grow and expand.
OpenVC | Find investors for your startup — raise for free. - A free online database and platform designed to connect early-stage technology startups with investors. Open to early-stage tech startups.
PraeSeed | Pre-Seed Funding & Support for Startups - Investment programme which combines investment readiness support with £150k-£200k equity investment for successful participants. Open to early stage startups based in the North of England.
Sixth Wave Ventures | Venture Capital Firm - Funding of £500k - £3m An investment group and angel syndicate designed to provide early stage funding and mentoring. Open to early-stage/seed-stage UK based technology starts ups.
Impact Investment
Big Issue Invest - Big Issue Invest - The social investment arm of The Big Issue Group provides repayable finance to UK social enterprises, charities, and ventures tackling poverty and inequality. Open to organisations seeking to grow their impact, expand their services, or buy assets like buildings and equipment. Loans of between £20k-£200K.
Creative Industries Council - GOV.UK - Joint forum between UK government and the creative industries, created to represent the sector’s interests and tackle barriers like finance, skills and exports, and influencing funding priorities.
Ethical Equity - Investment platform connecting ethical startups and scale ups with likeminded investors to deliver positive social, environmental and cultural change. Applicants must comply with the ethical framework as defined by Ethical Equity.
Growth Impact Fund - Funding of £50k - £1.5m A social investment initiative designed to support social purpose organisations to grow their impact and income. It is a partnership between Big Issue Invest and UnLtd to address inequality, offering both financial investment and practical business support. Open to diverse led organisations tackling social inequality, with at least £200,000 in trading income over the last year.
thekeyfund.co.uk - A range of loans and grants for social enterprises, charities and community-based organisations in the North of England and the Midlands. Open to registered companies, charities or community-based organisations with a social mission at heart.
ENTERPRISE GROWTH FINANCE - Resonance - Loans of £25,000 - £250,000 Open to high impact social enterprises who want to borrow money to grow the social impact of their organisation.
Community-Led & Not For Profit Funding & Support
Crowdfunder.co.uk | UK’s No.1 Fundraising & Crowdfunding platform - The UK’s leading fundraising platform, designed to connect projects, ranging from community initiatives to business startups with people willing to pledge money to bring them to life.
How can Cause4 help you? | Cause4 - Supports charities, social enterprises, and philanthropists in achieving growth and sustainability. They offer training, support programmes and fundraising support. Open to charities and cultural organisations.
Homepage - The national development agency for creativity and culture, investing government money from the Government and National Lottery to support arts, museums and libraries. It offers funding and strategic support, championing cultural experiences and driving growth.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund: Home - The National Lottery Heritage Fund gives grants from £10,000 to £10 million for UK projects that protect and share heritage, like historic buildings, nature, and local stories. Open to not‑for‑profit organisations, charities, community groups and some private heritage owners.
Social Good Funding
Big Issue Invest - Big Issue Invest - Grants of £1000 - £100,000 Open to individual artists, creative practitioners and cultural organisations (charities, museums, libraries). Eligible applications will meet the programme criteria; quality, public engagement, finance and management.
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation - A range of grants and social investment for organisations aiming for environmental and social impact. Open to registered charities and CIC's with an annual turnover of £100,000.
ellerman.org.uk - Grants of up to £180,000, for organisations who are committed to ensuring the rights of people, society and the environment for current and future generations. Open to registered charities with a minimum annual turnover of £100,000.
Apply for social investment | Joseph Rowntree Foundation - Joseph Rowntree Foundation offers grants and repayable social investment to UK charities and social enterprises Minimum raise of £250,000 for charities and social enterprises.
Reaching Communities England | The National Lottery Community Fund - Grants of 20,000-£20,000,000 Open to organisations whose projects support places, people or communities experiencing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination.
Giving to enrich lives & transform communities in North & East Yorkshire, York & Hull - A regional grant maker, awarding a range of funds which it stewards on behalf of donors and supporters. Eligibility varies but broadly intended to fund projects which support local communities.
Home - The Fore - Grants of up to £45,000, designed to support the growth, structure, sustainability or efficiency of organisations. Open to registered charities with income of under £500,000
thekeyfund.co.uk - A range of loans and grants for social enterprises, charities and community-based organisations in the North of England and the Midlands. Open to registered companies, charities or community-based organisations with a social mission at heart.
Sector Support
National Support
Home - Creative UK - A national, not-for-profit membership organization that champions, connects, and invests in the UK's creative industries. Creative UK supports creative professionals, businesses, and organisations across all subsectors by providing funding, investment readiness support, mentorship, and policy advocacy for growth.
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) – UKRI - The UK’s leading public funder of research in arts and humanities. It offers funding for research, training, and knowledge exchange in the arts and humanities.
Innovate UK funding, assessment and award management – UKRI - The UK’s innovation agency that drives economic growth by funding and supporting businesses to develop new products, processes and services. It offers a variety of funding opportunities to support research and development that drives economic growth and technological advancement in the UK.
UKRI – UK Research and Innovation - Invests in and supports researchers and businesses. Supports with skills development, developing new ideas and invest in infrastructure for business. UKRI unites nine bodies that cover different areas of research and innovation including the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Innovate UK.
UK R&D Network for Creative Technology | CoSTAR Network - A national research and development network of laboratories. It is designed to develop new technology to maintain the UK's position in gaming, TV, film, performance, and digital entertainment, providing infrastructure for R&D in virtual production, AI, and motion capture. CoStar supports UK small and medium-sized creative businesses, researchers, and institutions, including industry access programmes for early-stage companies, and mentoring.
Growth Yorkshire | Business News - A hub where Yorkshire businesses can share news, showcase their work and connect with potential clients. They provide support around marketing, IT, HR finance, design, e-commerce and premises plus 1:1 advice to remove barriers and unlock growth.
Fathom Works, situated at The Ropewalk, offers business units for the creative industries. | Ropewalk - Offers flexible business units and workspace for creative industries, supporting artists and creative enterprises with professional facilities, a collaborative environment and space to develop sustainable practice.