Member Article

Northern Film & Media establishes £75,000 creative fund

The region’s media industry is set for a boost, thanks to the launch of a new Creative Jobs Fund, which will make grants of up to £75,000 available to a range of film, TV and digital projects.

The project, which was launched by Northern Film & Media, is the first initiative of its kind to be ring fenced for the creative industries. In combination with match funding, the Fund will create an investment pot of £150,000 to stimulate the creation of new jobs in the sector.

Alongside the distribution of funding, the Fund will also look at the impact that modest levels of funding can have on creating jobs and driving growth.

Northern Film & Media aims to create a strong commercial creative economy in the North East, and has historically generated £4 for every £1 invested.

Tom Harvey, chief executive, Northern Film & Media: “There are around 2,100 people working in the North East creative industries and the sector has experienced solid growth through relatively small levels of public subsidy over the past decade.

“We want to see more creative companies securing investment from centralised or non-sector specific funds.”

Applicants will be required to demonstrate an ability to generate or sustain new jobs, which have not previously been supported by ERDF funding.

Successful bids will be judged upon their ability to generate employment and offer value for money, as well as being commercially viable in both the long and short term.

He continued: “If they are to be successful, they will have to demonstrate an ability to generate a significant amount of jobs.”

“This pilot fund will test the ability of the sector to deliver on the outputs expected from larger
initiatives such as the Regional Growth Fund.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .