West Midlands Creative Places Growth Fund

West Midlands Creative Places Growth Fund

Supports West Midlands creative firms and studios in film, television, games, music, design, and performing arts ventures.

The West Midlands Creative Places Growth Fund is a £25 million grant programme awarded to West Midlands Combined Authority by the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), part of a £150 million national Creative Places Growth Fund distributed across six English regions outside London. WMCA receives its allocation over three years beginning in the April 2026 financial year, with FY26 confirmed and commenced. The fund targets the region's creative industries — specifically film and television, video games, createtech, music, performing arts, and design — across the seven metropolitan areas of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, and Walsall.

WMCA, led by Mayor Richard Parker and operating as a Mayoral Strategic Authority, administers the fund and will distribute grants according to local barriers and opportunities rather than a uniform national template. Announced support types include access to finance, mentoring, networking, connections with investors, and skills programmes. Eligible organisations are expected to include for-profit creative businesses, non-profits, and universities operating within the WMCA geographic area. As of May 2026, WMCA had not yet published detailed application mechanics, eligibility criteria thresholds, award size ranges, or an application portal; organisations should monitor wmca.org.uk for formal call announcements.

The fund is part of the UK government's broader strategy to grow the creative economy outside London. The £25 million three-year total implies roughly £8–9 million per year, though annual tranches will depend on WMCA's internal distribution schedule. Organisations with active creative projects — particularly those in film and TV production, gaming studios, and music venues — that can demonstrate alignment with WMCA's economic growth priorities and documented regional barriers should position themselves ahead of formal calls.