Creative businesses to benefit from government finance package

• Government addressing challenges faced by creative businesses in accessing finance 
• British Business Bank is encouraging lending and investment to businesses across these sectors
• Government update comes as industry gathers at The Big Creative UK Investment Summit in London

Ambitious businesses within the creative industries that are seeking financial support to scale up will benefit from a major extension to how the government works with the sector from today, in the latest move to break down barriers to investment and unlock vital growth capital. 

To coincide with The Big Creative UK Investment Summit event in London, the measures form the latest part of delivering on the Creative Industries Sector Plan - and mark a step change in how public finance institutions support the sector. 

The British Business Bank (BBB) is significantly increasing its support for the creative industries as part of the £4 billion it has secured for Industrial Strategy priority sectors. Other measures to help support creative businesses announced by the Bank include: 

• A £45 million cornerstone commitment, announced today, into Redrice Ventures, a specialist seed-stage investor across the creative industries – delivering on its Sector Plan commitment to fund investors who truly understand the creative ecosystem.  
• The Bank is exploring using its existing financial guarantee capacity to support IP-backed lending, which will encourage entrepreneurship and innovation, and fulfil a request by the Government at the Autumn Budget. 
• The bank is working with other public bodies, including Innovate UK, to ensure joined-up support for businesses at all stages – from grants and early stage funding programmes, to finance for SMEs to grow and scale in the UK.
• The bank is also convening key sector stakeholders – including small creative business owners, finance providers and public finance institutions, and working with the Creative Industries Council – to understand the investment opportunities in the sector.

To help businesses navigate their investment options, Creative UK will lead work to launch a new ‘single front door' service later in 2026, offering clear guidance on accessing finance alongside improved signposting and support from the Business Growth Service and the British Business Bank. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is also publishing new resources for creative businesses and regional leaders today, including a map of finance available to the sector, and case studies of successful creative scale-ups. 

The Office for Investment and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) are working together to identify and deliver strategic investments, connecting UK businesses to international finance and global markets, in order to attract funding to the UK and expand the capability of our most promising creative industries. DBT, industry and Government partners are also continuing to attract international investors to the UK, to showcase our most innovative creative businesses through export missions and at key global trade events.

The UK's creative industries are a national success story. New statistics show they contributed £145.8 billion in gross value added (GVA) in 2024, growing at four times the rate of the wider economy between 2023 and 2024. Research published today by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre also shows that almost one in ten of the UK's high growth potential firms are in the Creative Industries.

Creative Industries Minister Ian Murray said:

The UK's creative industries are world-class, with businesses at the cutting edge of their fields existing right across the country.

Through the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we are determined to ensure they can continue to grow. Accessing finance is key to that, which is why we are working with industry to open up more opportunities.

Caroline Norbury OBE, Chief Executive of Creative UK said: 

Creative UK has long advocated for more investment into the creative industries. This increased support from the British Business Bank is an important step forward for the sector, and I am pleased to see more initiatives being unveiled for the creative industries at our Summit today. As we look to unleash the full potential of the Sector Plan - access to finance for founders and creatives is a key driver for success, and we look forward to working with the British Business Bank and DCMS to keep widening access further.

Today's announcement builds on last month's announcement of a £500 million government package to support innovation in the creative industries. Further details on how the Sector Plan is being delivered in areas including skills, trade, regional growth, and in key sectors such as music, film and games will follow in the coming weeks and months.

The new package of measures means that significantly more growth finance will be available to the creative industries, with action to address the barriers faced by businesses of all sizes, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), when seeking to get financial backing for their plans to scale up.

The government will work with industry to establish the right conditions for creative businesses to start, scale, and thrive in the UK, including clear information on how to identify and unlock private investment. Achieving this goal requires the sustained partnership of investors, the expertise of public finance institutions like the British Business Bank, and the relentless drive of industry leaders and organisations such as Creative UK.

The Big Creative UK Investment Summit is being held in London today (Tuesday 17th February). The event brings together business leaders to discuss investment-ready opportunities in the sector and growth opportunities. Speakers include Shriti Vadera, who co-chairs the government's Creative Industries Council.