Culture, Arts and Leisure Minister Gregory Campbell, MP MLA along with Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and other funders, today (17 October) launched the Creative Industries Innovation Fund. The fund is open to all creative businesses in Northern Ireland. You can apply if you are a sole trader, a partnership or if your business is incorporated as a company.
Mr Campbell said, “I believe that the Creative Industries Innovation Fund can be a vital component contributing to the Programme for Government commitments and in doing so helping Northern Ireland becoming a world class hub for the creative industries.
“If we can do this we will not only reap the economic benefits, but we will build cultural capacity, improving the quality of life of our citizens and the perceptions of Northern Ireland on the global stage.”
Speaking at the launch, Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland added
“The Arts Council is pleased to be administering this new fund as it not only supports a government priority, but also helps the Arts Council to achieve one of the key themes of our five-year strategic plan for developing the arts in Northern Ireland, which is to provide the type of support artists and creative business people need to develop and sustain a flourishing creative industries sector.
“One of the challenges facing us over the coming years is to develop the kind of creative and economic environment that will encourage our artists and creative business people to remain in
Northern Ireland, as well as attracting other innovators from around the world to live and work here. Today’s funding announcement for the development of the local creative industries will go some way to establishing such an environment.
The first call will be to Sectoral Bodies only, for innovative initiatives which will develop the infrastructure, knowledge and people within the sector. Subsequently there will be three levels of grant available to individual businesses:
For projects up to £10,000, 100% grants are available.
For business seeking to become active Invest NI clients companies, through a process of strategy and capacity development, a grant of up to 75% is available, up to a max of £75,000.
In all other cases the maximum grant is 75% up to a max of £50,000.
The Arts Council has a dedicated team for the Creative Industries Innovation Fund and that team is available to advise potential applicants on their projects. Additional support and guidance is available to creative businesses from sectoral support organisations:
Northern Ireland Screen (www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk. Tel: 028 9023 2444)
Craft Northern Ireland (www.craftni.org. Tel: 028 9032 3059)
Northern Ireland Music Industry Commission (www.nimusic.com. Tel: 028 9092 3488)
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