CreaTech Frontiers

Funding for  freelancers, microbusinesses, and small enterprises working on a bold idea, cutting-edge content, or an exciting new product or service using creative technologies with hands-on Research & Development (R&D) support from top experts at Birmingham City University, Coventry University, the University of Birmingham, the University of Warwick, and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

There are two strands of applications open, closing to applications on 4th August 2025.

EXPLORE

Introduction to collaborative R&D and development of initial ideas for innovative content, products or services. 

Up to £5k grants + 5-10 days of academic support and access to our CreaTech labs. You will be introduced to R&D, and you will test innovative ideas around responsible and human-centred applications of creative technologies.

EXPERIMENT

Development of existing concepts, projects or prototypes for innovative content, products or services through collaborative R&D.

Up to £10k grants + 10-20 days of academic support and access to our CreaTech labs. You will develop your concepts, projects or prototypes around responsible and human-centred applications of creative technologies.

Who can apply?

• You must be a freelancer, microbusiness or SME
• You must be based and work in the West Midlands region including Staffordshire.
• You must be 18 or over  
• Your application must be aligned to one of CreaTech Frontiers R&D themes.

CreaTech Frontiers want to help you develop new ideas (up to £5k grant) or existing innovative concepts and prototypes (up to £10k grants) in these creative technologies R&D areas:

• Beyond games (for example world building; game engine development; gamification and AI) 
• Enabling technologies for creative outputs (for example AI, ML, data, haptics, robotics, cloud computing, future networks) 
• Immersive (for example XR, immersive audio)
• Live performance (for example music and AI; augmented performance; digital storytelling) 
• Screen (for example virtual production; sustainability in media productions) 
• Visual arts (for example digital museums and heritage; digital content creation) 
• Createch research (for example environmental, social and economic sustainability of createch; EDI issues; cultural, social and economic challenges) 
• Other (something amazing they haven't thought of) 

For more information and to apply please click here: