Greater Manchester awarded £25 million to support creative industries

Creative sector businesses in Greater Manchester are set for a boost following the award of £25 million in funding from government to the region.

Greater Manchester is one of six English regions already with strengths in creative industries such as film and TV, music, fashion and video games to receive equal shares of £150 million from the government’s Creative Places Growth Fund.

The fund was announced in the Creative Industries Sector Plan in June, as part of the Industrial Strategy, where the Government shared their intention to invest in the creative industries of six English regions outside of London: Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, North East, West of England, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.

The £25 million for Greater Manchester will be awarded over three years, starting in the 2026 financial year, to be distributed according to local barriers and opportunities.

Additionally, the Government has also announced that more than 100 micro, small, and medium-sized creative enterprises across the UK will receive a share of £8 million in grants through the Create Growth Programme. The grants, ranging from £20,000 to £140,000, are aimed at helping these high-growth businesses commercialise their ideas and access resources, knowledge and private investment to scale up.