BUSINESSES and organisations seeking to invest in creative technology - or 'createch' - projects can access up to £250,000 from a £1-million funding pot from the Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

The LEP's investment into the creative economy was committed as part of Cornwall’s bid to become City of Culture 2025. The LEP is now inviting bids for a minimum £100,000 funding up to a maximum of £250,000.

The £1m fund aims to foster commercial opportunities and innovation in the immersive and creative industries particularly through new product, experience or service developments, and is open to business and organisations based or operating in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Projects could be about developing and applying creative technologies, such as augmented and mixed reality, motion capture or game engine and 3D environments, through to cluster development including knowledge transfer, supply chain development and attracting talent and investment.

The open call for projects is aimed at businesses and organisations across a range of market sectors and industries. These include (but are not limited to) creative industries, video game development, screen sector, healthcare, education, future mobility, manufacturing, retail, tourism, leisure and sport.

Professor Emma Hunt, vice chair of the LEP and vice-chancellor and chief executive of Falmouth University, said: "When Cornwall bid to become City of Culture 2025, the LEP pledged to provide £1m to support the growth of our creative industries, regardless of the bid outcome. We are now making good on that promise with this open call through which we aim to identify and co-fund a small number of impactful createch projects."

The fund has been welcomed by sector champion Creative UK whose Chief Executive Caroline Norbury OBE said: "We know from our own work in Cornwall and Scilly that businesses are innovative, diverse and inventive, with a growing reputation for melding creativity and tech to deliver imaginative solutions, products and services. This new fund will be a huge boost to the sector and we look forward to seeing exciting new projects come forward."

For more information about the LEP's Culture and Creative Industries Innovation Fund, visit the LEP website. Applications are open now and the deadline to apply is January 28, 2024.