To be eligible to apply for this GBIP, your business must:

• be a UK-registered, innovation-led company with ambitions to grow and scale internationally
• operate within at least one of the programme’s focus sectors: Film & TV, Music, Visual and Performing Arts, or Advertising & Marketing. Your proposed innovation must also align with the relevant sector specific scope and must not fall within any of the areas identified as out of scope in the section below.
• be developing an innovative digital product, service or platform that:
  • is beyond minimum viable product (MVP) stage
  • has demonstrated commercial traction, including revenue generation
  • is ready, or preparing, for international commercialisation and market expansion
• have between 2 and 249 employees
• nominate a participant who is the CEO, founder, or another senior decision-maker with sufficient authority to pursue international commercial opportunities on behalf of the business
• be able to commit to the full programme, including all mandatory workshops, activities and the SXSW delegation
• not have previously attended SXSW, either independently or with support from a publicly funded programme.

Previous Next Wave GBIP participation

A business may participate in a maximum of one Next Wave GBIP during the 2026/27 programme year.

Businesses selected to participate in another Next Wave GBIP during 2026/27 are therefore not eligible for this opportunity. For example, a business selected for the Slush GBIP would not also be eligible to participate in the SXSW GBIP.

We are looking for Creative Industries businesses, ready to collaborate internationally, innovating beyond minimum viable product in the following areas:

• Film & TV
• Music, Visual and Performing Arts
• Advertising & Marketing Technologies

This programme presents the UK Creative Industries with an opportunity for significant global growth.

We reserve the option to adopt a portfolio approach to ensure a wide range of businesses are represented across the sub-sectors and regions.

Film and TV

Innovative commercial digital platforms and services that support the development, publishing, distribution, monetisation, operation and commercial growth of film and TV, including but not limited to:

• Production
• Accessibility
• Motion capture
• Advanced VFX & simulation tools
• Synchronisation tools
• Pre-visualisation tools
• Cross-platform content monetisation
• Demand prediction

Not in scope:

• Applications without a clear link to the Film and TV industry
• Lack evidence that your proposed innovation is expected to lead to significant and positive societal and economic impact
• 3D assets, characters, levels, stories, worlds or IP development without a scalable technology, platform or service
• Content-only companies
• Creator marketplaces
• Cloud collaboration tools
• Loyalty programmes
• User-generated content platforms
• Internal workflow tools
• Script evaluation

Music, Visual and Performing Arts

Innovative commercial digital platforms, products and services that support the creation, production, distribution, monetisation, performance, audience engagement and commercial growth of music, visual arts and performing arts, including but not limited to:

• Live performance technologies
• Audience engagement platforms
• Fan experience platforms
• Rights and royalty management and licensing solutions
• Performance capture
• Venue and festival technologies

Not in scope:

• Applications without a clear link to the music, visual arts or performing arts sectors
• Content-only companies, artists, performances, exhibitions or productions
• Projects focused primarily on touring, recording, publishing or exhibition activity without a scalable technology, platform or service
• Ticket resale platforms
• Event management or venue booking systems
• Internal workflow tools

Advertising and Marketing

Innovative products, platforms and services that support the creation, delivery, optimisation, measurement and commercial effectiveness of advertising, marketing, public relations and communications activity.

Includes AdTech, MarTech and related creative technology where the primary use case is clearly linked to:

• Audience engagement
• Campaign performance
• Brand growth
• Customer acquisition, retention or monetisation

Not in scope:

• CRM or sales pipeline tools
• Customer service, helpdesk or call-centre platforms
• Payment, POS, booking or hospitality operations systems
• E-commerce operations, fulfilment or inventory tools
• Business intelligence dashboards
• AI productivity tools without a clear advertising, marketing or communications application
• Loyalty/rewards platforms where the innovation is mainly transactional rather than campaign, brand or engagement-led
• Lack evidence that your proposed innovation is expected to lead to significant and positive societal and economic impact

Successful applicants will benefit from an intensive 9-12 month, three phase programme with bespoke support from an innovation and growth specialist throughout.

Get ready: A two-day preparation workshop to build knowledge and understanding of the market and opportunities, including cultural aspects, how to do business, protecting intellectual property, and support to better articulate your value proposition.

Visit the market: Explore the innovation opportunities first-hand through pre-arranged matchmaking events, meetings with key contacts, research organisations and potential collaborators and partners.

Exploit the opportunity: An exploitation workshop and one-to-one bespoke support from an innovation and growth specialist to help you follow-up and maximise the opportunities identified through the programme.

Austin is home to the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference. It provides an opportunity for the creative global community to come together to learn cutting edge ideas, form partnerships, discover new technologies and network with other professionals who share a similar appetite for creative innovation.

The event features conference sessions, networking and mentor events, film festival screenings, music festival showcases, brand activations and much more.

Creative Industries from around the world will converge in Austin, Texas for SXSW 2027 to experience opportunities for learning and valuable discoveries that happen when creatives and innovation come together.

Creative Industries are a key sector at the SXSW conference and offer exciting and significant growth opportunities for ambitious UK businesses.

• Build market knowledge and intelligence
• Seed new business partnerships, develop RD&I collaborations, and identify partners for bilateral funding calls
• Introductions to senior figures and influential contacts
• Raise your profile and stimulate new business opportunities and ideas
• Improve your value proposition, hone your skills, and grow in confidence to tackle global markets
• Connect with peers, expand your network, and learn from like-minded, ambitious businesses

• Attending the SXSW Conference 2027
• Introductory briefing with Department for Business Trade (DBT) USA
• Introductions to other UK delegations
• Access to conference sessions, networking and mentor events, showcases and brand activations
• Participation in potential showcase event

Innovate UK will fund and organise flights, accommodation, in-market travel and conference fees for successful applicants.

Innovate UK will also pay for any reasonable adjustments throughout the initiative. Only one representative from each company will be funded and the same person is required to participate in all parts of the programme.

Read an inspiring story from My SMASH Media who attended the SXSW GBIP in 2025.

Fiona Gillies, CEO at My SMASH Media, says: “Innovate UK’s Global Business Innovation Programme was an invaluable resource. It gave us direct access to key stakeholders in the US and helped us establish industry relationships that are already paying off. South by Southwest helped us get an insight into the US market and gain additional US users. We’re a small media tech start up but already 6% of our users are US-based, it’s going to be an important market for us, so it’s been useful to discuss strategy and marketing and has enabled us to focus on developing our business goals.”

Feedback from other UK businesses includes:

“This has been one of the most valuable business development experiences I have had. The GBIP team were professional, supportive and incredibly well-connected. I would strongly recommend this programme to any UK business looking to expand internationally. Thank you for an outstanding experience.” GBIP 2026 Delegate – SXSW, Austin, USA

“Going to SXSW was an absolutely extraordinary experience. To be taken there by Innovate UK gave us several important things – a very nice and convenient base from which to make the most of the week, instant credibility and access to experienced staff.” GBIP 2026 Delegate – SXSW, Austin, USA

“This GBIP was an incredible, game-changing experience for our business but also professionally; the opportunities it provided are invaluable. We are so grateful to have been chosen for the cohort. The in-market support from the GBIP team leaders was wonderful.” GBIP 2025 Delegate – SXSW, Austin, USA

• Application deadline – Thursday 22 October at 2pm
• Application outcome – from Friday 27 November
• Get ready workshop – Wednesday 27 & Thursday 28 January 2027
• Market visit – Sunday 14 to Saturday 20 March 2027
• Exploit the opportunity workshop – Thursday 17 June 2027