Global Business Innovation Programme - Creative Catalyst & Artificial Intelligence at South by Southwest (SXSW), Texas, USA

Innovate UK invites ambitious companies in creative industries and AI to participate in a Global Business Innovation Programme at SXSW in Texas.

Opportunity Details

When

Registration Opens

25/07/2024

Registration Closes

09/09/2024

Award

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. One representative from each company will be funded.

Organisation

Innovate UK

Share this opportunity

The Global Business Innovation Programme, organised by Innovate UK, is a comprehensive initiative to help ambitious businesses to collaborate and explore new markets, accelerating business growth. The programme encompasses three phases – a Get ready preparation phase, a 10-day in country visit focused on relevant innovation, an Exploit the opportunity workshop, and support throughout from an Innovate UK Business Growth innovation and growth Specialist. Expect a combination of physical and virtual activities to ensure maximum engagement.

At Innovate UK, we are dedicated to providing equal opportunities for success to individuals from all backgrounds.

Find out how our GBIP in Creative Catalyst and AI in Texas can help your business grow.

  • The Global Business Innovation Programme is structured around three main stages and each business will have a designated Innovate UK Business Growth innovation & growth specialist to support them for at least the duration of the offering, including developing a work plan to capitalise on the opportunities identified. The three main stages of the Global Business Innovation Programme are

    • Get ready: A two-day workshop to build knowledge and understanding of the market and potential opportunities, including how to do business, cultural aspects, how to protect your IP, and training on how to better articulate your value proposition.
    • Visit the market: Explore the opportunities first-hand through meetings with key companies, research organisations, and potential collaborators and partners, through pre-arranged meetings and organised matchmaking.
    • Exploit the opportunity: An exploitation workshop and one-to-one support from an Innovate UK Business Growth innovation & growth specialist to help you follow up and maximise the opportunities identified through the programme.
  • To apply for this programme, you must:

    • Be a business focused on developing innovation solutions in the Creative Industries or AI sector.
    • Be a UK based innovation-led company with ambitions to grow and internationalise
    • Be a company with fewer than 250 employees
    • Be CEO, Founder or senior decision maker and able to attend and complete all activities
  • Austin is home to the SXSW Conference and provides an opportunity for the global community of digital creatives to learn cutting-edge ideas, discover new interests, and network with other professionals who share a similar appetite for forward-focused experiences.
    The event features conference sessions, networking sessions, film festival screenings, music festival showcases, world-class exhibitions, and much more.
    Creative industries from around the world will converge in Austin, Texas for SXSW 2025 to experience opportunities for learning and valuable discoveries that happen when diverse topics and people come together.
  • Creative Catalyst & AI

    The creative industries and AI are key sectors at the SXSW conference and offers exciting and significant growth opportunities for ambitious UK businesses. To capitalise on the opportunity, working with the Creative Catalyst and Bridge AI programmes, we have organised a GBIP to support up to 30 businesses in the creative industries and AI.

    Creative Catalyst

    We are looking for up to 15 businesses that focus on creative projects from the following areas:

    • Metaverse
    • Digital Advertising
    • Music tech
    • Gaming
    • Visual Effects (VFX)
    • Immersive Technologies
    • Film and TV
    Artificial Intelligence

    We are looking for up to 15 businesses that focus on developing AI solutions from the following areas:

    • Broadcasting
    • Arts and Culture
    • Design
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • Film and TV
    • Gaming
    • Music
    • Extended Reality (XR) / Virtual Reality (VR)

    Applications are open to all UK businesses
    focusing on the above sub-sectors.

    The Creative Catalyst element of the SXSW GBIP is open to all UK creative companies from the subsectors supported by the Creative Catalyst Programme. Preference will be given to the Creative Catalyst cohort awardees (Creative Catalyst, Creative Industries Fund, Audience of the Future, SMART/Fast Start and Create Growth Programme). The intention is to have an equal split of (i) Creative Catalyst cohort awardees (ii) UK creative companies that have not yet received an award. We reserve the option to adopt a portfolio approach to ensure a wide range of businesses represented across the sub-sectors and regions. This GBIP is one of three Creative Catalyst opportunities: USA Austin – SXSW, Finland Helsinki – Slush and Singapore – Asia TV Forum.

    • Have the support of an Innovate UK innovation and growth specialist
    • Explore opportunities and better understand the market
    • Find potential innovation partners and develop your network
    • Improve your company value proposition
  • To learn more about the programme, watch the recording of the applicant briefing from the 31st July.

    Application form can be found here.

    Applications close: Monday 9th September at 5pm

    Get ready Workshop : Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th January 2025

    Visit the market : Friday 7th – Friday 14th March 2025

    Exploit the opportunity workshop  (in-person): Wednesday 11th June 2025

Related Events and Recordings

Wed
31
Jul
2024

Global Business Innovation Programme - Creative Catalyst & Artificial Intelligence in USA - Briefing Event

11.00 - 12.00 | Online

Watch now
See all events
Close

Connect with Innovate UK Business Connect

Join Innovate UK Business Connect's mailing list to receive updates on funding opportunities, events and to access Innovate UK Business Connect's deep expertise. Please check your email to confirm your subscription and select your area(s) of interest.