South West - West of England
The team are looking for creative businesses who are exploring growth opportunities, such as reaching new customers, developing or taking a product or service to market, and expanding to new markets. Part of the South West region, the West of England is being led by the West of England Combined Authority. It encompasses Bristol, Bath, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
Lead Organisation
West of England Mayoral Combined Authority
URL
westofengland-ca.gov.uk/growth-hub/create-growth-programme/
Location
West of England
About the region
The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority covers Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, a region recognised for its strong cultural identity, independent spirit and track record of creative innovation.
From internationally renowned film and TV production to music, immersive, animation, design and publishing, the creative industries are central to the area’s economy and identity. A rich network of cultural organisations, studios and grassroots spaces sits alongside four universities and specialist colleges, creating a strong pipeline of talent and ideas.
Building on this foundation, the West of England has secured £25 million through the DCMS Creative Places Growth Fund (2026–2029) to accelerate the growth of its creative economy. The programme will focus on improving access to finance, driving internationalisation and supporting innovation and production, helping creative businesses to scale while embedding inclusive growth across the region.
Objectives and delivery
Since 2019, the West of England has delivered targeted scale-up support for creative businesses through Creative Scale Up and, from 2020 onwards, the Create Growth Programme, working in partnership with Watershed and supported by DCMS funding. Around 260 creative businesses have engaged with the programme to date through cross-sector workshops, mentoring, peer learning and specialist consultancy.
In 2025–26, delivery has evolved into a sub-sector specific model. The Two Step music cohort is delivered by Gill Wildman (Upstarter) in partnership with Noods Levels CIC. The Createch cohort is delivered by The Studio at Bath Spa university. A programme of TV and Film investment workshops is being delivered in partnership with Calling the Shots. This more focused approach enables deeper, industry-led support tailored to the commercial models and investor landscape within each sub-sector, alongside continued alumni support through mentoring and investor readiness support.
Impact and response
Across successive cohorts, the programme has strengthened commercial confidence and investment readiness for creative founders across the region. Businesses report clearer growth strategies, improved pitching capability and stronger professional networks.
The move to sub-sector specific delivery in 2025–26 builds on these learnings, recognising that different parts of the creative economy require distinct routes to scale and investment. By combining a strong regional ecosystem with increasingly focused delivery, the West of England continues to develop a sustainable pipeline of creative businesses progressing toward long-term growth and external investment.