Applications are now open for the Create South East programme
How could your business grow? What tools would help you to thrive? Are you a creative business in Kent, Essex, or Sussex?
The Create South East programme is free to businesses, and offers a programme of support, mentorship and networking opportunities to help you get your business investment ready.
Create South East champion investment in the creative sector and support businesses in their growth and we want your applications! Send us an expression of interest via the form below to find out if you’re eligible and start your application process.
The Create South East Programme is
- An investment readiness programme for businesses in the Creative Industries.
- For registered businesses operating in Essex, Kent and Sussex.
- A cohort based programme that includes mentoring, online and in person workshops and the potential for businesses to attend pitch events.
The Create South East Programme is not
- A grant giving entity – there is no funding attached to this programme. We will however signpost companies to any relevant grant opportunities from partners e.g. Innovate UK.
- Suitable for freelancers or sole traders.
- Suitable for Charities or CIC’s without a commercially trading Ltd Company arm.
In January 2025, Creative South East hosted a showcase to celebrate the achievements of the programme and showcase the region’s Creative Industries. The event saw nine businesses exhibiting, alongside 10 pitches from supported companies to an audience of 73 investors, industry leaders, partners, and members of creative networks.
The programme culminated in The Big Creative UK Summit: Investment for Growth, a landmark national summit which took place in London in March 2025.Selected businesses from Create South East were invited to attend and pitch to an audience of over 100 investors.
Caroline Norbury OBE, CEO of Creative UK, said:
“It’s great to see Create South East return, building on the strong foundation laid by its first round. The initial cohort demonstrated the incredible potential of the region’s creative businesses when given the right support and access to investment opportunities.
This next phase will continue to strengthen that pipeline of high-growth creative companies—helping them to scale, innovate, and contribute to the growth of the local economy.”
Quotes from businesses who have been through the programme
“The main takeaway from the programme was all the work we did to sharpen our commercial strategy and refine our value proposition. This directly led to two productive meetings with major IP holders. The mentorship and expert support offered by the programme gave us access to experienced advisors in creative industries, business strategy, and funding aligned perfectly with our company goals.”
Des Gayle, Altered Gene
Kent-based business
“The programme provided us with the strategic guidance and resources needed to scale our business, refine our commercial approach, and develop sustainable revenue models. We have experienced a huge growth in our skills, learning from the programme and strengthening our business model. The programme has given us a renewed confidence and provided us with access to a wider network to learn and grow with.”
Dave Norton, LimboTech
Essex-based business
“Each workshop was packed full with content that helped disrupt our thinking. The variety of topics helped us to see [our business] anew with a reinvigorated energy and mindset. And that was a huge catalyst for setting about reshaping and extending our offer, as well as feeling more confident in the value of our services and the way we communicate about them.”
Nicky Torode, Diamond Minds
East Sussex-based business
“The cohort workshops were varied, really interesting and complimentary to building our business, with useful contacts made in those areas. The one-to-one coaching proved extremely useful and productive too, in setting goals and managing multiple projects efficiently.”
Dominic Santana, The Filmworkers
West Sussex-based business
“The Create South East programme has been invaluable to our business growth, providing not just mentoring but also a supportive community that fosters growth. It has equipped us with the skills needed to manage our businesses growth, helping to refine strategy and operations.”
Thomas Dalton, Brown Bear Audio
Brighton and Hove-based business
“The whole programme has been a significant period of growth for the business.The fresh insight from an experienced and knowledgeable mentor into the business operations, workings and expansion has been truly invaluable.”
Jatin Patel, Kalikas Armour
Medway-based business
