A new programme of funding designed to support and grow the South West’s creative sector is underway across the South West of England, and has announced its first projects for development.

The new Creative Industries iNet (Innovation Network) will bring £3.2 million of support to the South West’s creative sector until 2013, to help creative businesses thrive and advance the area’s growing reputation as a global creative centre of excellence.

Working with both emerging and established companies, the iNet is developing bold products and business models, exploring new opportunities and ideas, and connecting to a community of innovators across the South West and around the world. The scheme will work with over 300 businesses to support projects which catalyse innovation, share knowledge and connect and export.

The Creative Industries iNet, part of the government’s Solutions for Business portfolio and led by South West Screen, has secured £1.4million funding from the South West European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Competitiveness programme as well as grants from numerous other regional organisations, bringing total funding for the project to £3,248,000 over three years.

It is being delivered by a consortium comprising local partners including Arts Council England (South West), Arts Matrix, Bristol Media, Bournemouth Skillset Media Academy, Creative Bath, Creative Dorset, Gloucestershire Media Group, iShed, Plymouth Media Partnership, South West Design Forum, South West Music Forum, Swindon Media Group and Wessex Media Group.

Caroline Norbury, Chief Executive of South West Screen, said; “The South West is home to a wide and varied spectrum of almost 9,000 creative companies that are working in all kinds of industries, from digital to fashion, or advertising to publishing. South West Screen is pleased to be leading the Creative Industries iNet and by working with our local partners, we hope to unearth and help develop a host of groundbreaking ideas and models that will firmly secure the South West’s place on the map as an international creative competitor.”

Nigel Howells, Head of ERDF Competitiveness programmes for the Regional Development Fund, said: “The aim of the programme is to use innovation to improve productivity within the creative industries sector. We hope that businesses across the region will, as a result of this initiative, forge new relationships with other companies, knowledge-based institutions and organisations and together share information and explore new opportunities.

“We anticipate the programme will assist more than 300 businesses, creating new jobs, safeguarding existing jobs as well as generating additional revenue for the region. We’re delighted that we’re able to support programmes such as these and encourage growth within the region.”

Minister for the Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey said: “This new programme will be a fantastic boost to the creative industries in the South West. The film, video games, fashion and music industries are already seizing the opportunity to collaborate and these markets are becoming ever closer. By increasing opportunities for creative, local companies to connect with each other the iNet will encourage a community of innovators to develop bold and innovative ideas and products to keep them on the cutting edge, both nationally and internationally.”

The first projects to be supported by the programme include:

• £75k iNet support: Media Sandbox 2010: Seven companies are given the time, space and investment they need to research and develop great ideas. Three commissions have been awarded to Overlay Media, Mobile Pie and Delib, digital companies working to open up access to public data provided for the first time by Bristol City Council. A further four commissions have been awarded to Mutant Labs, Moksha, Remode and nu desine, companies experimenting with pervasive media. Media Sandbox 2010 combines innovative idea generation with peer support and customised business advice to develop new products and services and bring them to market. Partners: iShed, Bristol City Council, Connecting Bristol.

• £10k iNet support: 3D Week: 2010 has seen a 3D explosion in film, TV and online. 3D week brings all the key players in the industry to Bournemouth in November 2010. Connecting academia with the public and private sector, 3D week will give hands on experience and training to those who want to be involved in the 3D revolution but find it locked behind the closed doors of high budget filmmakers. Partners: Bournemouth Skillset Media Academy, Arts College University, Bournemouth University, Adobe, Avid, Panasonic, JVC, Sony.

• £42k iNet support: Content across Continents: A business development programme encouraging creatives and entrepreneurs to test new business models for international partnership in content development, experimenting with ways to address challenges in virtual collaboration. First held in 2010 with a focus on collaboration between the South West and Singapore, phase two of the programme is planned for 2011 and will expand the reach across key emerging markets for digital innovation. Partners: South West Screen, Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA)

• £50k iNet support: Future of Publishing: As physical print diminishes and digital consumership continues to thrive, iNet will host a conference with a supporting integrated programme of events, training and networking in 2011 addressing the future challenges of publishing, engaging with partners from across the UK to benefit publishers, content producers and businesses in one cohesive project. Partners: Cyprus Well, Arts Council England, Media Futures, Bournemouth University, Media Clusters, Bournemouth Borough Council, Yahoo!

The Creative Industries iNet website is now live at www.inets-sw.co.uk/creative, where businesses can find full details of the scheme, delivery partners and how to get involved.

Members of the creative sector community can also click through from the main website to the iNet’s new microsite, www.creativeindustriesi.net, which offers a visual landscape of the South West’s creative output.

iNet roadshow events are taking place across the South West in the coming months where interested companies can meet the iNet team and find out more.

For more information about the iNet, projects or roadshows, contact Tara Milne, Communications Manager at South West Screen on 0117 9529971 or email tara.milne@swscreen.co.uk.

For more information about ERDF, contact Leander Clarke, Bray Leino on 0117 9731 173.