Launching across England in September, Creative Industry Finance is a ground-breaking programme providing business support and access to finance to the UK’s cultural and creative industries, which often face challenges in accessing finance because they are perceived as being high risk. This is in part due to the lack of tangible assets and the absence of commercial confidence within the creative sectors, with many businesses run by young entrepreneurs with no lending history.
Creative Industry Finance (CIF) launches on 23 September 2014 and will offer up to twelve hours of free sector-specific business support for creative enterprises, as well as the opportunity to access loans from a range of lending partners, starting from £2,500. The innovative organisation behind this programme is Creative United, an Arts Council England backed Community Interest Company that provides a range of financial products and services designed to enable the growth and development of the UK’s cultural and creative industries.
“Our mission is to build a sustainable and resilient creative economy in the UK and to make the arts accessible to all,” said Mary-Alice Stack, Chief Executive of Creative United. “Creative industries are a hotbed of talent with ample opportunity for investment. Through the development of the CIF initiative we are proud to support the growth of this crucial sector of the UK economy.”
