CreaTech Frontiers Launch Unlocks £250K in Funding for West Midlands Creative Innovators

By Anushka Malhotra

1 minute 46 seconds

Tech

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Quick Read: CreaTech Frontiers has launched a £250,000 funding round to help creative SMEs in the West Midlands develop innovative tech-driven projects, backed by a university and industry consortium.

Creative SMEs in the West Midlands are being given a major boost with the launch of CreaTech Frontiers, a new innovation cluster that has opened applications for the first £250,000 round of grant funding.

The programme, which offers individual grants of up to £10,000, is designed to help freelancers and small creative businesses develop groundbreaking ideas at the intersection of creativity and technology. The funding forms part of a £7.2 million, five-year initiative led by a consortium of regional powerhouses including Birmingham City University (BCU), University of Birmingham, Coventry University, University of Warwick, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. It’s funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council as part of the UK Research and Innovation's Creative Industries Cluster Programme.

Photo Credit: University of Warwick

Officially launched on April 29 at STEAMhouse, BCU’s innovation centre, CreaTech Frontiers marks the first time the West Midlands has received funding through this prestigious national scheme.

Professor Lamberto Coccioli, Director of CreaTech Frontiers, said:

“These early-stage grants will give creative entrepreneurs access not just to capital, but also to university-led research and resources that can turn ambitious ideas into reality. This is about unlocking cultural, social and economic value across the region.”

CreaTech Frontiers is aiming to ignite a wave of innovation in sectors like gaming, immersive tech, live performance, visual arts, and creative technologies. Successful applicants will also gain access to facilities across the five partner institutions, along with specialist academic support during the R&D phase.

Future plans include a second, larger round of grant funding, a pilot with Birmingham Opera Company, collaborative projects with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the formation of an apprenticeship working group to support skills development.

Rachel Davis, Director of Warwick Enterprise, said:

“Through this collaboration, we’re strengthening the region’s identity as a creative and tech innovation hub. With a shared focus on inclusion and sustainability, CreaTech Frontiers will ensure diverse voices are at the forefront of this growing ecosystem.”

The West Midlands Combined Authority is also backing the initiative, which it believes could contribute £65 million and create 1,500 jobs by 2030 within the regional creative and gaming economy.

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker added:

“Our region is full of bold, young thinkers pushing the boundaries of tech and creativity. CreaTech Frontiers connects these minds with the world-class research coming out of our universities, creating the conditions for global impact.”

Applications open Monday 2 June 2025. Interested SMEs can register now to be part of the next generation of CreaTech pioneers.

What's new

West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator Unlocks Nearly £50M in Private Investment

The West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA), led by the University of Birmingham, has generated an impressive £49.4 million in private co-investment within its first two years, significantly surpassing its original £14.5 million public funding allocation.

Funded through the Innovation Accelerator programme, coordinated by Innovate UK, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and UK Research and Innovation, WMHTIA has become a leading force in advancing health technology innovation across the region.

The majority of the private investment—£36.3 million—was directly committed by investors to enterprises supported by the Accelerator. This achievement represents a threefold return on the initial public investment, demonstrating the strong investor confidence in the region’s health tech sector.

Powering Health Innovation Through Collaboration

The WMHTIA brings together 21 partners from academia, industry, and the NHS to help healthtech companies develop, validate, and commercialise cutting-edge medical technologies. So far, companies supported through the programme have also secured an additional £10 million in national public grants from agencies including NIHR, Eureka, and Innovate UK.

Including both public and private contributions, the total investment leveraged by WMHTIA now stands at £67.3 million.

Professor Adam Tickell, Vice-Chancellor, University of Birmingham:

We’re proud to support startups through the riskiest stages of innovation so more life-saving technologies reach patients. This exceptional investment proves what’s possible when academia, the NHS, and industry work together to drive economic growth and better health outcomes.

In March 2025, the Innovation Accelerator programme was extended with a further £30 million, including £4 million for the WMHTIA to continue supporting the region’s innovators in 2025/26.

Backing the Future of Health Tech

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands:

The West Midlands is leading medical tech innovation—from faster diagnoses to shorter hospital stays. Healthtech isn’t just improving lives; it’s creating secure, high-value jobs that drive inclusive growth.

Dean Cook, Executive Director of Place and Global, Innovate UK:

This programme shows how place-based innovation can unlock greater business investment in R&D. By connecting the region’s strengths, we’re creating high-value jobs and building globally significant innovation capability.

The WMHTIA continues to strengthen the region’s reputation as a national hub for health technology, with far-reaching benefits for patient care, job creation, and regional economic development.

By Anushka Malhotra

24 Jun