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Programme

CreaTech Frontiers

About CreaTech Frontiers

CreaTech Frontiers is placing innovation and growth at its core to develop a thriving creative industries ecosystem across the West Midlands.

Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), it aims to transform how creative content, products, and services are supported by funded collaborative research and development (R&D), enabling business innovation, and developing skills and talent in the region.

Led by Birmingham City University, CreaTech Frontiers is delivered by a consortium of six core partners that includes Coventry University, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the University of Birmingham, the University of Warwick, and Digital Catapult.

Discover more about CreaTech Frontiers at createchfrontiers.com

Core Partners

Programme benefits

The programme aims to leverage its unique position within the thriving creative technology ecosystem of the West Midlands. By getting involved, you can benefit in several ways – from developing your business skills as an entrepreneur or early-stage business, to accessing funding for collaborative R&D projects with leading regional research organisations and industry partners. The programme also supports the growth and development of existing start-ups and scale-ups, helping them to tackle real-world, industry-defined challenges.

Idea first: backing the creative spark. The emphasis is on creativity, not your credentials.

Rooted Here: The talent is in the West Midlands. This programme is about proving that bold, world-class innovation starts in this region.

Human Support: We are here to help and have genuine conversations

Createch Frontiers Opportunities

As part of this programme, Digital Catapult will be delivering four accelerators, two that will support the SME ecosystem in the West Midlands to grow their businesses, and two that will fund SMEs to build early-stage prototypes in response to industry defined challenges.

You must have a registered company, and your company must be registered in the West Midlands (including Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Herefordshire, Sandwell, Shropshire, Solihull, Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Walsall, Warwickshire, Wolverhampton and Worcestershire).

Apply for CreaTech Frontiers’ Growth Lab – register your interest today

CreaTech Frontiers Growth Lab is a 10-week business growth accelerator aimed to provide tailored support to creative technology companies in the West Midlands to achieve their commercial goals and grow their business. This programme is designed for early-stage companies, who are at or above a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 3 and Commercial Readiness Level (CRL) of 3-6. This programme focuses on early-stage development where a business has successfully delivered a Proof of Concept (PoC) and who would now benefit from bespoke support to achieve their own specific growth goals.

With this programme we are offering £15,000 worth of bespoke support for commercialisation and growth – helping the business refine their business strategies to enable sustainable scaling. Register your interest below to be notified when Growth Lab is open for applications.

CreaTech Frontiers Growth Accelerators

CreaTech Frontiers Growth Accelerators are 10 week interventions that supports SMEs in the West Midlands to define their business growth aims and acts as a fast-track towards market adoption and entry. With a package of £15,000 worth of support from Digital Catapult, these aim to improve early-stage companies’ Commercial Readiness Level (CRL).

Applications for our first accelerator, CreaTech Frontiers Growth Lab, will open in Early/Spring 2026.

CreaTech Frontiers Challenge Calls

Challenge Calls offer funding to Small or Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to develop early-stage prototypes aligned to an industry-defined challenge. These 16 week accelerators fund early stage companies to build prototypes, whilst also providing expert guidance from Digital Catapult technologists, innovation experts and industry representatives.

Applications for Challenge Calls are currently closed.

“CreaTech Frontiers is supporting innovation and growth in the creative technology ecosystem of the West Midlands. We are delighted to be working with Digital Catapult to deliver accelerator programmes, providing expert guidance on growth, investment, IP and commercialisation, and fund early stage prototyping in response to industry challenges.” Lamberto Coccioli Director of CreaTech Frontiers