The investment includes £21 million for the UK film industry through a three-year UK Global Screen Fund. The Government launched a one-year pilot of the scheme in April 2021, which it says has “boosted the global reach of UK independent productions”, including The Miracle Club (starring Maggie Smith) and Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (starring Emma Thompson). Overall, in its pilot year, the scheme invested £7 million in business development, co-production and the distribution and promotion of UK independent screen content. The three-year scheme to be administered by the BFI will launch later this year.

The Government also announced £8 million to help start-up gaming businesses grow their operations, through the UK Games Fund. Since its establishment in 2015, the UK Games Fund has funded over 170 projects totalling £5.7 million. The support includes investment for early-stage businesses and entrepreneurial young developers, nurturing talent and fostering new games creation.

The Creative Scale Up Programme, which provides finance and business support to firms in the creative industries, will also be expanded with more than £18 million of new funding. This investment will support innovative creative businesses outside of London as part of the Government’s levelling up plans. This follows a two-year pilot of the scheme, which was announced in December 2018 as part of the Creative Industries Sector Deal. To read the Government’s press release in full, click here.