Unlock

To be eligible for the programme you must meet all of the following criteria: 

• You must be employed by or self-employed by a creative business with a business address registered within the Sunderland City Council local authority area. To check whether your business is eligible, please use the Government’s local council postcode checker. 

• Your work must be within the creative industries. We define this broadly as businesses and organisations with creativity at their heart – for example design, music, publishing, architecture, film and video, crafts, visual arts, fashion, TV and radio, advertising, literature, computer games and the performing arts. 

• You must be able to identify an external training course or a specific mentor. If you know what support you need but need help identifying an appropriate provider or mentor, please contact us before applying. 

• You must be able to demonstrate how the support will help your business, organisation or self-employed creative practice to develop and become more sustainable. 

• You must be committed to completing the relevant paperwork and meetings associated with the programme. 

The Unlock: Creative Business Mentoring programme will support six self-employed creative practitioners or employees of creative businesses and organisations based in Sunderland with a bespoke training or mentoring package worth up to £1,200.

Training can have a value of up to £1,200. Alternatively, we can fund up to four mentoring sessions at a maximum value of £300 per session.

Support could include: 

• An external training course relevant to the development of your creative business or practice. 

• Working with another creative practitioner to develop your practice, skills or networks. 

• Working with a business mentor to address a specific challenge, such as governance, fundraising, business development or income generation. 

This is not an exhaustive list. We will consider other proposals where there is a clear development need, and the applicant can demonstrate how the proposed support will strengthen their business, organisation or self-employed creative practice. 

Applicants should normally identify their preferred mentor or training provider themselves. If you know what support you need but need help identifying an appropriate provider, please contact us before applying. Activity must be completed by 15 November 2026.

The programme cannot normally support: 

• Activity that has already taken place or been paid for before a funding decision is made. 

• General business running costs. 

• Equipment or materials. 

• Training or mentoring with no clear relevance to the development of the applicant’s creative business, organisation or self-employed practice. 

• Statutory or mandatory training that an employer would normally be expected to provide. 

• Mentoring where there is a close personal or business relationship that could create a conflict of interest. 

• Activity that cannot be completed by 15 November 2026. 

This is a competitive programme and we may receive more eligible applications than we are able to support. Eligible applications will be assessed on: 

• The clarity of the development need.

• The suitability of the proposed training or mentoring.

• The likely benefit to the applicant’s business, organisation or self-employed practice.

• Value for money. 

To apply for the Unlock: Creative Business Mentoring programme, please complete the online application form on the Sunderland Culture website. 

Alongside your contact and business details, the application asks three key questions: 

1. Tell us about your current employment status, your creative business or practice, and your connection to the creative industries in Sunderland. (100 words max)
2. Tell us about the specific training or mentoring you would benefit from. 

If you are applying for mentoring, please tell us about the specific mentor you have in mind and why they are appropriate for the support you need. 

If you are applying for a training course, please provide details of the course, the cost (up to a maximum of £1,200) and a link to the course provider. 

3. What difference will this support make to your business, organisation or self-employed creative practice? (300 words max) 

Tell us what you expect to be able to do differently or better as a result of the support and how this will contribute to the future development and sustainability of your business or practice. 

Please note: the application form cannot be saved in progress, so we recommend drafting your answers in a Word document before completing the online form. 

Applicants with access needs are encouraged to apply for additional budget towards higher costs they may face in taking part in the programme. These may include access to an interpreter, additional technology or additional travel costs. 

Please include any access costs in your budget and identify them clearly as an access cost, for example: Taxi (access cost): £50. 

If you would like to discuss your application before submitting it, please contact unlock@sunderlandculture.org.uk to book an online conversation with Programme Coordinator Daniel Appleby.

To download a PDF version of this information, visit: Unlock Creative Business Mentoring Call Out

The deadline for applications is 5pm, Tuesday 15 September.

We aim to contact applicants with a decision during the week commencing 21 September. This may be delayed depending on the volume of applications.

If your application is successful, we will contact you by email to confirm the decision and provide the paperwork that needs to be completed. 

We will require: 

• A signed and dated Company Capture Form. If you are employed, this will be completed by your employer. 

• A signed and dated Participant Learner Record. 

• Proof of your eligible address. If employed, this will be the address of the business you are employed by; if self-employed, this will be your address of self-employment. 

• Proof of enterprise registration, for example a Companies House number if you are registered, or a UTR number if self-employed. 

• Confirmation of your course or mentor details. 

Once the required paperwork is complete, your business will be able to proceed with the mentoring or training activity described in your application. 

Sunderland Culture will pay the cost of mentoring or training directly to the mentor or training provider. 

Mentoring launched: Saturday 29 August

Application deadline: 5pm, Tuesday 15 September

Decisions: w/c Monday 21 September

Grants completed: Sunday 15 November