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Unlock
Since 2018, our Unlock programme has worked to grow Sunderland’s cultural infrastructure, offering support for established and emerging creative practitioners and businesses. The programme has had many iterations over the years, from training sessions and support grants, to mentoring and networking.
Building on the success of previous Unlock programmes, we are pleased to announce a new phase of support for 2026-27 – Unlock: Creative Industries Support Programme.
Launching for 2026, the Unlock: Creative Industries Support Programme is an exciting new strand of the Unlock project.
Designed for established independent creative practitioners, businesses and organisations, the programme offers a range of financial and non-financial opportunities to support business development.
The programme includes:
- Unlock Creative Development Grant: grant between £1,000-£5,000 to support development of their business or indirect safeguarding of jobs
- Unlock: Creative business mentoring: accessing targeted mentoring support by industry experts in areas that will support business growth
- Enterprise growth support: offering access to a tailored programme of networking activities, workshops and specialist advice
Forming part of Sunderland City Council’s Business Support Programme and funded by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority through its Integrated Settlement, the programme has been created to help Sunderland’s creative sector grow.
For any queries about the programme, please contact: unlock@sunderlandculture.org.uk
Unlock Creative Development Grant
Independent creative practitioners, businesses and organisations based in Sunderland are invited to apply for a Creative Development Grant of up to £5000.
The grant is specifically targeted at businesses who want to:
- Engage in a new market or get ready to engage in a new market
- Safeguard jobs
- Establish a new creative business
The Creative Development Grant is open to all creative businesses in Sunderland. We would welcome applications from creative businesses and practitioners who are working in glass and ceramics where the grant would support their retention in the city.
To apply, fill out the application form below before the deadline.
Deadline for applications: Monday 27 July, 9am
- Businesses must have a registered business address registered within the Sunderland City Council local authority. To check whether your business is eligible, please use this postcode checker: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council.
- The fund applies to sole-traders, freelancers, CIC, LTDs, registered charities and other registered businesses. You or your business must be registered with HMRC, Companies House or the Charities Commission at the point of application and have been trading for at least 12 months.
- Start-ups (less than 12 months trading) or pre-start (pre-registration) must be able to provide a demonstrable commitment to start trading within 6 months of the grant award date.
- Creative industries are defined broadly as a business with creativity at its 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 demonstrate a professional track record of working as a creative business in the city
- You must be able to evidence how the support would enable you to introduce new to the firm products; engage in a new market or get ready to engage in a new market; safeguard jobs; establish a new creative business
- You must be committed to completing relevant paperwork and meetings associated with the support. The grant cannot support the costs of activity that has already taken place
Grant launched: 6 July
Application deadline: 27 July
Decisions: 3 August
Grants completed: 15 November
Unlock forms part of Sunderland City Council’s Business Support Programme and is funded by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority through its Integrated Settlement.
