Scheme details
Area: Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland
Categories: Finance & funding, Loan, Business support
Business stage: Start-up, Trading business
Page last updated: 20 October 2025
Key information
Investment Amount: £15,000 – £25,000 per business.
Limited Availability: Early application is strongly encouraged.
No Immediate Repayment: Finance is interest-free and only repayable when your project or business achieves success.
Support and Mentoring: Access mentoring throughout the application process, with additional support offered even if your application is unsuccessful.
Timeline: Deadline for the next round is Monday 11 November at 10am. Funds to be deployed between November 2024 and March 2025.
Are you a creative business with plans to develop new content, products, or services? The North East Shared Success Fund offers £15,000–£25,000 in interest-free, repayable finance – repaid only once your project or business succeeds.
Delivered by Creative UK and funded by the North East Combined Authority, this fund helps small and medium creative enterprises co-finance IP-rich projects and accelerate growth.
About the Fund:
- Innovative Funding Model: Our fund offers a unique and low-risk repayment structure based on shared success. You repay the money if your project succeeds or your business achieves a certain amount of turnover – no interest, no early pressure.
- Application Support: Unlike traditional funding, we provide a supported application process. Benefit from access to an assigned case manager to help guide you through the application process.
- Creative Freedom: This fund is designed specifically to help you develop a new product or service, giving you the freedom to focus on your idea.
How it Works:
Apply: Click Apply now and sign up to our Creative UK Portal to start the process. Application will include a proposal outlining how you’ll use the funding to develop new IP, products or services.
Deadline: Deadline for applications is 7 November 2025. Funding is limited, so early application is strongly encouraged.
Get Support: Access support from a case manager during the application process.
Deployment: Successful applicants receive between £15,000–£25,000 in interest-free, repayable finance. Funds to be deployed between November 2025 and March 2026.
Repayment: Finance is interest-free and only repayable when your project or business achieves success. Repayment is triggered by either the commercialisation of the IP which is the basis of your application, or by means of a shared success premium which relies on the successful growth of your company.
Eligibility:
- You must be registered as a business in Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Gateshead, County Durham or Northumberland.
- You must be operating in the cultural or creative industries.
- You must provide a compelling return on investment proposition in your application.