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The Creative Wales x NFTS Cymru Creator-Led Funding Programme is a talent development and innovation initiative designed to support 10 Welsh digital creators who will each receive £10,000 to research and develop new formats, grow audiences and explore sustainable business models.
The programme will give creators the funding, skills, industry access and creative freedom to develop new intellectual property (IP), test innovative approaches to content creation and explore opportunities within the evolving digital landscape.
Participants will receive a combination of individual creator development grants, mentoring, training, access to industry facilities and commissioner support. The programme will encourage creators to develop content for specific audiences, explore routes to monetisation and investigate how artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging production tools can improve efficiency while protecting originality and creative control.
With support from BBC Cymru Wales and S4C, participants will have opportunities to refine their ideas, better understand audience needs and explore potential routes to distribution. We would encourage Welsh-language creators to apply, helping to strengthen Welsh-language digital content and reach new audiences in Wales and beyond.
The programme will conclude with a showcase event celebrating the work developed, sharing learning and exploring which formats and business models have the greatest potential for future growth.
Key dates:
Applications close: Midnight 6th Dec
Notification of success: Fri 11 Dec
Milestone meeting 1 & contract sign: 16 Dec
In-person event: w/c 11 Jan
Training and mentoring: Part-time between 11 Jan & 19 Mar
Milestone meeting 2: 9 Feb
Milestone meeting 3: 25 March
Showcase event: Date TBD
This course is fully funded by Creative Wales, and there is no cost to successful applicants.
The programme will focus on practical, creator-led development, combining training, mentoring and industry engagement to help participants research, develop and test new digital content ideas.
Depending on the successful applicants, key areas of focus during the training period will include:
- Audience development: Identifying target audiences, understanding their needs and testing strategies to build engagement and grow reach.
- Business models and monetisation:
- Innovation and emerging technologies
- Testing and evaluation
- Industry mentoring and commissioner engagement
The programme will combine individual development with opportunities to share learning, showcase work and connect with the wider creative industries.
The programme is intended for Welsh digital creators who want to develop new sustainable IP, experiment with new content formats and explore opportunities to grow their audiences. You must meet the criteria below:
- You must be based in Wales (with 3 years residency)
- You must be a UK national
- You must be aged 18+
- Set up as a sole trader or company to receive the £10,000 funding*
- Be available to dedicate time and effort to the programme between Jan and March 2027 (see key dates under 'outline')
- We particularly welcome applications from under-represented groups.
*N.B The £10,000 funding will not be paid upfront. Instead, payments will be made in instalments, subject to you completing the agreed deliverables outlined during the milestone meetings
To apply, please complete the application form here.
Applications will be invited from eligible Welsh digital creators interested in researching and developing original content, developing new IP, experimenting with new digital formats and exploring sustainable business models.
In the application process you must:
- Outline your content idea you would like to research and develop
- Present a proposed budget which represents good value for money
- Present a project plan and timeline with key deliverables, in line with the programme's milestone meetings (see key dates)
Examples include:
- New ways of generating and devloping content ideas for digital platforms
- New ways to engage audiences/ develop audience insights
- Market intelligence or consultation
- Digital strategies that maximise the commercial opportunities of the digital landscape
- The use of new technologies
- Innovative approaches to storytelling.
- Knowledge exchange activities, such as focus groups and workshops, designed to uncover new concepts, approaches or perspectives to inform the development of content.
- Audience research that leads to conceptual innovation and/ or the production of content that reaches more diverse or underserved audiences.
Market research that leads to deeper understanding of global markets and the development of strategies for targeted economic growth.
The outcome of this development project is likely to be a pilot episode(s), prototype, proof of concept, pitch deck, sizzle reel or technical plan, rather than a finished episode, animation or film. We encourage you to test your idea on the digital platform through the programme.
If you have any questions, please get in touch wales@nfts.co.uk
