Access to finance in the creative industries

This project will determine whether creative businesses face sector-specific barriers when accessing finance, and if so, what the reasons are for these barriers. The findings will help creative businesses and investors better understand financial risks in the sector.

Policymakers and business support agencies will also be able to draw on the findings to help design strategies that support creative business growth.

Data will be gathered through a survey of businesses across all the sectors of the creative industries. It will be analysed using quantitative methods to establish the severity of the gap between their existing and optimal funding mixes. Companies in 'allied industries', such as media and sports, will be used as a control group to determine whether the barriers faced by creative businesses are sector-specific.

The research team will also interview sources of funding for the creative sector, including banks, venture capitalists, business angels, public sources of funding and publishers.

Published
March 2007

Authors
Joseph Lampel and Ajay Bhalla (Cass Business School, City University, London), and Pushkar Jha (Newcastle University). 

Download the report