Creative technology businesses in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire are being invited to learn about a round of research and development funding available across the West Midlands.
CreaTech Frontiers will return to Stoke on September 9 for a briefing on its 2026 Foundations Fund call, giving local companies an opportunity to understand the funding, discuss project ideas and find out how to apply.
The event will run from 1pm to 3pm at The Quarter at Potbank, Elenora Street, Stoke.
CreaTech Frontiers is a five-year, £7.2 million initiative funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. It aims to grow the West Midlands’ creative technology sector through collaborative R&D, business innovation and skills development.
The programme is led by Birmingham City University and delivered with partners including Coventry University, the University of Birmingham, the University of Warwick, the Royal Shakespeare Company and Digital Catapult.
A total of £1.8 million is being distributed through open calls to regional small and medium-sized businesses, including smaller companies which have traditionally found R&D funding difficult to access.
Unlike some West Midlands funding programmes, the geographical eligibility explicitly includes businesses registered in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, alongside companies across the region.
Potential projects could combine creativity with technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual or augmented reality, immersive audio and video, gaming, animation, virtual production and digital storytelling.
The programme is also intended to help businesses develop products, services, prototypes and content while accessing academic expertise and industry partners.
Stoke-on-Trent animation studio Carse & Waterman Productions is among the companies to have received funding through an earlier CreaTech Frontiers call.
The Stoke event is being hosted by Framescape and is free to attend, although advance registration is required.
Businesses can find information and reserve a place through Eventbrite.
