Creative Spark: Higher Education Enterprise Programme

Written by Kate Beresford

British Council launches funding to develop the creative economy through HE sector in the UK and Central Asia, South Caucasus and Ukraine.

A new programme with funding opportunities for UK universities and creative institutions has been announced by the British Council.

The Creative Spark: Higher Education Enterprise Programme is a five-year initiative which will support the development of enterprise skills and the creative economy across seven countries in Central Asia, South Caucasus and Ukraine through UK support.

Responding to high youth unemployment rates and an underdeveloped creative sector, Creative Spark will fund up to 22 international partnerships between higher education and creative institutions in the UK and: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

With an aim to build partnerships which will support enterprise education – including establishing enterprise hubs – the programme will benefit university students, graduates and young entrepreneurs who will learn a range of skills from how to pitch ideas to how to start a business. Each partnership will be granted a maximum of £50,000.

In addition, the British Council will develop new digital content to help young people strengthen their English language skills, whilst learning about entrepreneurship through a series of free online courses.

Guidelines for the Creative Spark Partnership Fund is available here with a call for applications for up to £50,000 funding per project. The programme formally launched at EEUK’s annual conference, IEEC2018, in Leeds.