Amazon: Regional Creatives Fund

Overview

Overview

The Regional Creatives Fund (RCF) supports initiatives that strengthen, enhance, or innovate existing programmes designed to upskill individuals and create sustainable pathways into the creative industries.

The fund will be available to charities which support individuals break into publishing, music, gaming, film, TV, fashion, advertising, and other creative sectors where diversity and fresh perspectives can drive innovation and change.

They prioritise strategic investments that build on what already works and can demonstrate a lasting, measurable impact on individuals, communities, and the wider creative sector.

In addition to financial support, the Regional Creatives Fund will also use Amazon’s network of creative industry professionals to offer charities pro-bono upskilling programmes--including mentoring, work experience, placement opportunities, and digital training, with support provided by minds from Amazon Music, Prime Video, Amazon Games, and more.

Eligibility

• Applications are open to registered charities operating in the Creative Industries.
• Projects must focus on upskilling, training, or employment-readiness within the creative sector, particularly for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds or underserved regions.
• Funding is only available to projects that are already operational or have previously been piloted, this is not a start-up fund.
• Organisations must demonstrate impact to date and show a clear plan for how funding will grow, improve, or innovate the work already underway.

They are particularly interested in working with charity partners who see this funding as the start of a longer-term relationship, rather than a one-off opportunity.

What will they fund

They fund applications that: 

• Expand or deepen an existing creative upskilling initiative.
• Offer practical training, mentorship, or industry exposure in areas such as publishing, music, gaming, film, TV, fashion and advertising and more.
• Target individuals from underrepresented or underserved backgrounds, especially those who face barriers to education and access to employment in the creative industries.
• Have a clear plan for how the funding will improve or innovate existing delivery.
• Can demonstrate past success, even at a small scale, and a strong understanding of what works and what needs refinement.
• Align with their mission to create long-term community benefit through creative opportunity and employment

Applicants must be able to demonstrate that the fund will be used to expand or continue an existing, impactful programme, such as music production training, portfolio development, or even placements in game development studios.

Criteria

Applications will be reviewed against a clear set of criteria focused on: 

• Impact and reach
• Sustainability and readiness
• Evidence of past success
• Alignment with their ethos
• Equity and inclusion
• Geographic representation, to ensure broad regional impact across the UK (while not guaranteed or pre-allocated) 

Strong proposals typically: 

• Reflect the spirit of the fund - Show energy, purpose and a genuine commitment to creative development.
• Create real impact - Demonstrate how people will gain creative skills, experience, and access to future opportunities and jobs.
• Have a clear and achievable plan - Including a realistic timeline, a strong project plan with well thought through milestones and deliverables and shows a smart use of funds.
• Are rooted in inclusion - Centre underrepresented people or stories and expand access to creative spaces.
• Build on what’s already working - Grow or improve something that already shows promise or success

Funding Level & Notes

Individual organisation applications

• Eligible for funding between £1,000 and £30,000
• Small-scale, targeted enhancement.
  • Ideal for:
    • Existing programmes needing a boost to deepen or refine delivery.
  • You might be:
    • Adding a new module to an existing course.
    • Increasing access for a specific group (e.g. disabled participants, care leavers).
    • Purchasing equipment or software to improve participant experience, depending on the project’s scale, ambition, and potential impact.

Assessors will look for: A focused plan with measurable benefits for participants, A strong link between the proposal and your existing delivery, and Clear, realistic budgeting that shows how a modest investment will unlock meaningful impact.

Consortium applications

• Available to groups of three or more organisations from the same region or locality.
• Eligible for up to £100,000, broken down as:
  • Up to £30,000 per participating organisation, plus a £10,000 coordination and admin allowance for the lead organisation.
  • All consortium members must collaborate on a shared goal, demonstrating how the joint proposal offers collective community or sectoral benefit.

Ideal for: Organisations trialling a new approach or scaling up delivery. 

You might be:

• Piloting a new format (e.g. hybrid delivery, new locations).
• Expanding to a new target group or underserved geographic area.
• Bringing in specialist tutors or collaborators to diversify offer.

Assessors will look for: Evidence of demand or community need for the new offer, Thoughtful innovation grounded in previous delivery experience, and A clear plan for implementation, with risk awareness and mitigation. 

See Guidebook for more details.