Business Development

StartEast

StartEast, our bespoke business development programme for creative enterprise across Norfolk and Suffolk, concluded on 30 September 2019.

This ground-breaking economic development initiative was managed by Norfolk County Council in partnership with Suffolk County Council and on behalf of the New Anglia Culture Board. Delivered by the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich and launched in May 2017, the programme was made possible by over £1.2 million of investment from the European Regional Development Fund (£609,773) and Arts Council England Creative Local Growth Fund (£500k).

StartEast provided expert business support and investment to over 360 small/medium creative enterprises, start-ups, pre-start-ups and sole traders across our region. As hoped, StartEast has enabled a significant change in the capacity, ambition, impact and economic contribution of our regional creative enterprise sector. The programme evaluation, undertaken by BOP Consultancy, outlines the key outcomes of the programme.

Visit StartEast for information and resources (opens new window)

Download the StartEast evaluation report (PDF, 2 MB)

Creative East: Create Growth Programme

The Creative East: Create Growth Programme is a £1.275 million investment readiness and business support programme, funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, to boost growth in the creative industries across the East.

The programme is led by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in partnership with Greater Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Council, Norfolk County Council, Suffolk County Council, and delivered by University of East Anglia (UEA) in partnership with Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), University of Suffolk (UoS) and Norwich University of the Arts (NUA).

Participants will be given a 12-week bespoke programme of specialist seminars, round table events, one-to-one expert mentoring, pitching sessions and networking events, covering 'everything you ever needed to know' to get your business in shape to take on investment and grow.

Find out more and register your interest on the Creative East website.