The GMV Creative Innovation Funding deck is less a traditional startup pitch and more a collaborative educational resource for the UK creative sector. Dated February 2015, it brings together insights from Golant Media Ventures, the Business Growth Service, and Capital Enterprise. The slides provide a granular look at the funding landscape, citing specific grant values such as the £26m BFI Film Fund and the €561m Horizon 2020 ICT challenge. It also offers rare data on GrowthAccelerator companies, noting that 65% of their funding comes from equity with an average cheque of £766k. For founders,…
Key takeaways
- The deck identifies a diverse funding landscape including R&D, enterprise support, equity investment, and debt finance (Slide 2).
- Public funding opportunities are highly specific, such as the DfE childcare provision development grant offering up to £200k (Slide 8).
- The BFI Film Fund is cited as investing over £26m annually in UK film development and production (Slide 9).
- Data on GrowthAccelerator companies shows a heavy reliance on equity (65%) compared to debt (32%) and grants (3%) (Slide 6).
- Average cheque sizes for these companies are listed as £766k for equity, £374k for debt, and £262k for grants (Slide 6).
- The presentation emphasizes the importance of UK tax breaks including EIS and SEIS for attracting early-stage investors (Slide 103).
- A list of active Enterprise Capital Funds (ECFs) includes notable names like Notion Capital, Passion Capital, and Amadeus Capital (Slide 115).
- The deck highlights the 'Capital List' as a 'Minimum Viable Introducer' for connecting entrepreneurs with investors like Octopus and MMC Ventures (Slide 109).
Introduction and Landscape Overview
Slides 1-3: The Funding Framework
The presentation opens with a clear title slide dated 16 February 2015, establishing a partnership between Golant Media Ventures and Catapult Digital . The stated focus is 'Innovation for creative and cultural enterprises.' Slide 2 introduces the 'Funding landscape,' categorizing opportunities across the UK and EU into four main buckets: R&D, enterprise support, equity investment, and debt finance. Slide 3 dives into EU Horizon 2020 , describing it as a 10-year economic strategy for growth. It highlights two relevant strands: 'Industrial leadership' (including ICT) and 'Better society.' The slide clarifies that funding calls may support either 'Research innovation actions' for feasibility testing or 'Innovation actions' for scaling improved products and pilots.
The Business Growth Service Perspective
Slides 4-7: Trust and Metrics
Slide 4 introduces Sue Fraser , a Business Growth Manager from the Business Growth Service . This section shifts toward the practicalities of business advice. Slide 5 features a 'Business adviser trust spectrum,' which ranks different entities by how much founders trust them. According to the graphic, 'Business coaches' and 'Government funded support' are the most trusted, while 'Newspapers / digital networks' and 'Banks' sit at the bottom of the spectrum. Slide 6 provides critical data on GrowthAccelerator companies. It reveals that 65% of their funding is Equity, 32% is Debt, and only 3% is Grants. The average cheque sizes are precisely listed: £766k for equity, £374k for debt, and £262k for grants. Slide 7 serves as a contact page for Sue Fraser at Grant Thornton (uk.gt.com).
Specific Public Funding Calls
Slides 8-10: Grant Opportunities
This section provides actionable leads for founders. Slide 8 details a Public funding call for 'Childcare provision for parents' via the DfE and Innovate UK. It specifies a scale of 'Up to £200K' and a registration deadline of 25th March 2015. Slide 9 focuses on the BFI Film Fund , stating it invests over £26m of Lottery funds annually, with a projected rise to £30m by 2017. The fund supports development, production, and distribution, with an emphasis on diversity. Slide 10 highlights the Horizon 2020 ICT-20-2015 challenge, a massive €561,000,000 initiative focused on the digital learning ecosystem, including educational cloud solutions and big data.
Events and Case Studies
Slides 11-14: Networking and Learnings
Slide 11 lists various 'February Events' across the UK, including 'Digital Bristol Week' and 'Innovate UK Creative and Digital Meet-up' in Liverpool. Slide 12 introduces Mandy Berry , Chair of Miracle Theatre and Founder Director of Golant Media Ventures. Slide 13, titled 'Learnings,' offers strategic advice for the creative sector. It notes that 'Alternative content' screening is a high-growth sector but warns that delivery models are in flux. It suggests thinking of each filmed performance as a 'mini venture' rather than a break-even project. Slide 14 presents a complex diagram of CINEGI IP , mapping the relationship between rightsholders, promoters, venues, and audiences, specifically highlighting IP checkpoints for web applications, catalogues, and customer databases.
Capital Enterprise and the Path to Investment
Slides 85-97: Starting and Scaling
The deck transitions to content from Capital Enterprise . Slide 85 uses a Paul Graham quote to define the three requirements for a successful startup: good people, something customers want, and spending as little money as possible. Slide 91 expands this into the '3 Ass-es rule' by Jeff Clavier: a Smart Ass Team , a Kick Ass Product , and a Big Ass Market . Slide 97 provides a decision tree for founders needing less than £10k to build an MVP. It suggests paths for those with no funds (grants like j4b.co.uk), the unemployed (New Enterprise Allowance Scheme), or those willing to borrow (Start-Up Loans or Community Development Finance Institutions).
Tax Incentives and Venture Capital Resources
Slides 103-121: The Investor Ecosystem
Slide 103 emphasizes the 'Importance of Tax breaks,' specifically listing EIS (Enterprise Investment Scheme), SEIS (Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme), and ECFs (Enterprise Capital Funds). Slide 109 introduces the Capital List , described as 'The Minimum Viable Introducer.' It showcases logos of partner investors including Octopus Investments , Nesta , MMC Ventures , and JamJar Investments . Slide 115 provides a directory of Enterprise Capital Funds, categorizing them by specialty: Notion Capital (SaaS), Passion Capital (Early Stage), Dawn Capital (Fintech/SaaS), and Longwall (Science-backed). The deck concludes on Slide 121 with contact information for Sia at capitalist.co.
What Works in This Deck
The primary strength of this presentation is its density of specific, verifiable data . Unlike many decks that use vague market size estimates, this deck cites exact grant amounts (e.g., the £200k SBRI grant on Slide 8) and average cheque sizes for specific programs (Slide 6). This provides immediate utility to the reader. Furthermore, the inclusion of a 'Trust Spectrum' (Slide 5) shows a sophisticated understanding of the founder's journey, acknowledging the skepticism many entrepreneurs feel toward traditional banking institutions. The directory of venture funds on Slide 115 is also highly valuable, as it categorizes investors by their specific sector focus, saving founders significant research time.
What Is Omitted
Because this is a resource deck rather than a company pitch, it lacks several standard components. There is no unified 'Ask' for capital; instead, it presents a menu of where others can find capital. There is no competitive analysis for a specific product, nor is there a financial projection for a single entity. While it mentions 'Cinegi IP' (Slide 14), it does not provide unit economics or a go-to-market strategy for that specific platform. Additionally, the deck is a composite of multiple organizations (Golant, Business Growth Service, Capital Enterprise), which can make the narrative flow feel disjointed as the branding and tone shift between sections.
Founder Takeaways
Founders should emulate the resource-first approach seen in the Capital Enterprise section. By providing a clear roadmap for different funding levels (Slide 97), the deck demonstrates how to build credibility by being helpful. The '3 Ass-es rule' on Slide 91 is a masterclass in memorable messaging ; it distills complex venture capital requirements into a simple, punchy framework that is easy for an audience to internalize. Finally, founders should note the importance of tax eligibility (Slide 103). In the UK market, being SEIS/EIS eligible is often a prerequisite for seed-stage investment, and highlighting this status prominently—as this deck does for the ecosystem—is a tactic every early-stage founder should adopt.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the primary purpose of this deck?
- This deck functions as an informational seminar presentation rather than a fundraise pitch. It was designed to educate creative and cultural enterprises on the various 'strands' of funding available in 2015, ranging from EU-wide initiatives like Horizon 2020 to localized UK grants and private equity networks.
- What specific public grants are mentioned?
- The deck lists several high-value opportunities: the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) for childcare solutions (£200k), the BFI Film Fund (£26m-£30m budget), and the Horizon 2020 ICT-20-2015 challenge, which had a massive scale of €561,000,000 for digital learning ecosystems.
- How does the deck characterize the 'ideal' investable startup?
- Citing Jeff Clavier’s '3 Ass-es rule,' the deck states a startup needs a 'Smart Ass Team,' a 'Kick Ass Product,' and a business model that can capture a 'Big Ass Market.' It also emphasizes capital efficiency and the ability to create a repeatable, scalable business.
- What are the key differences in funding types presented?
- The deck distinguishes between 'Research innovation actions' (R&D for new knowledge) and 'Innovation actions' (new or improved products/services). It also contrasts public procurement (grants) with private capital, noting that while grants are harder to get (3% of the mix), they provide significant non-dilutive capital.
- Which venture capital firms are highlighted as resources?
- The presentation identifies several 'Enterprise Capital Funds' active in the UK, including Notion Capital (SaaS), Passion Capital (Early Stage), Amadeus Capital, Episode1, and Dawn Capital (Fintech/SaaS). It provides these as direct leads for founders ready for equity investment.
