Welcome to the May LCR Digital, Creative & Tech round up
Here we share some of the fantastic businesses we are home to; the good work being done in nurturing our talent pipeline; all important funding and opportunities relevant to your business; and helpful events happening for you. Please contact our Digital & Creative Champion for details on any of the below at helen.cross@growthplatform.org
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Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, has announced a new £2.24m High Growth Innovation Fund to help dozens of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to grow and create good quality jobs. The fund will provide grants from £25k – £75k to SMEs that can demonstrate a commercial market impact within six months within one of the City Region strategic priority areas including Tech for Good. Find out more here.
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Liverpool's Baltic Triangle Area have collaborated with local venues - 92 Degrees coffee, Chapters of Us, Baltic Social, Black Lodge Brewery, Seven Store and Space by Liquid - and artists Jon Turton and Kula Studio for an exhibition of the works of some of Ukraine's best creatives to raise funds for the artists The Campaign will be running from 20 May - 18 June. Find out more here.
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A big welcome to Tencent Games, the world's biggest video games developer and publisher, who have opened a studio in Liverpool. It's fantastic that they have chosen Liverpool as their latest development studio. Read more about the company here.
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TV dramas Time and Help bagged two gongs each at the BAFTA TV awards, marking the first prizes for projects supported by the Liverpool City Region Production Fund, managed by Liverpool Film Office. Find out more here.
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A Liverpool tech firm, Videosign, has developed an artificial intelligence platform to verify the identity of document signatories and raised £1.15m of new investment. Find out more about Videosign here.
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New tech venture, Peepl, designed to take on the might of big delivery giants such as Amazon, Deliveroo and Just Eat is up and running. Find out more about Peepl here.
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Businesses asked to Give an Hour to inspire young people
Growth Platform – Liverpool City Region Growth Company has re-launched its successful campaign to encourage businesses to make a difference to the futures of young people in Liverpool City Region.
The initiative- run jointly by Growth Platform’s Careers Hub and The Careers & Enterprise Company – highlights that in as little as one hour, organisations can help to transform a young person’s future by bringing to life different career opportunities and providing insight about the skills young people need to be work-ready and successful in the workplace. Find out more here.
LJMU and Baltic Creative collaboration set to equip region with more creatives
This new partnership will enable Baltic Creative tenants to connect with students, help develop their skills and create new employment opportunities. With a diverse mix of artists, entrepreneurs, makers and SMEs based within Baltic Creative workspaces, it is hoped that the students will be inspired to pave their own way as the next generation of creatives and business leaders. Find out more here
£8.1m boost to expand Skills Bootcamps for the Liverpool City Region
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has secured £8.1m to deliver Skills Bootcamps in a range of sectors over the next year, after successfully piloting Skills Bootcamps in digital skills over the last two years. Skills Bootcamps provide training in construction, digital, engineering, green skills, HGV drivers, and rail. Thousands of people are expected to benefit from the free courses, which are intended to raise skill levels in key sectors, enabling eligible adults to move into more sustainable roles, and provide residents with the skills the region’s employers really need. Find out more here.
Hiring Ukranian refugees
Can you offer good employment or support opportunities for Ukrainian refugees? Check out this important campaign co-created by some of the North’s leading organisations & companies unitedforukraine.org.uk
Fully funded student interns from LJMU & UoL
If you have the capacity in your Liverpool City Region business to nurture one of Liverpool John Moores University students in a fully-funded internship, you can register your expression of interest here
Liverpool interns from the University of Liverpool is also offering funded internships such across a variety of business disciplines. Find out more here
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Helping you to export to the USA
Carlo Cavagna, based in LA and Department for International Trade Regional Director for South West in the United States will be in Liverpool for a round table with tech and creative companies on Thursday 19 May at 10.30am in The Shed, Baltic Creative. For business owners or directors with an interest in the West Coast USA, this is an opportunity to meet with Carlo and discuss the business environment and ask questions. Please email Margaret.bourke@tradenw.org if you would like to attend as numbers are limited and it’s first come, first served.
Doing Business in Australia
North West companies are invited to join Department for International Trade to explore more about the opportunities resulting from the Australia Free Trade Agreement. Presentations and one to one appointment are available on 17th May. An Australian IP lawyer who has helped over 100 UK companies to establish in Australia will also be available. Email events@tradenw.org for more details and to book a place.
BFI National Lottery strategy consultation - Video Games sector focus
The BFI has been consulting on its National Lottery funding priorities for the next 10 years. Following regional consultations this is your chance to have your say on the objectives and ensure the funding framework for 2023 - 2033 is fit for purpose for the games sector . Find out more here.
Join the Baltic Creative CIC Board
Baltic Creative CIC is seeking to appoint two new board members in 2022. They are keen to ensure they have the vision, capacity and skills to oversee the next phase of their ambitious and inclusive growth plans and continue to sustain the Creative and Digital sector in the region. Find out more here.
Public Consultation on HEMISPHERE
A public consultation to present HEMISPHERE has been announced by Sciontec as the next phase of development at Liverpool’s Paddington Village. Alongside the 120,000sqft of Grade A office provision, HEMISPHERE will include an array of collaboration spaces, a wellness studio, café, and extensive new areas of biophilia inspired high-quality, green, public realm. The public consultation event will be held on Monday the 16th of May at The Spine, Paddington Village between 4pm-7pm. Find out more here
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Funding & National Bodies
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LCR High Growth Programme
The LCR High Growth Programme is designed to support businesses in Liverpool City Region demonstrating high growth potential to innovate, adapt, and grow. Through offering a range of support measures designed to drive innovation and growth, our account managers will work with business leaders to take a forensic look at their business and connect them with support that will best create growth. The programme is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Find out more here.
Innovate UK R&D funding
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £25 million for game-changing and commercially viable research and development (R&D) innovation that can significantly impact the UK economy. This funding is from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation. Find out more here
LCR Angel Network boost
A £1m funding boost to the LCR Angel Network in a bid to support SME growth and create new jobs across the region. The network will contribute to the city region’s ambition to invest 5% of its economy on Research and Development (R&D) by 2030 making it easier for high-growth technology and research and innovation businesses to access early stage funding. Find out more here
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Liverpool City Region Innovation Investment Summit, 25 May, 10:00am-12:00pm, The Spine Liverpool
Join top technologists, scientists, investors and professional advisers from across the UK at this unique conference about how the Liverpool City Region can continue its innovation success – and boost investment in its most dynamic, entrepreneurial ventures. Register here.
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'Digital Tech Cluster CTO Meetup, 23 May, 12:00pm and 5:00pm
This series of CTO Meetups is for anyone leading the development of digital technology in their business. Discussion topics will include scaling software and teams and dealing with the CEO & board. Find out more here.
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SocialNorth, The Music Room, Royal Philharmonic Hall, 24 May 6:30pm
SocialNorth is the free networking event for EVERYONE working in the social and digital industries. Meet new people and learn from the best in the business from this networking organisation operating in cities across the North. Find out more here.
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Jelly Liverpool, Liverpool Science Park, 3rd Thursday of each month
An all day offer for Liverpool’s freelance community to meet-up in the entrance café at Liverpool Science Park. Find out more here.
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StartUp Saturday: One day business class in Liverpool, Central Library, 28 May, 10:00am-4:30pm
Join Enterprise Nation, the UK’s leading small business network, to learn everything you need to get started on your business – in just one day. Find out more here
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The Startup Factory x Startup Grind Liverpool: General startup advice, Chapters of Us, 25 May, 2:00pm
Find out more here
The Startup Factory x Startup Grind Liverpool: Technical and Product startup advice, Chapters of Us, 1 June, 2:00pm
Find out more here
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ukie Hub Crawl 2022 Next level Indies, 1 June, 4.30pm - 7:00pm, Barclays Eagle Labs, Liverpool
An essential series of events for those looking to broaden their knowledge or deepen their understanding of the key opportunities within the games industry. The Hub Crawl will feature an array of expert speakers sharing their insight around key industry issues. Find out more here
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Access previous Growth Platform events via our YouTube channel
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Liverpool City Region Digital & Creative Board
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The LCR Digital & Creative Board is the voice of the city region’s digital, creative and tech businesses. It is driving improvements for the sector through business growth initiatives, skills and talent retention and developing the space, place and infrastructure to help the sector flourish.
You can read about who is in on the LCR Digital & Creative Board here and we welcome your views and input via helen.cross@growthplatform.org.
The next meeting is the 8 June 2022.
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