Up to £30,000 of funding is available for charitable organisations in Swindon following the announcement that Amazon’s Regional Creatives Fund is returning for 2026.
The Regional Creatives Fund, established by Amazon in 2025, offers grants of up to £30,000 to UK charities, Community Interest Companies (CICs) and Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs) that develop creative industry career pathways. The Regional Creatives Fund is open to charitable organisations in Swindon and across the UK that help underserved communities access careers in the arts, TV, podcasting, gaming, fashion, photography, journalism, comedy, and more.
Applications are now open here and close on 2 August 2026. In 2025, Swindon’s WAY UK received £9,500 from the fund.
The 2026 Regional Creatives Fund, launched at The National Theatre in London by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, exists to widen access to creative industry careers for people in underserved communities and aligns with the Government’s Creative Places Growth Fund.
Applications are welcome from single organisations and from consortiums whose members are based in the same region, provided they already run skills projects making a real difference and are looking for further funding to grow, maintain, or reimagine that work.
Single organisations meeting the criteria are invited to apply for up to £30,000, while partnerships applying together can access as much as £100,000. By backing charitable organisations with established creative upskilling work, the Regional Creatives Fund gives community organisations the freedom to tackle their most urgent priorities.
The Regional Creatives Fund welcomes applications from organisations working across the creative industries, including:
- Music — performance, production, artist development, sound engineering, music business
- Performing Arts and Live Events — theatre, live performance, events production, stage management, technical production
- Screen and Audio — film, TV, animation, podcasting, radio, audio production
- Digital and Interactive — gaming, XR, AI-enabled creative tools, digital design, social media production
- Publishing and Communications — books, journalism, copywriting, PR, advertising, podcasting
- Fashion, Craft and Visual Arts — fashion, textiles, fine art, illustration, photography, graphic design
- Comedy — stand-up, sketch, sitcom, comedy writing, character comedy
- Cross-disciplinary — projects that genuinely span two or more of the above
- Other — creative industries where a strong fit is demonstrated
Applications are open for small to mid-size charitable organisations who are registered in the UK. Applicants must currently be running a programme that focuses on upskilling people from underserved communities for careers in creative industries. Creative Access, the UK’s leading inclusivity organisation in the creative industries, defines underserved communities as a population proven to be under-represented3 in the sector.
Through Amazon's network of creative industry professionals, the Regional Creatives Fund also provides charitable organisations with pro bono upskilling programmes, including mentoring, work experience, placements, and digital training. This support is available for the staff at community organisations and the people they support, delivered by creative minds from Amazon Music, Prime Video, Amazon Games, and more.
Applicants must be able to show the grant will expand or sustain an existing programme that's already making a difference, whether that's placements in game development studios, music production training, or portfolio development for the advertising creatives of tomorrow.
An independent expert judging panel will award funding to Regional Creatives Fund applicants. The panel includes senior leaders from Amazon, The National Theatre, BAFTA, Arts Council England, NI Screen, Creative Wales, Help Musicians, Audible and the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
Funding applications will be assessed across five key areas. Strong proposals will reflect the fund’s spirit with energy, optimism, and a clear creative purpose; deliver real impact through skills, access, and industry links; show a smart, achievable plan with confident delivery; centre inclusion by amplifying underrepresented voices; and build on existing programmes to grow what’s already working. More information on the judging criteria is available here.
The Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said: “The UK’s Creative Industries are the best in the world, from film and TV to theatre and music production. The Creative sector is a leading driver of economic growth and a provider of good jobs. This Government is determined that access to those jobs should be spread across the country, and available to everyone, everywhere.
“I’m really pleased to have worked with Amazon during the recent Greater Together LA conference to secure further investment in their Regional Creatives Fund, a great scheme that is investing directly in people’s potential.”
James Dibbo, Amazon VP and CFO for Global Entertainment, said: “Amazon is significantly invested in the success of the UK’s creative industries. This includes working together with the UK government to unlock creative opportunities across every nation and region of the country. After seeing the incredible impact of our first awardees, we are delighted that the Regional Creatives Fund is now reopen for applications. Where you start should not determine how far you go – and we want to help build a future where creativity belongs to everyone, everywhere.”
To find out more about the Regional Creatives Fund, visit https://www.aboutamazon.co.uk/news/community/amazon-regional-creatives-fund
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