Arts and Technology Pilot Programme
Guidance for applicants
Summary
Innovate UK and Arts Council England are inviting Expressions of Interest to deliver
pilot projects as part of the Arts and Technology programme – a new collaboration
between the two organisations. Both Innovate UK and Arts Council England
recognise the importance of arts and culture as a source of innovation and economic
growth. In a context of rapid developments in technology, and accompanying shifts
in ways of working, from start-up culture to networked artistic and cultural practices,
the Arts and Technology Programme focuses support on a dynamic cohort of
individuals working at the interface of art and technology. In doing so we hope to
enhance innovation in business and arts practice and encourage more interaction
between the arts and technology.
Programme vision and objectives
The UK is home to world-class creative businesses and individuals renowned for
their artistic excellence, as well as being at the cutting edge of technological
innovation. In fields ranging from software development and electronic engineering
through to performing arts and music production, it is the combination of technical
expertise and creativity that is becoming more and more important.
In order to enhance creative practice and increase the socio-economic benefits of
the creative industries, Arts Council England and Innovate UK are jointly seeking to
intensify arts and technology innovation by artists, creative professionals, scientists,
digital technologists and entrepreneurs, providing them with the opportunity to
strengthen their practice and to develop new business ventures. Delivered initially as
a pilot running in three areas, the programme will provide a space to develop new
products, services and practices, and to stimulate collaboration and business
acumen.
More specifically, the objectives of the three pilot projects are as follows:
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To support experimental and highly innovative research and development at
the interface of arts and technology.
Build the business capacity and unlock the potential of people and companies
working in new ways with technology.
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Test a model of intervention across three pilot areas, in order to inform further
programmes.
Programme Principles
The Arts and Technology Pilot Programme aims to strengthen innovation support for
individuals and businesses working across arts and technology – providing them with
the space, the tools and the advice necessary to develop new products and services
and to build their business capacity. The key principles of the programme are as
follows:
People: Backing individuals with potential, in order to build a cohort of collaborative
innovation, with a clear commitment to equality of opportunity
Innovation for arts and technology: Creating a rolling, open, flexible process to
support collaboration in arts and technology, and to intensify and accelerate
innovation
Business development journey: Taking people on a journey which promotes
innovation and aids the development of appropriate business models
Multiple development routes: Advising and supporting multiple routes to
development and growth: commercialisation, new collaborations, and new markets
and market opportunities
Pilot Projects
Grants will be awarded to three agencies to trial this approach across three different
contexts, and to generate learning to inform a potential roll out of further activity.
While each pilot will be operated differently, it is envisaged that all of the pilots will
contain the following key components:
 A programme of networking and collaboration with artists and technologists
working in new ways
 Selection of a cohort of 10-15 individuals to take through a support
programme
 A period of induction for the cohort, during which all individuals will be
required to develop an ‘Innovation Development Plan’, setting out how
participation in this programme will stimulate creative or business innovation
across arts and technology
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Access to grant-funding for the cohort – given either as a ‘bursary’ at the
beginning of the programme, or as a grant or set of small grants to support
development through the programme
Dedicated 1-1 coaching and support for all individuals on the programme (a
central pool of coaches/advisers will be maintained, together with a range of
other support and advice which agencies will be able to make use of)
Activities to support ongoing collaboration between the programme
participants
Pilot managers will be expected to participate in a learning and development
group, meeting regularly throughout the Pilot period. This learning would be
serviced by an independent team
In addition to all of the above, a dedicated Business Innovation Growth Fund is being
established by Innovate UK. This fund is available to the Pilot agencies and is
intended to support individuals or businesses with particular ambitions to develop
products and services as part of a business growth plan. The fund would be held
centrally by Innovate UK, with awards made directly to individuals or companies.
Through the learning and development programme, Arts Council England and
Innovate UK will assess the different ways in which the Pilot projects deliver the
various aspects of the programme, the types of support and intervention developed,
and the specific cultural and economic context within which they are being delivered.
Ultimately, the success of the programme will depend on the extent to which it
generates:
Innovation: Demonstrable impact on creative, product, service or business
innovation: more collaborations, commercial partnerships, market opportunities, and
more R&D activity
People: Demonstrable impact on people working across arts and technology: more
people, more interactions; enhanced skills, experience and expertise
Resilience: Demonstrable and measurable impact on the business acumen and
commercial resilience of people, micros and SMEs
Eco-System: Evidence of more cross-sector organisational collaboration and
partnership working, and evidence of a strengthened arts-technology cluster
Arts and Technology Pilot Programme selection process:
 Arts Council England and Innovate UK are jointly contributing up to £1million
for the three pilots. We therefore expect the grants to each project to be
c.£200,000
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Potential pilot agencies are invited to submit a short on-line Expression of
Interest (EOI). EOIs can be submitted via the online application portal which
can be accessed through Arts Council England’s website from 10am on
Monday 30 March. The deadline for submission of EOIs is 5pm on 22 April
2015.
The EOIs will be assessed against the following criteria:
Readiness to operate a new support programme working across arts and
technology
Evidence of potential cohort of people and businesses
Evidence of particular need or context, which will add value in the testing of
the model
Track record of working across arts and technology over the last 2-3 years
The capacity of agencies to have systems and processes in place both to
receive grant funds, and also to act as grant administers [or administrators]
Following the EOI phase, Arts Council England and Innovate UK are aiming to select
three agencies which will be invited to submit a formal Programme Plan, setting out
how they would deliver an Arts and Technology programme pilot. They will be asked
to complete a full Programme Plan, as set out below. In addition, Arts Council
England and Innovate UK representatives will take account of the geographic spread
of applicants, and how they map onto emerging and established creative industries
clusters across England. It is anticipated that at least one Pilot project will be in a
non-urban setting, and at least one in an emerging arts and technology cluster.
Programme plan details:
 The formal submission of Programme Plans will be invited in May 2015
following receipt and acceptance of an initial Expression of Interest (EOI).
 In setting out how they will deliver the Arts and Technology programme,
potential Pilot agencies will need to submit a Programme Plan which
addresses the following points in particular:
Sourcing and selection process: How individuals demonstrating excellence and
motivation will be recruited; how their commitment to innovation will be assessed;
whether there will be any particular innovation focus within the programme; and how
equality of opportunity will be addressed.
Innovation plan development: How selected participants would be inducted; the
nature of support for ‘innovation plan’ development.
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Funding regime: How support funding will be allocated to individuals (for instance, as
a grant and/or loan triggered by acceptance of innovation plan; and/or drawn-down
against agreed milestones); how participants might be expected to use the funds.
Coaching and support: How coaching and support will be provided and tailored to
meet different needs; the process for identifying and appointing this support, in
partnership with programme sponsors.
Collaboration and networking: A programme of activity encouraging ongoing
collaboration and networking, and including learning and showcasing.
Project management: Appropriate project controls, especially with regards to
administering grant giving; project milestones and timelines, against which
development and progress will be measured; details on roles and responsibilities of
partner organisations.
Applicants will also be expected to demonstrate how they will contribute to a
programme of learning and evaluation.
Following the submission and review of Programme Plans, grants will be negotiated
and agreed with the pilot programmes running from Summer 2015 until September
2016.
Organisations wishing to submit an Expression of Interest will need to
complete a short eligibility quiz before completing the Expression of Interest
form which can be accessed here:
https://forms.artscouncil.org.uk/officeforms/Arts_Projects.ofml
This needs to be completed by 5pm on 22 April 2015.
Following this EOI process, invitations will be issued to shortlisted organisations to
submit a programme plan on 22 May 2015.
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