Crowdfunder and Creative UK have announced a new crowdfunding offer with 0% platform fees for creative projects, in response to the ‘serious barriers to funding’ faced by creative industries businesses.
Creative UK, the national membership body for the cultural and creative industries, has teamed up with well-known crowdfunding platform, Crowdfunder in response to the findings of its own research showing serious barriers to funding for the creative industries.
In ‘Unleashing Creativity: Fixing the Finance Gap in the Creative Industries,’ published earlier in 2025 in partnership with the Creative Industries and Policy & Evidence Centre, Creative UK found that creative organisations have a higher appetite for growth than businesses in other sectors (72% vs 59%) - but were four times more likely to face obstacles in accessing the finance needed to fund it.
Crowdfunder has a long history of supporting creativity and culture. Since 2020, the platform has helped creative and arts projects to raise over £52 million, funding everything from independent cinemas and grassroots music venues, to local bookshops, debut albums, and theatre productions.
Communities across the UK have consistently turned to Crowdfunder to support the arts projects that they love. In partnership with the Music Venue Trust, over £9 million pounds have been raised to help protect music venues at risk of closure, securing vital parts of the UK’s cultural fabric.
Crowdfunder’s partnership with Creative UK builds on that record, offering a fee-free route for creative projects to raise the funds they need while also mobilising community backing.
“So much of what we do at Creative UK is about opening up funding opportunities to the creative companies providing the innovation and dynamism that drives the UK economy. With this new partnership, we plan to give creative and cultural organisations another bite at the apple. Creative companies are hungry for funding and growth, but despite their ambition and clout (growing 1.5 times faster than the wider economy), they find these hard to come by. This crowdfunding initiative will offer 0% platform fees and another way for creatives to raise the funds they need to take their businesses to the next level.”
Laura Turner Laing, Managing Director of Creative UK
“Creativity is at the heart of thriving communities, and we’ve seen how people rally to support the arts projects they love. We are the UK’s leading platforms for fundraising for creative industries, covering a wide spectrum of project everything from music venues to theatre to gaming. Partnering with Creative UK is a natural step for us, by removing fees and harnessing community power, we’re opening up new opportunities for communities to flourish across the UK.”
Dawn Bebe, Co-CEO of Crowdfunder
Notes to Editors
About Creative UK:
Creative UK is the national membership body for the Cultural and Creative Industries. We exist to champion creativity in its widest form - representing world-leading organisations from sectors as diverse as advertising, animation, architecture, broadcasting, crafts, design, digital, education, fashion, games, heritage, museums, music, performing arts, photography, publishing, theatre, TV, visual art and more.
We are an independent not-for-profit, which uses the insight and experience of our members, partners and the businesses we work with to help shape relevant government policy and advocate for meaningful social and economic change right across the UK.
Our vision is a world where creativity is valued and recognised as the driving force for our future. We’re so passionate about this that we put our money where our mouth is: through our own landmark investment funds, we’ve directly invested millions of pounds into creative businesses over the last decade.
Our team is based across the UK, and we work closely with Local and Combined Authorities to support creative talent, whilst delivering hands-on support – spanning business diagnostics, mentoring and investment readiness.
Our Filming in England service is a dedicated and bespoke production service to feature film and high-end TV productions looking to film in England, outside of London.
About Crowdfunder:
Crowdfunder is the UK’s leading crowdfunding platform, connecting communities, organisations, and individuals to the funding they need to bring their ideas to life.
Since its launch, Crowdfunder has helped raise hundreds of millions for projects that make a difference – from community initiatives and environmental campaigns to creative, cultural, and social enterprises.
Crowdfunder has a thriving community of supporters and partnerships with leading organisations. Crowdfunder offers more than just money – it brings people together to make change happen.
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