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CREATIVEWORKSLONDONCREATIVEVOUCHERGUIDELINESANDFAQSFUNDEDBYTHEARTSANDHUMANITIESRESEARCHCOUNCILAND
EUROPEANREGIONALDEVELOPMENTFUND
WHATISTHECREATIVEWORKSLONDONCREATIVEVOUCHERSCHEME?TheCreativeworksLondonCreativeVouchersSchemeisaninitiativethathasbeenestablishedtoenablesmallandmediumsizedenterprises(SMEs)todevelopuniqueandinnovativeshort-term,collaborativeresearchanddevelopmentwithCreativeworksLondon’sacademicpartnersandIndependentResearchOrganisations(IROs).Thesearelistedatwww.cwlondon.org.ukTheschemeisdesignedtoprovideaflexible,easymechanismforsmallbusinessesintheCreativeIndustriestoaccesstheknowledge,expertiseandskillsofCreativeworksLondonpartners.Themaximumsumavailableis£15,000ofwhichamaximumof£5,000canbeusedforSMEcosts.VouchersareavailableforSMEsinCreativeIndustriesCompanies(includingmicro-enterprises).TheSMEshouldberegisteredandhavebeentradingforatleast18months.CreativeworksLondonrecognisesthefollowingsub-sectorsaseligibletoapplytothescheme.
• Museums,galleries,heritage• Exhibition,festivals• Music,performance,visual&graphicarts• Architecture,craft,design,fashion• Advertising• Publishing• Film,broadcast,newmedia• Internetandsocialnetworking• CreativeR&Dwithtechnology• Creativeinterfaceswithbusiness• Ethicaldevelopmentsaroundnewtechnologies• Regulationandintellectualpropertywork
SMEswillbeexpectedtoapplywitheitheranacademicpartnerfromoneofCreativeworksLondon’sHEIsorIROsinthepartnership.TheIROsare:BritishMuseum,Tate,V&A,BritishLibraryandNationalArchives.THEPROCESSPleasenotethatasof01/10/2013werequirethatonememberoftheapplyingpartnershiphasattendedatleastoneeventtobeeligibleforaCreativeVoucher.Stage1:AttendanceofaCreativeworksLondonIdeasPoolStage2:Developnewbusiness-researcherrelationshipsandprojectsviatheIdeasPool.Stage3:AttendanceofbothpartnerstoaCreativeworksLondonapplicationworkshop(notcompulsory,howeveritisrecommended)Stage4:Workupacollaborativeapplicationarisingfromthethemeoftheideaspool.Stage5:Submitapplicationtodeadline.
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Stage6:Informedofawardresults(within6weeksofsubmission).Stage7:Commencingprojectactivities.Stage8:Projectcompletion(3to6monthsfromprojectstart).Stage9:ResearchandevaluationsubmittedtoCreativeworksLondon.Itmustbeclearwhatcollaborativeresearchanddevelopmentsupportisbeingofferedbytheresearchpartnerandatwhatcost(onlydirectcostswillbepaidfor).ArtsandHumanitiesbasedprovisionwillbeprioritised.TheVoucherswillbeissuedcompetitivelytoSMEsfollowingparticipationinaCreativeworksLondonIdeasPool.Informationeventstosupporttheprocesswillbeheldthroughouttheyear.SELECTIONCRITERIA
1. TheapplicationneedstocomprisearesearchpartnerfromtheCreativeworksLondonnetworkaswellasanSME.
2. Qualityoftheproposalandrelevancetothetheme.3. Evidenceofgoodpartnership‘fit’.4. Evidencethattheresearcherhastheknowledge,skillsandexperiencerequiredtosuccessfully
delivertheresearch.5. BenefittotheSMEpartnerintermsofbusinessgrowthanddevelopment.6. BenefittoLondon’swiderCreativeEconomy.7. Potentialforlong-termpartnershipdevelopmentbetweentheSMEandresearchpartner8. Valueformoney.9. Applicationsmustbesubmittedontherelevantapplicationforms.
FREQUENTLYASKEDQUESTIONSQ.IfIamanindividual(soletrader)orcharitycanIapplytothefund?
A:Yes.Donotethatthecharitywouldneedtoemployfewerthan250people.Q.HowmanyapplicationscanIsubmit?
A:Youcansubmitmultipleapplicationsbutwhenonehasbeensuccessfulyoucan’tapplyforfurtherCreativeVouchersfundsforanother12months.YouarestilleligiblehowevertoapplyforotherCreativeworksLondonschemessuchasthePhD-in-Residencescheme.Q.CanIsubmitthesameapplicationunderadifferenttheme/roundifitwasnotsuccessfulintheoriginalapplication?
A:Youmayresubmityourapplicationbutwesuggestthatyourprojectisreviewedforsuitabilityandcompliance.Feedbackwillbegivenwhenyourapplicationisunsuccessful(uponrequest)andthisneedstobetakenintoaccountwithanyre-submission.Q.Whyshouldtheapplicationhavetocomefromthebusinesses?
A:BecausetheaimofCreativeworksLondonistoencouragenewmodelsofKnowledgeExchangethatwilldirectlysupporttheCreativeIndustries,weareencouragingtheapplicationstobesubmittedbytheSMEs.Wewouldexpecthoweverthattheacademicpartnerwouldalsobeinvolvedinhelpingtodraftandshapetheapplication.SMEpartnercostsaretobetreatedasagrant,notaprovisionofserviceandassuchareVATexempt.TheSMEwillreceive100%oftheircostsupto£5000(whichareexpectedtoconsistpredominantlyoftheirtime.)
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Q.Withregardtotheactualapplicationform,canweusemoreimaginativewaysofpresentingtheanswerstotherequiredquestionsi.e.illustrations,videos?
A:Thesubmissionofdiagramsandillustrationswillbeacceptedbuttheseshouldbealongsidethetext-basedapplication.Videosand/orothermediacannotbeaccepted.Q.CanIsubmitasecondapplicationasacontinuationtoapreviouslyfundedCreativeVoucher?
A:Aftertwelvemonths,youmaybeabletosubmitanotherapplicationbutitwouldhavetobearguedthatitissignificantlydifferentto,orasignificantprogressionfrom,thefirstprojectthatwassupported.Ideallythough,theCreativeVouchersschemeistoenableapplicantstoprogresstowardsotherfundingstreamssuchasNESTADigitalRandDscheme.Q.HowmanytimescanIreceivefundingthroughtheCreativeVouchersScheme?
A:Aspreviouslystated,SMEscannormallyreceiveonevoucherperyear(theyearisconsideredtostartfromthedateofawardnotthedateoftheapplicationsubmission).Academicsmayapplyonmorethanoneoccasioninanyyearonlyiftheirresearchcollaborationiswith–andthereforedesignedtobenefit-separateSMEs.Q.IfsuccessfulhowdoestheSMEreceivethefund?
A:TheSMEwillbeaskedtosubmittheircompanydetailstoQMULandyouwillbeputontotheirfinancialsystem.WhenthathastakenplaceyouwillbeadvisedbyQMULandyoucantheninvoiceQMULfor50%oftheSMEeligibleexpenditure(cappedat50%of£5000).Pleasenotethatitcantakeabout6weeksbetweeninvoicesubmissionandpaymentsbeingmade.Uponcompletionoftheprojectyoumayinvoicefortheremaining50%.Youwillbeexpectedtosubmitafinalprojectreportpriortothefinalinstalmentofthegrantbeingpaid.Q.Ifsuccessfulhowdoestheacademicpartnerreceivethefund?
A:AllourHEIpartnersarealreadysetuponQueenMary’sfinancialsystem.YouwillneedtoarrangeforaninvoicetobesentfromyourinstitutiontoQMULforpayment.DetailswillbeoutlinedintheCreativeVoucherAgreementthatneedssigningbeforeworkstartsontheproject.TheHEIpartnerreceivespaymentof50%ofthetotalamount(cappedat£10,000)inarrearsthreemonthsfromCommencementdatewiththeremaining50%uponreceiptoffinalprojectreport.Theacademicpartnermayinvoiceforeither100%ofdirectcostsor80%FEC.Q.WhendowehavetostarttheCreativeVoucherproject?
A:Youareadvisedtostartyourprojectassoonaftertheawarddateaspossible.Ifyoudonotthinkyouwillbereadyweadviseyoutoconsiderapplyingforadifferentround.Q.IsthereadegreeofflexibilityonthelengthandtimescaleofapprovedCreativeVoucherprojects?
A:Weencourageprojectstobecompletedin4–6monthsbutweacceptthattheresearchmayinsomeinstancesgooninsomeformaftertheformalcompletionoftheCreativeVoucherproject.Pleaseensurethatyoucommunicatewithusonanychangestoyourproposedtimetable.Q.Canstudentsworkontheprojects?
A:Yes,providedthattheyarebeingcloselysupervisedbythenamedacademiconthebid.
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Q.HowmuchsupportcanIgetfromotherstaffinmyacademicinstitutionontheproject?A:WeexpectthatsupportstaffsuchasthoseworkinginInnovationofficesmaybeabletoofferyou
someadviceandsupportifrequiredbutitisexpectedthattheacademicwilltakeultimateresponsibilityfordevelopingtheirpartofthebudgetandforensuringthesuccessoftheproject.Q.Whichfinancialyeardowehavetosubmitaccountsfor?
A:Thepreviousyear’saccountsshouldbesubmittedonlyifapplicationissuccessful.YouwillbeadvisedbytheProjectManageratQMULwhenthatinformationwillberequired.Q.Whatiseligibleexpenditure?
A:SMEScanusethegrantforsalariesandotherstaffcostssuchasforfreelancers.Youmayincludereasonabletravelandsubsistencecostsaslongastheyareessentialtotheproject.Youcanalsoincludelicencefeesifessentialtotheproject.SalaryandoverheadcostsassociatedwiththeSMEapplicanttoamaximumof£5000.
B:Academicscanusethegranttofreeuptheirtimeforresearchontheproject,withtheapprovaloftheirHead/LineManager.Theymayusethegrantforreasonabletravelandsubsistenceaslongastheyareessentialtotheproject.Directcostsofacademicinputtoamaximumof£10,000.Q.Whatisineligibleexpenditure?
A:ForSMEScorebusinesscostswillNOTbecovered.Corebusinesscostsincludebusinessfilingandaccountantfees,insurances,utilitiesandequipmentthatarenormallyusedbythebusiness.
B:ForAcademicsineligibleexpenditureincludesequipmentnotessentialtotheproject.Q.Whatkindofproposals/expenditureisnoteligibleforCreativeVouchers?
1. Proposalsthatarenotrelatedtothecreativeeconomy.2. ProposalsthatarenotrelatedtothethemeoftheIdeasPoolinquestion.3. Activities,includingbuyinggoodsorservices,whichtakeplaceorstartbefore
applicationdecisionsbeingtaken.4. Activities,equipmentoreventsthatdoubleup(duplicate)whatalreadyexists.5. Coststhatarealreadycoveredbyotherfunding.6. Fundraisingevents,suchascharitygalas,thatdonotrelatetotheproject.7. ActivitiesoreventsmainlytakingplaceoutsideLondon.
Q.Whowillmakethefundingdecisions?
A:TheapplicationswillbecheckedforeligibilityandwillbereviewedbymembersoftheCreativeworksLondonSteeringGroup.Applicantswillbeinformedabouttheoutcome,whethersuccessfulorunsuccessfulwithin6weeks.Unsuccessfulapplicantswillbeabletohavefeedbackifhelpful.Q.WhowillowntheIPintheprojects?
A:WeaskthatthisitdecideduponbythepartnershipapplyingforCreativeVouchersbeforeapplicationandsubmittedwiththeproposal.IfyouhaveanyotherquestionspleasecontactCreativeworksLondononinfo@cwlondon.org.ukorcall02074209436.
