Amazon’s Regional Creatives Fund: Everything you need to know and 2025 awardees

Key takeaways

Amazon's Regional Creatives Fund is providing grants of up to £30,000 to charities helping underserved communities enter creative careers.
2025 awardees include performing arts venues, charities supporting young people with learning disabilities and neurodiversity, and many more.
Amazon will offer pro-bono upskilling, mentoring, and placement opportunities through its network of creative industry professionals.

Amazon has announced the charities which will be awarded up to £30,000 in grants through its Regional Creatives Fund.

Launched in 2025, the Regional Creatives Fund is available to charities which support individuals breaking into publishing, music, gaming, film, TV, fashion, advertising, and other creative sectors where diversity and fresh perspectives can drive innovation and change.

In addition to financial support, the Regional Creatives Fund uses Amazon’s network of creative industry professionals to offer charities pro-bono upskilling programmes—including mentoring, work experience, placement opportunities, and digital training, with support provided by minds from Amazon Music, Prime Video, Amazon Games, and more.

The initiative comes at a crucial time, as recent research from The Sutton Trust reveals that younger adults from working-class backgrounds are four times less likely to work in creative industries compared to their middle-class peers. Data from Arts Council England shows only 9% of the creative workforce identifies as disabled, compared to 22% of the general working-age population.

Behind-the-scenes of movie production in decorated living room

Photo by Screen Berkshire, Photographer: Rishi Rai

Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee and RCF Board Member said: "The creative industries are one of the UK's greatest success stories, but for too long access to careers in this sector have been limited by social and economic barriers. Amazon's Regional Creatives Fund is exactly the kind of initiative we need.”

Who is eligible for Amazon’s Regional Creatives Fund?

Applications for the 2025 Regional Creatives Fund are now closed.

2025 applicants had to be running a programme that focuses on upskilling people from underserved communities for careers in creative industries.

Applications for up to £30,000 were open to individual organisations that meet eligibility criteria, while consortium applications for up to £100,000 were also available.

Charities had to be able to demonstrate that the fund will be used to expand or continue an existing, impactful programme, such as music production training, portfolio development, or even placements in game development studios.

Close-up of hands holding open folder with typed paperwork

Grants were awarded by an independent judging panel made up of senior leaders from Amazon, The National Theatre, Arts Council England, the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Help Musicians, and Creative Wales.

Applications were assessed across five key areas. Strong proposals needed to:

Show energy, optimism, and a clear creative purpose
Deliver real impact through skills, access, and industry links
Show a smart, achievable plan with confident delivery
Amplify underrepresented voices
Build on existing programmes to grow what’s already working.

“It was a pleasure to be a part of this important judging panel for the Regional Creatives Fund, that will allocate much needed funding across the UK, creating new opportunities for underrepresented groups to develop their creative skills,” said Joedi Langley, Head of Creative Wales and Regional Creatives Fund judge.

Meet the 2025 awardees

Into Games & Helm and Hot Chocolate Trust Scotland

Gamer playing Fortnite on dual-monitor setup

Into Games is one of the UK's leading charities dedicated to driving social mobility in the games sector. Leading a consortium with Helm and Hot Chocolate Trust, they were awarded £86,000 from the Regional Creatives Fund.

They will use the money to develop the UK's first regional 'Waypoint' in Dundee—a collaborative programme designed to inspire, guide, and connect local talent from working-class and low-income backgrounds to careers in the games industry. The programme will include a regional games careers festival, activities in secondary schools, paid internships, and sector training for youth workers and careers staff.

Nerve Centre, Northern Ireland

Film crew setting up green screen for video production

Nerve Centre is Northern Ireland's leading creative media arts organisation, engaging over 120,000 people annually through festivals, screenings, and education programmes.

They were awarded £26,800 from the Regional Creatives Fund and will use the money to launch their new Unreal Engine Academy. This intensive training programme will teach 20 young people aged 16-19 each year to use industry-standard technology for careers in games, animation, film, TV, and virtual production. The funding will cover facilitation costs, travel bursaries, equipment, and access to cutting-edge virtual production spaces.

Kirklees Theatre Trust (Lawrence Batley Theatre), England

Volunteers in blue shirts standing in a line, some facing away

Lawrence Batley Theatre is a performing arts venue in Huddersfield that presents a year-round programme of drama, dance, circus, and pantomime while nurturing local talent.

They were awarded £10,000 from the Regional Creatives Fund and will use the money to expand their Future Creative programme, which offers inclusive volunteering opportunities for young people affected by poverty and unemployment in Kirklees. The funding will help engage 50 young people aged 18-30 in volunteering across West Yorkshire over two years, sustain a dedicated Volunteer Manager, deliver creative and employability skills workshops, and cover travel expenses through a 'no-worries fund'. The programme will also include cross-sector placements in theatre, music, digital media, and visual arts across West Yorkshire.

Pathfinders Cymru, Wales

Pathfinders Cymru is a South Wales charity supporting young people with learning disabilities and neurodiversity.

They were awarded £14,400 from the Regional Creatives Fund and will use the money to expand their Pathways Through Pixels – Digital Storytelling and Creative Futures programme. The initiative provides inclusive training in storytelling, digital design, and multimedia production, helping young people build confidence, explore identity, and discover career pathways in the creative industries. Building on the success of their recent STEM in Film project, the funding will support essential equipment, voice actor training, performances, and specialized SEN tools to create pathways to creative careers where they don't currently exist for these young people.