Becoming a member of Bristol Creative Industries brings many benefits. We regularly add new opportunities so here is a guide to the latest benefits you can enjoy by signing up. This post is regularly updated.
Join Bristol Creative Industries from only £4.95 a month.
Showcase your best work and attract new clients with a company profile in the Bristol Creative Industries member directory. The directory receives lots of visits every month from people looking for services from creative businesses.
Got some business advice or news to share? As a Bristol Creative Industries member you can self-publish content on our website and it will automatically appear on your member profile. We upgrade great content to the newsfeed and homepage, while four posts by members are included in our monthly email newsletter.
To get an idea of the content topics that do well, here are the top 30 most popular posts by members in 2024.
Bristol Creative Industries member Jessica Morgan from Carnsight Communications discussed the benefits of posting content in this interview.
The Bristol Creative Industries jobs board attracts thousands of job hunters every month. Business members can post unlimited free job adverts, saving you on average £3,500 per candidate.
Piers Tincknell, co-founder of Atomic Smash, is one of BCI’s longest serving members and he told us in a member profile interview how he regularly uses the jobs board to recruit new employees.
BCI’s monthly members’ lunches are a perfect opportunity for members to catch up with fellow members and the BCI team.
Everyone has a slot of up to three minutes to tell the others a little about who they are and what they do and share any news and/or challenges. You don’t need to fill the full three minutes. We usually find some common themes emerge to discuss over the course of the session. It’s all very informal with no need to stand up and present slides.
The events are free to attend for members, take place at The Square Club in Bristol and include a free buffet lunch.
Check the events section of details of the next lunches.
Our flagship keynote events and workshops feature world class speakers sharing their expertise. It’s a unique opportunity to access valuable insights for growing your business. Bristol Creative Industries members receive a ticket discount.
An example of a keynote event is the brilliant annual presentation on social media trends delivered by Drew Benvie, founder of global social media consultancy Battenhall, and Graham MacVoy telling the inspiring story of the Wake the Tiger immersive world of adventure in Bristol.
Our regular freelancer networking drinks are free with a free drink for members. Remaining events in 2025 take place at 5.30 – 8pm on 9 September and 11 November.
Keen an eye on the events section for the latest events. You can also sign up to the monthly BCI Bulletin to be notified of events.
Big thanks to everyone who joined us at @SquareClifton last night for the Bristol Creative Industries freelancer networking drinks
Sign up to the BCI Bulletin to be notified of new events: https://t.co/5WgBWPoN1C#BristolCreativeIndustries #Bristol #freelancers pic.twitter.com/1BvT60KZFp
— Bristol Creative Industries (@Bristol_CI) June 21, 2023
Wake Up Call is a member exclusive live webinar that takes place every other Friday at 8.30-9am. The content is delivered by members for members.
Attending the free event gives you access to valuable insights from your fellow members and if you host a Wake Up Call, you can share your expertise and attract potential new clients.
See details for upcoming Wake Up Call events in our events section.
If you’re a BCI member and you’d like to deliver a presentation on a topic of your choice during a Wake Up Call, email Dan Martin.
Research shows that diverse teams are more creative problem solvers, bringing fresh perspectives to solutions, against the echo-chamber effect that results when people in a business come from too-similar backgrounds. With a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, employees feel valued and that they belong.
To help Bristol Creative Industries members achieve this, we have partnered with The Hobbs Consultancy to provide on demand equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) e-learning.
The CPD certified online course consists of modules to help you bring about positive change in your business, understand the key challenges in the way for different groups, and explore your own biases and how to overcome them.
The training modules take an in-depth look at different diversity and inclusion topics: race, disability, LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, gender (split into female leadership, masculinity, gender identity), age and social mobility in the workplace.
The price of the training for BCI members is £120+VAT. All profits will be ploughed back into our youth engagement activity.
To access this brilliant training opportunity, log into your Bristol Creative Industries account and click on the ‘members’ training’ section.
The regular BCI Walk & Talk networking sessions are for a group of BCI members who don their walking boots and explore the stunning countryside around Bristol and Bath.
It’s a great opportunity for members to make some new connections whilst getting some much needed fresh air!
The next outdoor networking event is on 15 August and you can register here.
We host regular roundtables for agency leaders to discuss strategic challenges. These events are vital for us to hear from the member community about the key issues you are facing and how we can help. A roundtable on funding led to us creating this popular and regularly updated guide to the latest finance on offer to creative businesses.
If you are interested in getting involved with future roundtables, email Alli Nicholas.
We regularly deliver other special member benefits:
Currently on offer is:
To stay updated on the latest benefits, sign up to the monthly BCI Bulletin.
Reductions on co-working spaces, meeting rooms, hotel accommodation, a recruitment strategy review and a coffee subscription are just some of the many discounts and offers we’ve negotiated for members.
Join Bristol Creative Industries from only £4.95 a month.
If you have any questions about membership, email Alli Nicholas
Safe to say, the past year or so has been an era of change.
Our new-look board has bedded in. We’ve won some exciting new clients.
And, most recently, we’ve given ourselves a subtle-but-thorough branding refresh.
From a refocused strategy to a tweaked tone of voice, an updated identity to a brand spanking new website. It’s been an exercise in consolidation, clarity and the kind of brutal single-mindedness that we find ourselves forever reminding our clients to follow – but can prove so tricky to do when the tables are turned.
But all that effort and energy, blood, sweat and spreadsheets has got us to a point where every inch of our brand now has our essence imbued within it.
Naturally, we started with our strategy. Putting people first has been a mantra that we’ve lived by for years – and that wasn’t about to change. But it did need defining. We’re certainly not the only agency that claims to put people at the heart of their creative, but the reality is, we do so much more than that. We dig deep. We delve into their lives to discover what they truly love. What they truly hate. Their ambitions, their anxieties, their desires, their doubts, their dreams.
And that’s how we make brands matter… We craft creative that connects.
We build brands that build bonds.
As Alex Murrell, our Strategy Director puts it,
“In an industry so often characterised by ego and bravado, ‘putting people first’ has been our subtle but strong rally cry. It’s not about us. It’s about the brands we build and the people they serve. With our new positioning, we’ve taken this one step further. We’ve articulated the ultimate benefit, for our clients, of this approach.”
Once we’d ironed that out, our strategy was set.
To better reflect our new emphasis on connection, we wanted every element of our brand identity to communicate closeness, warmth and real, raw, human emotion – the highs, the lows, and everything in between. From our TOV to our photography, our palettes to our assets, wherever people encounter us, we want them to genuinely feel something. More than recognition, we want resonance.
In the words of Creative Director Vix Hansard,
“We get people. We truly connect with them. We take the time to listen, to observe, to understand not just what they do, but why they do it. And it’s only by understanding this behaviour, that we can build creative work that truly resonates. And it’s this idea that lives in the soul of our new brand identity.”
Our website has always been simple.
A contact page if you want to want to work with us, and one for if you want to work for us. With the support of fellow local agency Fiasco, we created a new site that stays true to that simplicity but with a little more to delve into. Now featuring a handful of recent projects that have proven to have connected with consumers and the key info about our Epoch Academy (our commitment to bringing the next generation of talent into the industry) – it’s single-minded, focussed and free of any unnecessary fluff.
We practice what we preach.
Anyone that’s ever worked in branding will tell you that the hardest job is branding yourself. Upholding objectivity. Sticking to self-imposed deadlines. Allowing yourself to let go. And as we found – all of that is true. But as we also know, when you build your brand from a strategic starting point – a core purpose – it makes all that follows ‘make sense’.
From the amazing team that we’ve built up over the past 33 years to all the incredible work that we deliver. Creating meaningful connections is at the core of everything.
In summer 2021 we ran an event discussing funding for creative businesses with the south west team at Innovate UK EDGE and a group of Bristol Creative Industries members.
During the discussion, attendees said it would be useful if we could provide regular updates on the finance schemes that are available for creative companies in the south west and beyond. This guide is our response.
The guide is one of Bristol Creative Industries’ most popular ever blog posts. We keep it updated with the latest funding schemes for creative businesses so check it regularly. We also include the post in our monthy email newsletter, BCI Bulletin. To sign up, go here.
Funding news:
The government has announced that the West of England is one of its priority areas for the creative industries and the West of England Combined Mayoral Authority will receive a share of £150m in funding to “design interventions that work for the creative businesses and freelancers in their region”.
The British Business Bank, the government-owned business development bank, has launched the £200m South West Investment Fund (SWIF) “to help address market failures by increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for UK smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment”.
Aimed at businesses in Bristol, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire, the fund provides:
SWIF is managed by four fund managers:
The region is split as follows:
North of the region:
South of the region:
The funding is split as follows:
Businesses can apply for funding directly to the relevant fund managers here.
Micro, small and medium sized businesses can apply for loans of between £100,000 and £2m for innovative projects with strong commercial potential to significantly improve the UK economy.
Applications close at 11am on 22 August.
Grants of £2,500 to £10,000 are available to help small businesses, sole traders, charities, community interest companies (CICs), community organisations and creative and cultural groups open new premises.
The deadline for applications is 11.59pm on Friday 14 November 2025. If all available funding is allocated before the deadline, the scheme may close early.
Successful applicants must start trading from the funded property by Friday 30 January 2026.
A funding and support programme for UK-based artists, designed to help them develop their art by using immersive technologies. The partners of the scheme include Bristol organisations UWE Bristol, Watershed and University of Bristol.
A total of £3.6m in funding is available through three rounds until 2027. Immersive Arts expects to fund over 200 artists.
There are three strands which are designed to support artists at different stages in their creative development. Eligible artists can apply to ‘Explore’ for £5,000, ‘Experiment’ for £20,000 and ‘Expand’ for £50,000.
Applications close on 29 September 2025.
This £35m Creative UK and Triodos Bank investment fund provides loans of £100,000 to £1m.
Finance is directed to post-revenue creative businesses presenting promising growth potential and who:
This scheme from West of England Combined Authority is designed to help small and medium businesses and organisations purchase and install new products and equipment that reduce carbon emissions, cut utility costs and improve energy efficiency.
Grants of up to £15,000 are available on a first come, first served basis. A total of £2m is available. It is likely the scheme will close for applications in Autumn 2025, but could close early if all funds are awarded.
Grants for established UK-based companies with a game development project at an early stage in the pipeline.
The funding allocation has now been fully committed, but you can express interest in case any further funds are provided for projects from 1 April 2025.
With support from South Gloucestershire Council and funding from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, small and medium sized digital technology businesses can apply for a share of £70,000 in grants.
The fund is an open access programme for arts, libraries and museums projects.
Funding of between £1,000 and £100,000 is available.
This fund from Arts Council England supports individual cultural and creative practitioners in England thinking of taking their practice to the next stage through things such as: research, time to create new work, travel, training, developing ideas, networking or mentoring.
Grants of between £2,000 and £12,000 are available.
Applications are currently closed but future rounds will be announced later this year.
The £5m Supporting Grassroots Music fund supports rehearsal and recording studios, promoters, festivals, and venues for live and electronic music performance.
Travelwest provides match-funded grants for initiatives that improve sustainable travel provision in a business.
The aim is to provide financial support and incentives to employers to enable them to encourage sustainable modes of commuting or in-work travel (including site visits and meetings) amongst their staff.
The grants can be used for the implementation of physical measures, promotional events or any other measure that will encourage mode change amongst staff.
Grants are currently availables for businesses in Bristol and North Somerset.
Innovate UK’s £100m BridgeAI programme aims “to help businesses in high growth potential sectors such as creative industries, agriculture, construction, and transport to harness the power of AI and unlock their full potential”.
The programme offers funding and support to help innovators assess and implement trusted AI solutions, connect with AI experts, and elevate their AI leadership skills.
This fund supports organisations who work at the intersection of art and social change. It offers grants between £90,000 and £300,000 over three years.
Applications are currently closed but details of the next round will be announced soon.
This new £23m social impact investment fund is for socially driven arts, culture and heritage organisations registered and operating in the UK. It offers loans between £150,000 and £1m repayable until May 2030.
The Elephant Trust says its mission is to “make it possible for artists and those presenting their work to undertake and complete projects when frustrated by lack of funds. It is committed to helping artists and art institutions/galleries that depart from the routine and signal new, distinct and imaginative sets of possibilities.”
Grants of up to £5,000 are available. Applications are currently closed but a new round of funding will be announced soon.
Grants of up to £100,000 are available for arts, libraries and museums projects.
The grants support a broad range of creative and cultural projects that benefit people living in England. Projects can range from directly creating and delivering creative and cultural activity to projects which have a longer term positive impact, such as organisational development, research and development, and sector support and development.
This fund aims to grow exports and global demand for UK independent film by supporting the UK film industry to achieve measurable results which would not have been achievable without the support.
Applications close on at 11.59pm on 31 March 2026.
This scheme supports the festival launch of UK films in order to enhance their promotion, reach and value internationally.
Applications close on at 11.59pm on 31 March 2026.
This scheme supports UK sales agents to increase their international promotion and sales of UK feature film projects.
Applications close on at 11.59pm on 31 March 2026.
A Start Up Loan is a government-backed unsecured personal loan for individuals looking to start or grow a business in the UK. Successful applicants also receive 12 months of free mentoring and exclusive business offers.
All owners or partners in a business can individually apply for up to £25,000 each, with a maximum of £100,000 per business.
The loans have a fixed interest rate of 6% p.a. and a one to five year repayment term. Entrepreneurs starting a business or running one that has been trading for up to three years can apply. Businesses trading for between three and five years can apply for a second loan.
If you’re running a creative social enterprise you may be able to access funding from UnLtd.
Finance of up to £5,000 is available for starting a social enterprise and up to £15,000 for growing a social enterprise.
Successful applicants also get up to 12 tailored business support plus access to access to expert mentors and workshops.
Businesses can apply for up to £3,500 to cover the costs of installing gigabit broadband.
Check if the scheme is available in your area here.
Grants to provide support towards the costs of the purchase, installation and infrastructure of electric vehicle chargepoints at eligible places of work.
The scheme covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints (including VAT), capped at a maximum of £350 per socket and 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.
The deadline for applications is 11.59pm on 31 March 2026.
If you know of another scheme that we haven’t listed and you’d like to share it with other creative businesses, email Dan to let us know.
Standard benefits packages won’t cut it for Gen Z. Here’s how they’re raising the bar and what you can do to meet it.
In simple terms, the generation that won’t settle for more of the same. Gen Z is here and they’re changing the game.
Born between 1997 and 2012, they’ve grown up digital, purpose-driven, and ready to challenge how work works. By the end of 2025, they’ll make up 24% of the global workforce and here’s the thing: standard benefits packages aren’t cutting it anymore.
If you want to attract, engage, and retain Gen Z talent, you’ll need a benefits experience that feels as personal, digital, and values led as they are. So, what Makes Gen Z Different (And Why It Matters for Your Benefits Strategy)?
Firstly, Gen Z grew up with smartphones, social feeds, and instant everything. So, when they join your workforce, they expect the same seamless experience from your benefits. 91% of Gen Z say a company’s tech influences whether they want to work there, (according to deskbird). They expect business tools to be as intuitive as TikTok and as mobile-friendly as their banking apps. If any benefits platform feels clunky or old-school? You’ll lose them before they’ve even logged in.
Secondly, they care Deeply About Purpose. For Gen Z, work isn’t just a job. It’s a platform for impact. 74% say purpose at work matters more than their pay cheque, according to SHRM. And it’s not just talk, where 50% have turned down work that clashes with their personal values, according to SHRM and 44% have rejected employers with negative environmental or social impact, says ACCP. If your benefits don’t reflect your social and environmental commitments, you’re missing a massive engagement driver.
Thirdly they value Flexibility Over Hierarchy. Gen Z doesn’t measure success by hours logged. They care about outcomes and flexibility. 77% would choose more flexibility over faster promotion, according to Innovative Human Capital. They expect to work when and where they perform best, whether that’s fully remote, hybrid, or something in between.
Finally, there is the rise of flexible, personalised benefits. Forget cookie-cutter packages. Gen Z expects choice such as workplace flexibility, like remote work and compressed schedules, mental health support including teletherapy and wellness apps, financial wellbeing, such as student loan repayment and financial coaching.
Looking at that lens, mental health is non-negotiable. Gen Z has made one thing clear: mental health is essential, not optional. Only 15% rate their mental health as “excellent”, and 40% report feeling stressed or anxious most of the time, according to Handshake and Deloitte. What’s expected and what is out there? Dedicated mental health days, digital-first EAPs with real usage, and wellness tech, like meditation apps and digital resilience tools. In simple terms, ignoring mental health isn’t just risky—it’s a missed business opportunity.
It’s tough out there, however there are many creative ways to find money with employee benefits (if you do not salary sacrifice your pension…why not?). Focus them in a new and creative way. It will pay off when employees feel their benefits reflect their real-life needs, they stay longer and engage more deeply.
The much anticipated creative industries sector plan has been published by the government.
With the creative industries one of the key sectors of focus in the government’s industrial strategy and the West of England one of the government’s priority areas for the creative industries, there is much of interest in the plan to creative businesses in our region.
Here’s a round-up of what’s in the creative industries sector plan:
Bristol and the wider region is mentioned several times in the plan. That includes a reference to Bristol as a “strong regional creative hub” and home to “cutting-edge createch“. It also references the BBC Studio’s Natural History Unit in Bristol which it says “has led to the region being known as ‘Green Hollywood'” which “not only boosts the region’s economy but also adds vital social value”.
A map of the creative industries in different regions has this for the West of England, with references to Bristol Creative Industries members Channel 4, The Bottle Yard Studios, and Aardman Animations.
The West of England is one of six areas getting a share of £150m to “design interventions that work for the creative businesses and freelancers in their region” as part of the new Creative Places Growth Fund. The government said this could include providing access to mentors, expert guidance, and connections to suitable investors.
The other areas are Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, North East, West Midlands, and West Yorkshire.
The fund will also support the development of a West of England-South Wales Creative Corridor.
Highlighting the West of England, the plan said the region is the UK’s third-largest production hub, a global centre for natural history filmmaking, and film tourism. It also referenced the region as being home to the the BBC as well as Bristol Creative Industries members Channel 4, The Bottle Yard Studios, and Oscar-winning Aardman Animations.
Helen Godwin, mayor of the West of England, said:
“I promised to work with the government and invest in the West. To have our creative industries recognised with this funding is a real vote of confidence in our region. People are drawn here from all over the world, whether it’s for our balloons and street art or the city so historic that UNESCO listed it twice. Creativity in the West knows few limits – or equals.
“Culture is part of who we are, whether it’s Oscar-collecting Aardman Animations or treble-winning Bath Rugby. It’s also a big part of the West of England’s economy, and it’s growing. Now we can invest in the future through the Industrial Strategy: helping businesses to grow, bringing through the next generation of creatives, and driving economic growth.”
The British Business Bank (BBB) will “significantly increase” support for UK creative businesses with debt and equity finance. It will be provided with £4 billion of Industrial Strategy Growth Capital to support investment and growth in the Industrial Strategy eight key sectors which includes the creative industries.
The British Business Bank will also launch a ‘Cluster Champion’ programme, with ‘Champions’ with deep expertise and local knowledge to support investment in 10 city regions, including the West of England.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will “significantly increase” public funding for the creative industries, including support for commercialisation and technology adoption.
A £100m UKRI investment will “support the ambitious next wove of R&D creative clusters in new sub-sectors and locations throughout the UK”.
UKRI will publish a new creative industries R&D strategy later in 2025, enhance and streamline the funding support journey through Innovate UK, and support access to Horizon Europe funding.
The government wil investigate specific measuresto tackle barriers to lending to IP-rich SMEs in the creative industries.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will fund the £25m Creative Futures programme to add five new CoSTAR R&D labs and two showcase spaces across the UK.
HM Revenue & Customs will publish revised guidance for the R&D tax reliefs. It will clarify that “where a project in the creative sector seeks an advance in science or technology, arts activities that directly contribute to the advance by resolving scientific or technological uncertainties are within the definition of R&D for the reliefs, and their qualifying costs, such as salaries, can qualify for relief”.
The guidance will be published in 2025 and will clarify that eligible interdisciplinary innovation can be supported by R&D tax relief.
Protection of copyright in the AI age has been a conversial issue in the creative industries. The government said it “will ensure a copyright regime that values and protects human creativity, can be trusted, and unlocks new opportunities for innovation across the creative sector and wider economy. It said is analysing responses to the consultation on delivering a copyright and Al framework and “recognises the need for this to be done properly and carefully in a considered, measured and reasoned way, to develop any future proposals”.
The government will establish a Creative Content Exchange (CCE) to be “a trusted marketplace for selling, buying, licensing, and enabling permitted access to digitised cultural and creative assets”.
An independent review will be published in the autumn which “seeks to deliver a curriculum that readies young people for life and work, Including in creative subjects and skills”.
The government will launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education in England in September 2026.
A new UK-wide £9m creative careers service will be launched “to equip the next generation of young people withthe ambition and knowledge to work in the creative industries”.
The government will launch a new DCMS and Skills England led Creative Sector Skills Forum and the Digital Skills Council, an industry-led advisory body.
DCMS, Department for Education and Skills England will work with industry to support increased access to quality specialist creative education provision acrossEngland to strengthen the supply of highly trained creative students.
The government will refine and develop the growth and skills offer to deliver apprenticeships and skills training that recognises the particular needs of the creative industries.
The government will allocate £132.5 million to increase disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities, including in arts and culture, aimed at improving wellbeing and employability.
UKRI will provide resources and support for technology adoption, as well as an online directory of facilities across the UK where creative businesses can access cutting-edge technology.
Creative UK will work with chief technology officers from the sector and other technology leaders to identify next steps to accelerate the adoption of responsible AI.
The government will upskill creative businesses on security through guidance from the National Protective Security Authority and National Cyber Security Centre .
The government will appoint a creative freelance champion, to advocate for the sector’s creative freelancers within government and be a member of the Creative Industries Council.
The Department for Business and Trade will increase funding to facilitate meetings and showcasing at major creative trade shows and events, including South by Southwest, Cannes Lions, Game Developers Conference and International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo.
DCMS will invest in the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN programme for emerging UK designers with funding for London Fashion Week showcases and business mentoring.
The government said createch will be a central part of UKRl’s new strategy for the creative industries launching later this year. UKRI will bring together stakeholders to tackle barriers and accelerate createch growth, reporting to DCMS and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) ministers with recommendations by the end of 2025.
Describing createch, the plan says:
“Createch combines creative innovation and cutting-edge technology to generate novel products, services and experiences. Createch businesses have the same growth potential as other technology firms and are expected to generate £18 billion in gross value added (GVA) and 160,000 jobs over the next decade.
“They are found in every creative sub-sector, with an estimated 13,800 creative businesses leveraging technologies including robotics, engineering biology, and XR. 3D printing has revolutionised sustainable fashion, AI is reshaping video games and performing arts, and gaming technologies are used in mental health therapeutics, aeronautics and engineering.”
A new £75m Screen Growth package over three years to develop independent UK screen content, support inward investment, and showcase the UK and International film. It includes a scaled-up £18m per year UK Global Screen Fund from 2026-2029 to develop international business capabilities, enable co-productions and distribute independent UK screen content.
The government will provide £10m to expand the National Film and Television School. It said the investment will unlock £11m of private investment, including from the Walt Disney Company, the Dana and Albert R. Broccoli Foundation, and Sky.
The government will scale up the BFI Film Academy to support 16-25 year olds from underrepresented backgrounds to enter the film industry.
New funding of £30m will be launched to suport start-up games studios and talent.
The UK Games Fund (UKGF) will be enhanced by providing support for new UK titles and skills over 2026-29 attracting match-funding for every supported project.
A new UK Video Games Council of industry representatives will work with the government and the Creative Industries Council to support growth of the video games sector.
Up to £30m in funding over the next three years will be launched with the aim of helping more UK emerging artists break through on a domestic and international stage.
A new ticket levy on arena and stadium gigs will deliver up to £20m annually through the LIVE Trust, with the aim of bolstering the UK’s grassroots music sector, supporting artists, venues, festivals and promoters.
The goverment said it is “working towards an industry-led agreement on music streaming, which will boost earnings for creators.
Ad tech businesses will be supported with accelerator programmes, to upskill founders towards International expansion and connect them with key investors.
The government will launch the BBC Charter to “ensure the BBC is empowered to continue to deliver a vital public service funded in a sustainable way, delivering a BBC that can maintain the trust and support of the public in difficult times, support the wider ecosystem, and that isset up to drive growth in every part of the United Kingdom”.
The government will ask the CMA and Ofcom to set out how changes in the sector – such as the convergence of broadcast, on-demand and video sharing – could be taken into account as part of any future assessment of television and advertising markets. This would include when considering any potential closer, strategic partnerships or possible consolidation between broadcasters which may benefit their financial sustainability and audiences.
Creating an effective public relations (PR) budget is crucial for scaling businesses aiming to enhance their brand presence and credibility.
Thorough market research serves as a foundational element in developing effective PR campaigns and long-term success. But knowing where to start can be a challenge.
This guide outlines key considerations and strategies to help you allocate your comms resources effectively.
Allocating a specific percentage of your gross revenue to marketing and PR is a common approach.
The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) recommends that companies spend between 5% to 10% of their gross revenue on marketing. But this is a ballpark figure.
The actual percentage you spend can and will vary on a lot of different factors. Are you B2B or B2C, what’s your sector? What’s the size of your business, and what are your business goals?
All of these things, and more, can have an impact on your marketing budgets. So it isn’t as simple a task as looking at the averages or the recommendations. It’s a decision that needs to be personalised to your wants, needs and goals.
To tailor your PR budget effectively, consider the following questions:
Target revenue for the next year: having a clear understanding of your financial goals helps set a proportional marketing budget.
Existing marketing budget: review current spending to identify areas for reallocation or enhancement.
ROI review: in line with reviewing existing or previous budgets, look at what’s working in your current plans, what isn’t and why.
Focus areas for the coming year: what do you want to achieve in the year to come? A strategic picture of these goals will help you implement tactics to achieve these goals.
Benchmarking against competitors: research industry standards to ensure your budget aligns with or surpasses your competition.
With clear objectives, targets and a strong understanding of what success looks like for you, it’s far easier to set a PR budget. Then you need to make a call on whether you can achieve this internally or if you need to bring in a third party.
Deciding between in-house and external PR resources depends on your company’s capabilities and objectives.
External PR agencies can offer specialised expertise and established media relationships, which can be priceless. The cost of bringing in an external agency can vary. Smaller UK agencies may charge between £1,500 – £5,000 per month, while larger firms’ retainers start from £5,000 per month.
Opting for an in-house solution may result in you maintaining more direct control. With an in-house PR, there is a complete, dedicated focus. But this comes with the challenges of hiring, retention, training, development and investment in standard tools, like media monitoring and journalist databases. These are tools which we, as an agency, invest in so you don’t have to.
Beyond in-house vs external, there are other industry-specific considerations that you need to factor in when allocating your budgets.
Marketing budget allocations can differ across industries. For example, consumer packaged goods companies in the UK allocate more than 20% of their budgets to marketing expenses, whereas the average budget in real estate is less than 10%
Understanding your industry’s standards can guide appropriate budget setting. Hubspot provides a helpful breakdown of sector budgets. But as an agency, as part of pre-briefing or the briefing process proper, we can give you our expertise and insights and help you put your spend in the most effective and appropriate places.
Then, you need to consider your relative size and scale.
It’s often said that scaling businesses need to dedicate more of their budgets to marketing than more established businesses. But this rationale does have its flaws.
Firstly, budgets are often referred to as a percentage of net revenue rather than a cash value. So, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that a lower percentage means less investment. But that’s not the case; 20% of revenue for a start-up could be similar to 5% of an established business; it’s all relative.
Speaking of relativity.
There’s also the notion that just because you’ve reached a point of relative success, why would you slow down then? This is where having an agency partner can be very useful. Because we’ll have a certain degree of separation from your day-to-day, which often allows us to join dots and make connections which can be hard to see when you’re caught up in operations.
The reality of the situation is that if and when you reach a certain size or stature, there are going to be start-ups that are hungry and eager. They’re coming for your spot on the ladder.
Look at it this way: Microsoft still puts 10% of its $240 billion revenue into marketing.
How you divest and spread out your spending is, ultimately, down to your targets and goals.
But spending for spending’s sake should be discouraged.
Whether it’s paid campaigns through social media channels, content creation, SEO performance or media office fuelled by press releases. Whatever and wherever you’re spending, it needs to be driving value.
It’s important to recognise that value doesn’t always mean converted business leads. In the context of broader PR strategies, value has many meanings, from the quality of media coverage earned to engagement on your social media posts.
This is where it’s important to develop PR strategies with both breadth and depth. The array of expertise and specialisms within the AMBITIOUS team means we are especially well-placed to deliver this kind of approach.
Depending on your sector and relative size, as well as your goals, you’ll be implementing different tactics. So it’s difficult to say, in the space of a paragraph, how and where you should be spending without this wider context.
But broadly speaking, the following strategies can bolster your PR outreach.
Investing in PR is vital for building trust with your audience.
For this reason, setting a PR budget isn’t just about throwing money at different activities. It’s about making sound strategic investments in your brand’s future.
Your PR budget is more than just numbers on a spreadsheet, and spending for spending’s sake needs to be discouraged. Regardless of whether you’re a hungry start-up or an established business, your comms strategy needs to be as dynamic and purposeful as your business goals.
You can invest in all kinds of strategies and tactics. So much so that it can be dizzying. This is why having an expert in your corner helps, as they can help steer the overall direction of your PR outreach.
But whether you decide to build an in-house team or partner with an external agency, you need to achieve the same thing: create a communications approach that doesn’t just speak to your audience but genuinely connects with them.
Remember, investing in PR isn’t an expense; it’s your pathway to establishing credibility, supporting growth and securing long-term success and trust.
And trust is your most vital commodity.
BRISTOL — Torchbox Public, the public sector division of digital agency Torchbox, has been awarded a contract to develop and implement a new intranet for Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, one of the UK’s largest and busiest NHS trusts.
The project will transform internal communications across the Trust by providing one easy-to-use, fully accessible digital space for staff to connect and find essential information across all hospital locations and on any device. The new platform will serve over 23,600 staff across multiple sites, including five hospitals and 23 local community health centres.
Guy’s and St Thomas’ currently has two different intranet sites and wants to support all staff by creating one consistent experience. The new intranet will make it quicker to access the information they need, and reinforce that, despite the Trust’s size, staff are part of one organisation with shared values and a reputation for clinical excellence, high-quality teaching, and research.
“We’re a diverse and welcoming organisation, which is incredibly proud of our staff and the dedication they show to our patients and each other. We’re creating this new intranet to make it easier for everyone to connect and access the information they need to deliver the high-quality and compassionate care we are known for” said Lindsay Gormley, Head of digital and content at Guy’s and St Thomas’.
The new intranet will be built on Wagtail NHS Intranet, an open-source platform developed by Torchbox specifically for NHS organisations. This innovative solution was made possible through the initial support of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and continues to evolve through collaborations with other trusts, including Gloucestershire NHS.
The solution builds on successful implementations for multiple healthcare providers, where the intranet has improved staff communication, information access, and operational efficiency while eliminating ongoing license fees.
Key features of the new intranet will include:
“We’re honoured to partner with Guy’s and St Thomas’ on this transformative project,” said Ben Heasman, Client Partner, Torchbox. “Our experience creating digital platforms for NHS organisations has shown us how a well-designed intranet can break down barriers, improve efficiency, and ultimately contribute to better patient care. We look forward to delivering a solution that will serve the Trust’s diverse workforce and support its vital work.”
The project will take a phased approach, with initial discovery and design work already underway.
Guy’s and St Thomas’ provides 2.8 million patient contacts in acute and specialist hospital services and community services every year. The Trust includes Guy’s Hospital, St Thomas’ Hospital, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Royal Brompton Hospital, Harefield Hospital, and adult and children’s community services in Lambeth and Southwark
As one of the biggest NHS trusts in the UK, with an annual turnover of £2.9 billion, Guy’s and St Thomas’ employ around 23,600 staff. www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk
Guy’s and St Thomas’ is part of King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC), a collaboration between King’s College London, and Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts. www.kingshealthpartners.org
Torchbox Public is a specialised division of Torchbox that partners with public sector organisations to tackle complex challenges through progressive, collaborative approaches.
As a certified B Corporation and 100% employee-owned business, Torchbox brings together a diverse team of over 120 digital specialists committed to creating inclusive, accessible, and sustainable digital solutions. The company has delivered transformative digital projects for leading organisations across healthcare, charity, and cultural sectors, including Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Samaritans, Mind, Children’s Health Ireland, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), and London Museum. Torchbox is a leader in open-source technology and distinguishes itself through its evidence-based approach, collaborative partnerships, and commitment to social and environmental responsibility.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Lisa Ballam
lisa.ballam@torchbox.com
torchbox.com
Strategic communications agency AMBITIOUS reports £2.1m turnover & the fourth year of 30+ % year on year growth
AMBITIOUS, the strategic communications specialist based in Bristol is reporting a £2.1 million turnover in 2025, marking the fourth year of 30% year-on-year growth. The milestone represents a significant chapter in the agency’s evolution as it continues to scale its impact across the UK and internationally.
The latest industry rankings show that agencies outside of London are thriving. AMBITIOUS is an example of an agency that continues to outperform industry averages with its people-first approach, attracting high-growth clients across sectors.
28 new clients have joined AMBITIOUS in the last year, with brands such as Yell, Accurise, Granicus, Kohler Mira, Tympa, Exacta Technologies, Future Leap and Warp Technologies added to its client portfolio. 50% of AMBITIOUS’ work is with companies in Bristol with a remit to support them nationally, internationally, and within key sectors.
To support its continued momentum, AMBITIOUS has also announced a number of key internal promotions. Laura Lear has been promoted to Managing Director, Joe Wright has been promoted to Strategy and Insights Director, Elli Robinson has stepped into the role of PR Consultant, and May Mower has been promoted to Marketing Manager. These appointments reflect the agency’s commitment to nurturing talent from within, recognising the contribution of team members to its sustained success.
A pivotal part of AMBITIOUS’ growth is the launch of its standalone content services division at the start of 2024, which now represents 25% of its total revenue. This expansion required strategic investment, including new hires, new supplier partnerships, and upskilling the team. By the end of 2024, AMBITIOUS had secured briefs from the National Police Chiefs Council and Greece’s first unicorn tech business, PeopleCert. The strategic move has positioned the company for even greater growth in 2025.
Laura Lear, Managing Director at AMBITIOUS explains, “We have always created content – videos, social assets, reports, and graphics – as part of our broader campaigns. Despite never marketing this as a standalone service, we have seen an increasing client demand for these services.
“In the past year, we’ve competed successfully against network agencies for briefs and won, leading to hiring a production manager and videographer, securing supplier agreements, and investing in team training. The demand for content services has quickly grown since, validating our decision and demonstrating the huge opportunity for us.”
Originally founded in 2012 as a PR and communications agency, this continues to be a core strength for the agency. AMBITIOUS is driving excellence and retaining its trajectory in key rankings including placing in a number of categories for the PRWeek Top 150 2024, including number 27 in the corporate and financial table, 30 in agencies outside of London, and 35 in B2B. B2B marketing also named AMBITIOUS 7th in the Top 10 Rising Stars in the UK.
Growth hasn’t come at the expense of culture. AMBITIOUS was Highly Commended by PR Week in their Best Places to Work awards and included in The Sunday Times 500 Best Places to Work in the UK in 2024.
At a time when agencies are reporting skills shortages within their teams, the 25-strong team has proudly maintained 0% attrition in its client service team since 2020.
Employee wellbeing and empowerment are built into its model, with quarterly team forums, regular feedback sessions, and one of the highest engagement scores among independent agencies in the UK, as ranked by industry body, the Alliance of Independent Agencies.
AMBITIOUS is co-owned by Sarah Woodhouse and Lis Anderson. On the agency’s success, Sarah Woodhouse comments, “In a fast-changing industry, we’re extremely proud of the work that we do. Our growth has been deliberate and sustainable.”
AMBITIOUS founder, Lis Anderson adds: “Our story is proof that regional agencies can lead nationally and compete globally. By investing in our people, backing bold ideas, and building long-term partnerships, we’re able to create real impact for both our clients and team whilst staying true to our original values. As we look ahead, we’re focused on scaling with purpose by growing our capabilities and our people, building influence and continuing to deliver meaningful, measurable results.”
About AMBITIOUS
AMBITIOUS is an independent strategic communications agency. Based in Bristol, but with a national and international reach, AMBITIOUS helps clients find, engage and grow audiences.
In an ever-changing world, AMBITIOUS unlocks insights for organisations that shape ideas to build and amplify brand awareness and protect business reputations.
Its dynamic, strategic and trusted team of communication and creative experts span property, construction & built environment, tech, financial & professional services, pharma & healthcare, education, public sector, ESG and sustainability.
From print and digital PR to communications strategy, social media and content services – it connects clients to the conversations that matter.
Female-founded, owned, and run, AMBITIOUS celebrated its first decade in business in 2022.
But this isn’t a cautionary tale about machines taking over. It’s about what happens when human expertise and intuition meet cutting-edge technology. It’s about unlocking new possibilities. It’s about creating deeper, more meaningful connections between brands and the people they exist for.
At Proctor + Stevenson, we believe great marketing has always been human at heart. Emotional. Empathetic. Powered by creativity, insight and experience. And with AI, we now have tools that can make those human qualities even more powerful – helping us understand audiences more deeply, respond more personally and connect more meaningfully, at scale.
We see AI not as a replacement, but as a willing partner. When used intelligently, it enables us to do what we do best – and hopefully better.
Audiences today expect relevance. They want to be seen, understood and spoken to like individuals. In B2B as much as B2C, they crave experiences that feel personal, rather than generic. But here’s the challenge: how do you do that at scale?
This is where AI really shines.
We’re using smart platforms and tools that help us go beyond broad segmentation to deliver hyper-personalised experiences in real time. Crucially, they give us more time to focus on what really matters: crafting the campaigns, content and experiences that make those connections memorable.
Here are just a few of the ways we’re exploring a combination of AI and imagination:
These tools don’t just streamline workflows: they unlock creative opportunities. They help brands be more responsive, more relevant and more remarkable.
AI doesn’t just help us understand what’s happened. It can also predict what’s coming next.
Thanks to predictive analytics, we can now anticipate the needs of your customers – sometimes before they even know them themselves. It means better lead prioritisation. Smarter targeting. And more timely, relevant campaigns that reach people when they’re most ready to act.
Here’s how we can do just that:
At Proctors, we’re constantly experimenting with these tools, combining them in ways that bring out the best in your brand and deliver real business impact.
Let’s be clear – AI is amazing. But it’s not the headline act. You are. Your brand. Your story. Your voice. AI is just here to help amplify it, to help you move faster, personalise more deeply and connect more powerfully.
When human insight meets machine intelligence, the results can be extraordinary.
More creativity, not less. More connection, not distance. More time to focus on the things machines can’t do – like telling compelling stories, understanding complex emotions and building lasting trust.
We’re not just using AI to save time. We’re using it to make space for better ideas.
If you’re curious about how AI can help your brand be more personal, more agile and more effective – without ever losing its human heart – we’d love to talk.
At Proctor + Stevenson, we believe the future of marketing is collaborative, creative and joyfully human. With the right tools, it’s a future we can build together.
The cost-of-living crisis in the UK is still hitting both businesses and their employees hard. As operational costs rise and consumers tighten their belts, businesses face the dual challenge of maintaining profitability while ensuring their staff are adequately compensated.
The key is to empower your employees. In the midst of the escalating cost-of-living crisis, new research reveals a stark reality: One example…87% of hospitality workers’ mental health is worsening because of financial concerns, exacerbating an already challenging situation. With wages stagnating and essential expenses on the rise, workers face mounting challenges, including housing and food insecurity, limiting their ability to save and thrive. According to recent studies, nearly 60% of workers struggle with financial stress, with over 40% citing it as a major concern affecting their overall wellbeing.
Amidst these challenges, one pioneering solution that has emerged is Earned Wage Access, which revolutionises the traditional pay cycle by providing instant access to earned wages, empowering employees to navigate their financial obligations with newfound flexibility and control.
By eliminating the need to wait for payday, new employee benefits providers enable workers to address immediate expenses without resorting to high-interest loans, thereby alleviating financial stress and promoting overall wellbeing.
Recent user surveys conducted by one industry provider underscore this impact, with 92% feeling more in control of their money thanks to Earned Wage Access and 88% being more likely to stay working at their current employer when this benefit is offered.
Another key solution is supporting workers with financial wellbeing benefits and education to reduce financial stress and help them better manage their finances.
These can take many forms such as personalised educational resources, financial coaching, money management tools, employee discounts, and flexible pay options, among other things.
PwC revealed that financially stressed employees are 5 times more likely to be distracted at work, highlighting the potential productivity gains for employers. By investing in these programs, hospitality companies can therefore enhance both employee wellbeing and operational resilience.
Another key focus are smart budgeting strategies which can significantly benefit companies during the cost-of-living crisis. By regularly monitoring expenses, implementing energy efficiency measures, optimising inventory management, adjusting staffing levels based on seasonal demand, and negotiating bulk purchasing agreements, companies can reduce operational costs and improve financial stability.
For employees, smart budgeting strategies are equally crucial. Creating a detailed monthly budget, setting aside an emergency fund, prioritising debt reduction, automating savings, and utilising employee discounts can help workers manage their finances more effectively. These practices reduce financial stress, increase disposable income, and provide a buffer against rising living costs, ultimately fostering a more engaged and productive workforce.
Where do you start? Well, you can talk to professionals such as myself who mitigate these employee risks…or if nothing else have a look at the Government website www.moneyhelper.org.uk where you can find simple and straightforward with tools to direct your employees.
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