Features
BPI Begins Big Giveaway
The British Phonographic Industry is receiving applications from small- and medium-sized music companies hoping for a slice of £3 million in grants the government is about to hand out.
The money will come via the department of trade and investment (UKTI), which has grants ranging from £5,000 to £50,000 for independent music companies to help them market British music overseas.
The applications are already rolling in.
“They’re pretty much small indie labels and we’ve had a large number of organisations getting in touch asking for info and applications details, and we expect quite a few to apply before the November 18 deadline,” BPI spokesman Gennaro Castaldo told Pollstar.
The Music Export Growth Scheme, as the grant program is called, is primarily targeted at artists who have achieved reasonable levels of success in the UK but are looking to break through internationally.
The UKTI’s target is to maintain Britain’s share of the global music market at the current figure of around 13 percent.
Applications that get shortlisted will be reviewed by a panel of music industry experts, chaired by John Kennedy OBE, with marketing expertise from organisations including the Music Managers Forum, the Association of Independent Music and representatives of the BPI and UKTI.