Crafts Council: Crafting Business Opportunity

Our new creative business development programme for emerging makers.  Have you got a business idea you need support with? Do you need help with navigating the complexities of managing your finances? This programme is here to help you.

Crafting Business is part of a Creative European funded project to provide business training skills to makers across Europe. Eight countries (including the UK) will be delivering their own respective training programmes in 2021 supporting up to 200 makers.

To hear more about this project, follow this link to the Crafting Europe website.  

Is the Crafting Business training programme for you?

This training is for makers based in the UK who are just starting a new business. A business starts from when you start selling or when you sign up with HMRC. 

You could be a:

- A recent graduate
- self taught/attended short courses
- having a change in direction

What Is expected of you when applying:

- We expect you to have knowledge of the area your business is aimed at, for example, if your business is to sell crockery and provide workshops for ceramic enthusiasts, then we would expect you to tell us about this in your application.
- To tell us about your craft, where you make, what Inspires you, who Inspires you.
- To tell us about your business or business idea and tell us what our training can help you achieve.
- Upload five jpeg images of your work.
- Contact details of a referee, this could be a previous tutor, an employer (who knows your work) or someone who sells your work (a gallerist).

What is expected of you for the training:

- To attend all 8 learning modules done via Zoom (May - September 2021).
- To use your copy (which will be sent to you) of the Design Trust Dream Plan Do year planner.
- To do your own independent research and work to compliment the course.
- To provide feedback following each learning module.
- To create and present your business plan, this will be at the end of the training.
- To provide your top tips for starting a business (at the end of the programme)
- To be future ambassadors for the craft sector.

Selected participant benefits:

There are no fees to take part if you are selected.  The value of our offer per participant is £2500.  

Indirect costs:

- Selected makers will be pre-approved for the Crafts Council Directory.  We can offer you two-year membership for the price of one. One year’s membership is valued at £60.00.

- If it is possible and agreement is reached by all participants, we hope to host an in-person training session.  We ask participants to fund their travel and accommodation (if applicable) for this session.

How do you apply?

There will be a short application form to complete:

- Please refer to the section, what is expected of you when applying.
- You can submit a filmed description instead of written description.
- Application goes live on the 1st March 2021.

Deadline 31st March.

Applications done via Survey Monkey Apply.

Need support applying?

- You can nominate someone to help you complete your application form.  

- We welcome video applications as an alternative to text.

- Click on this link for advice on submitting good images.

- Click on this link for how to set up a Survey Monkey Apply account.

We will also be on hand to help with questions you may have in advance of applying, these will be bookable free short advice sessions between 1-31st March.

click on one of the following bookable dates: Mon 8th, Wed 10th, Fri 12th, Tue 16th, Thu 18th, Fri 19th, Mon 22nd, Tues 23rd and Thu 25th March.

Full details of the programme can be downloaded here