Glasgow cash for design awards costs

Glasgow designers are to get financial help from the Glasgow Development Agency to enter international creative awards.

As part of its strategy to raise the profile of the city’s graphic, interior and product designers and consultancies and in recognition of the ever-increasing costs of entering international awards, the GDA is offering to pay half consultancies’ external outlays.

The expenses eligible for GDA help could add up to a five-figure sum per consultancy over a year.

GDA design executive Adrian Searle says: “Success in international competition helps promote companies while raising the city’s profile in key markets abroad. This is important in the run up to our role as UK City of Architecture and Design in 1999.”

The first design consultancy set to take advantage of the initiative is graphics group Randak Design. Director Alan Cameron says: “In balance, we believe international exposure through awards is a good thing, although the associated costs do increasingly restrict the number of competitions we can enter. This assistance will allow us to broaden our approach and, I hope, help to increase our success.”

Although principally focused on raising international profile, the scheme will provide assistance with two UK awards – British Design & Art Direction and the Design Business Association Design Effectiveness Awards – in recognition of their respective international prestige and business focus.