Design Council offers £100 000 to promote design to business

Grants, which will be for around £1000-£5000 each, will be available to regional and national organisations to help support and extend existing initiatives. David Kester, chief executive of the Design Council, says the aim is to help the design industry promote its value to business in the current political and economic environment.

He says, ’The challenge for the new Government is to secure economic growth, and as [Business Secretary] Vince Cable has already made clear, that will come primarily from the private sector. We intend to do our best to help talented designers be at the forefront of promoting design as a key ingredient in securing that economic revival.’

Kester adds, ’My view is that designers themselves have a big role in making the case.’ Organisations can apply for the grants from 1 July, and applications will be assessed by a panel of independent experts, including representatives from Government.

The grant will be payable between September 2010 and March 2011, and applications must be for activities that take place during this period.