policy | funding | europe

Specialists in Creative & Digital Industry Policy, Strategy and European Funding

admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:40:20 +0000

Digital YoYo is a Birmingham, UK, based consultancy specialising in Innovation, Research & Sector development around the creative and digital industries. Services include:

Developing funding and partnership opportunities in a post-coalition government world
Strategy & Policy Development for Local Authorities, regional & Other stakeholders
Developing Projects, Partnerships and collaborations across Europe
Developing Project proposals and writing Bids, including European bids such as ERDF, FP& and Interreg.

Our client work in 2010 includes:

> Developing funding and partnership opportunities in a post-coalition government world

> Developing strategy and policy proposals for local authorities and regional stakeholders

> Writing a 32 page booklet on ICT innovation within the creative Industries for CreATE – a trans-regional European research project

> Developing the European Digital Creative Network for various European partners

> Developing Project and Funding proposals for business development in the sector

Digital YoYo delivers for a range of organisations, from local government and agencies through universities to private sector bodies and businesses.

We are available to do associate work on larger projects too, working to well established consultancies. See our recent recommendations.

Digital YoYo Blog

admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:08:05 +0000

Digital YoYo is a Birmingham [UK] based consultancy specializing in the Creative and Digital industries. It is focused on Strategy, Policy and Bid Writing, especially involving Europe.

Follow our business blog at www.europeancollaboration.eu

Your comments or questions will be welcome! Either call us on 0845 644 8225 [local rate] or use the enquiry form on the contacts page of this web site.

Research & Report Writing

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:56:00 +0000

Digital YoYo provides a Research & Report writing service. Its focus is on the Creative & Digital Industries from both an economic and a cultural perspective:

> Specialist knowledge of digital media, web 2.0 & technology trends. > Good at facilitating stakeholder meetings to get grass routes opinion. > Strong analytical skills – combining desk and field research to create evidenced based reports with clear conclusions. > Experience of running small businesses in the sector gives us a deeper understanding of issues and credibility with stakeholders.

work in 2010 includes:

> author of Innovation Toolkit for Creative Industries and ICT – European FP7 Project > strategy work for local authorities and agencies around the creative and digital industries
> developing the European Creative & Digital Network for various partner organisations in Europe > developing projects and funding bids involving Structural funds [ERDF], Research Funds [FP7] and partnership funds [Interreg]

Strategy & Policy Development

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:53:36 +0000

Digital YoYo provides a strategy and policy development service for projects related to the Creative & Digital Industries, from both an economic and cultural perspective.

> We have specialist knowledge of strategy development; taking into account technology, innovation, business and cultural trends; government policy, funding issues and more.

Our experience in 2010 includes:

> Developing funding and partnership opportunities in a post-coalition government world

> Developing strategy and policy proposals for local authorities

> Advising regional organisations involved in the creative digital sector

> Writing a 32 page booklet on ICT innovation within the creative Industries for CreATE – a trans-regional European research project

> Developing the European Digital Creative Network for various European partners

> Developing Project and Funding proposals for business development in the sector

Regional Development Agency work includes:
> Developing and implementing a Cluster Plan for the Creative & Digital Media Sector, and contributing to the development of the Regional Economic Strategy.

> Building partnerships with many organisations and businesses throughout the West Midlands, ensuring that the agencies policies and projects strengthened the region’s overall ‘offer’ to the creative and digital industries.

> Developing regional responses to national policy for digital and creative industries, including: Digital Britain, Creative Economy Programme, Skills Agenda, Future of Television, Regional ‘Cross-Media’ Production and more.
> Developing new projects that can turn policy into reality.

Innovation Programmes & Business Growth

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:42:12 +0000

Digital YoYo develops programmes that stimulate innovation, with a focus around the Creative & Digital Industries.

• We bring a specialist understanding of how to develop programmes that can stimulate innovation and business growth, both in the public sector, Universities and within the private sector.

Our experience in 2010 includes:

> Developing strategy and policy proposals for local authorities & regional agencies, which focus on innovation and business development.

> Advising regional organisations involved in the creative digital sector, including how to leverage the potential of ‘innovation’.

> Writing a 32 page booklet on ICT innovation within the Creative Industries for CreATE – a trans-regional European research project.

> Developing the European Digital Creative Network for various European partners – which encourages trans-regional innovative collaboration.

Our experience with a Regional Development Agency includes:
> Developing a Digital Media Innovation Strategy for the West Midlands Region. This involved working with the Technology Strategy Board, NESTA, businesses and universities as well as regional bodies such as the Innovation Technology Council, Business Link West Midlands and Screen West Midlands.

Our experience in commercial business includes:
> Software innovation within businesses
> Winning venture capital backing to develop ideas into commercial products.

Contact us to discuss how we can help you on 0845 644 8225 [local rate] or
email: davidfurmage[@]mac[dot]com

Project Development

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:32:51 +0000

Digital YoYo provides a project development service, combining our specialist knowledge of the Creative & Digital Industries with experience of developing complex projects in the private sector.

•   We have specialist expertise in developing projects and writing project plans.
•   We have specialist understanding of technology and digital media related projects.
•   We have specialist knowledge of developing projects to fit within policy frameworks.
•   We are good at facilitating stakeholder meetings to get clear information on how a project should be developed to make it successful.

Our experience in 2010 includes:

> Developing funding and partnership opportunities in a post-coalition government world – options analysis

> Developing project & funding proposals for local authorities and regional agencies

Our experience with a Regional Development Agency includes:
> Writing and developing projects within the creative and digital industries, with a focus on film, TV, animation, games, serious games and the music industry.

Our experience in commercial business includes:
> Developing communications, skills development, innovation and technology projects for owner-managed businesses.
> We are experienced in the pitfalls of implementing plans, such as the likelihood of over-optimism within forecasting.

The combination of our public and private sector experiences enable us to be more realistic and practical in our project development.

Contact us to discuss how we can help you on 0845 644 8225 [local rate] or
email: davidfurmage[@]mac[dot]com

Project Funding-including European

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:29:41 +0000

Digital YoYo provides a service to help you find the best fit funding sources for your project. We focus on projects that involve the Creative & Digital Industries in some way. [Health Warning - We cannot guarantee to secure the funding you seek!]

•   We bring a specialist understanding of funding streams, European Funding, technology funding and specialist grants.
•   We have specialist knowledge of securing venture capital funding for the creative and digital industries.
•   We have an understanding of Public Sector Funding requirements, including delivering outcomes, outputs and match-funding.

Our experience in 2010 includes:

> Developing funding and partnership opportunities in a post-coalition government world

> Developing ERDF, FP7 and Interreg project proposals for regional stakeholders

> Advising regional organisations involved in the creative digital sector

> Writing a 32 page booklet on ICT innovation within the creative Industries for CreATE – a trans-regional European research project

> Developing the European Digital Creative Network for various European partners

> Developing Project and Funding proposals for business development in the sector

Our experience with a Regional Development Agency includes:

> Developing funding packages for the creative and digital industries. This included becoming familiar with state aid issues over venture capital, conditional grant funding, conditional loans and more.

Our experience in commercial business includes:

> Putting together funding packages for businesses which involved venture capital, bank loans and business owner ‘match’.
> Understanding the pit-falls of being venture capital backed, e.g., the increased costs of scrutiny, tax, payroll, and the very high expectations of what will be done with often very little money.

Bid Writing

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:38:51 +0000

Digital YoYo provides a bid writing service, with a focus on our detailed understanding of the Creative & Digital Industries.

• We bring specialist knowledge of bid writing to secure project funds from public sector sources. We have a good understanding of the post coalition government world in the UK and the landscape of European Funding and partner opportunities.

Our experience in 2010 includes:

> Developing funding and partnership opportunities in a post-coalition government world

> Developing Project and Funding proposals for local authorities and regional stakeholders. Including European Funding bids such as ERDF, FP7 and Interreg.

Our experience with a Regional Development Agency includes:

> Writing, co-writing and developing bids for UK and European funding sources. This involved having a specialist understanding of what a bid should contain, how it should be summarised and how European funds differs from ‘single pot’ UK funds.
> Writing business and project plans to go alongside the bid.
> Knowledge of how to include outputs & outcomes which offer value for money.
> Knowledge of dealing with match funding and state aid issues.
> Understanding of all stages of the application process; from outline and full to appraisal and ‘going live’.

Our experience in commercial business includes:
> Writing a huge number of bids in the area of media production & communications, international charities, learning and skills resources and more.

Contact us to discuss how we can help you on 0845 644 8225 [local rate] or
email: davidfurmage[@]mac[dot]com

Evaluation & Appraisal

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:00:46 +0000

Digital YoYo provides an evaluation and appraisal service for projects related to the Creative & Digital Industries, from both an economic and cultural perspective.

• We are specialists in evaluating and appraising project plans and potential projects to ensure that they are structured in the most effective way.

We have recent experience in appraising projects and potential projects for a Regional Development Agency. This includes:
> Commenting on the suitability and sustainability of proposed projects.
> Suggesting ways these projects could be improved.
> Considering how they could be re-written to fully comply with funding criteria.

Project Evaluation

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:15:03 +0000

Digital YoYo provides project evaluation services for public sector funded creative and digital industry projects.

• We bring specialist understanding of evaluating Public Sector Funded projects where knowledge of the creative and digital industries is required.
• We have effective people skills, enabling us to efficiently survey recipients of project funding, review results and check outputs and outcomes.

• We have analytical skills, enabling us to draw conclusions and recommend further actions.

Our recent experience with a Regional Development Agency includes:
> Appraising and evaluating public sector projects from the creative and digital industries.
> reviewing output and outcome requirements for ‘single pot’ RDA and European funding. Recommending changes to projects to enable them to complete satisfactorily.