Liverpool’s Dan Croll is just one of thirteen music acts set to receive financial support from the UK government to promote British music abroad, as part of the Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS).

The scheme, now in its second year, has a proven track record of helping UK-based bands to achieve global recognition.

Through the Music Export Growth Scheme, each artist will be able to put the funding towards tour support, overseas venue costs, international travel costs, marketing, promotion and PR costs: all factors that can act as obstacles to an artist looking to take that step from established UK musician to commercially successful international act.

Run by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) – the government department that helps boost the exports of UK companies – and UK music trade body BPI, this latest round of funding has seen 13 independent UK music companies behind the careers of British talent  awarded grants of between £5,000 and £30,000.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said:

“Britain’s creative industries are the envy of the world. You only have to look at the success of Sam Smith at the Grammys earlier this month to see British music is still very much striking a chord with music fans across the globe.

“The Music Export Growth Scheme has provided help to some of the UK’s most promising stars, continuing our strong musical heritage while boosting the UK economy through increased ticket and music sales.

“This latest round of winners has something for most musical tastes and I wish them well as they launch their talents onto the global stage.”

Aside from Liverpool’s Dan Croll, other acts receiving MEGS funding included:

• 2:54 (London)
• Futuristic Polar Bears (Manchester)
• Diagrams (Sheffield)
• Hookworms (Leeds)
• Kate Tempest (London)
• Mallory Knox (Cambridgeshire)
• Philippa Hanna (Sheffield)
• Kitty, Daisy & Lewis (London)
• Public Service Broadcasting (London)
• You Me At Six (Surrey)
• Kindness (London)
• Young Guns (London)

The MEGS was announced in late 2013 as the result of a meeting between influential members of the music industry and Prime Minister David Cameron.

In the last year, there have been more than 300 applications for support and MEGS has helped more than 70 UK music companies to actively promote the country’s most-promising musicians overseas.

MEGS funding has facilitated:

• 13 record deals
• 22 sync deals which has seen their music placed on TV programmes, movies and video games, as well as 1 YouTube advertising deal
• 10 international music awards
• numerous offers of TV shows and a range of publishing, live, brand and sponsorship deals, including 2 performances on the David Letterman Show in the United States

Geoff Taylor, BPI Chief Executive, highlighted the importance of the Scheme to artists’ careers:

“Digital music is global and that has increased the opportunities for British artists overseas. The fantastic success of Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Coldplay and One Direction around the world proves there is a strong appetite for British music, but some independent labels do not have the resources to promote an artist in every export market they might want to target. The Music Export Growth Scheme, run by the BPIand UKTI, helps to fill this gap and is giving a real boost to British music overseas.”

The next round of the Music Export Growth Scheme will open for applications from independent music labels, artists, management companies and other music SMEs across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on 2 March 2015.

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Words: Peter Cribley