Speaking at the British Screen Forum conference, minister Ian Murray shifted the discussion from accolades to balance sheets. The headline problem isn’t creativity; it’s the cashflow strain of making standout work in an “age of abundance” where demand is volatile and costs have climbed.

In a speech published on GOV.UK, Murray outlined a finance‑first approach. The government will increase support for the British Business Bank, convene a working group on IP‑backed lending and create a single front door for investment guidance. The aim is to stop producers from pledging their homes to secure short‑term capital and to make rights libraries bankable assets.

Two funding pledges anchor the plan: a £75 million Screen Growth Package and a £30 million Games Growth Package. Ministers say the money will help independent producers scale, crowd in private finance and market British content globally. The ambition, restated from the stage, is that by 2035 the UK is the best place to create, invest in and grow creative businesses. For indies, this reads like expansion capital to bridge the gap between development, production and distribution.

Regional growth features heavily. A £150 million Creative Places Growth Fund and a further £100 million for Creative Industries Clusters hand local leaders the means to back studios, skills and infrastructure outside the M25. The government’s examples range from the Highlands, where The Traitors has become a calling card, to Leamington Spa’s games hub.

Public service broadcasters remain central to the industry. Murray said the forthcoming BBC Charter Review will be handled to maintain independence and trust while supporting growth, jobs and skills. Alongside that, implementation of the Media Act and Ofcom’s Transmission Critical recommendations is intended to keep high‑quality UK content prominent and easily discoverable on major platforms, on fair commercial terms.

On innovation, policy is leaning into R&D. Support for UK Research and Innovation’s creative clusters and CoSTAR’s National R&D Lab points to a push to make “crea‑tech” as consequential as fintech. Expect virtual production, AI‑enabled workflows and rights‑tech to be early beneficiaries, with spillovers into post‑production and VFX.

People policy is getting attention too. Targeted investment in the National Film and Television School, the BFI Academy and a refreshed careers service is designed to widen entry routes. A Creative Freelance Champion will be appointed, and the government is working with industry on the Good Work Review action plan and an Independent Standards Authority to improve job quality.

For investors and finance directors, the message is practical. If IP‑backed lending becomes standardised, working capital should become cheaper and less collateral‑hungry, improving returns on libraries and formats. Combined with new funds, that could shift the capital stack away from emergency debt and dilutive equity towards structured credit against revenues and rights.

There are execution risks. IP valuation needs consistency across banks; security and recourse must be clear; and prominence rules will only matter if platforms implement them in ways audiences actually use. Energy costs and uneven commissioning still weigh on margins. Policy won’t eliminate these pressures, but it could make them more manageable.

Our read is that the direction of policy is sound. The UK already produces break‑out hits; the constraint is scale financing and bargaining power in distribution. If the British Business Bank, lenders and rights owners can agree common IP metrics, the sector gains a funding spine-one that supports creativity without forcing founders to bet the house.