The UK government and the BPI have officially opened applications for the highly anticipated 25th edition of the Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS). This landmark round allows small-to-medium-sized, independent UK music companies to apply for crucial financial backing to expand the international commercial profiles of their artists. The registration and submission window opens at 12:00 p.m. today, with a firm application deadline set for June 8, 2026. Operated as a robust partnership between the music industry and the public sector, MEGS receives joint funding from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). This state backing is heavily supplemented by the UK recorded music industry itself, which contributes an average of 64% of the total project spend. The initiative forms part of an ongoing three-year government commitment that ensures stable funding and allows for two distinct application rounds to take place each year.
The core mission of MEGS is to help independent talent break through intensifying global competition and navigate the rising costs associated with international touring. By providing targeted financial assistance, the scheme ensures that British music continues to flourish overseas and remains an influential cultural force. Business Secretary Peter Kyle emphasized the importance of the initiative, noting that this funding is vital for empowering creative businesses to scale new heights on the global stage. To date, the scheme has an incredible track record of launching and sustaining international careers. MEGS has successfully supported more than 514 British acts, including prominent artists like Rina Sawayama, Self Esteem, Jungle, Young Fathers, and Kae Tempest. Furthermore, the grant program has backed multiple major award winners, fueling the global trajectories of household names such as Dave, Wolf Alice, and the Ezra Collective.
Beyond its clear cultural triumphs, the grant scheme delivers a massive fiscal impact back home. Across its previous 24 funding rounds, MEGS has funneled more than £9.2 million into British music exports. This targeted investment has generated an estimated £81.5 million return to the UK economy, proving that investing in creative talent yields substantial real-world economic growth. Economists have calculated that completed rounds return nearly £14 to the domestic economy for every single £1 provided in government funding. BPI Chief Strategy Officer Sophie Jones expressed pride in the initiative’s legacy, highlighting how past recipients have regularly gone on to become chart-toppers, Mercury Prize recipients, and BRIT Award winners. Independent labels, management companies, and music businesses looking to replicate this success can review eligibility requirements and submit their digital applications directly through the official BPI application portal before the June deadline.
