Call for Applications: Broadcast Content Fund in the United Kingdom

The Fund has an allocation of £3m and will prioritise projects which have the potential to generate lasting benefits to build companies of scale, reflect or promote Scottish culture, creativity and diversity, as well as projects which offer significant opportunities to people currently under-represented in the screen sector.

The Broadcast Content Fund accepts applications for all genres of broadcast content including factual and scripted programming where there is a clear and demonstrable need for public funding.

By broadcast content they mean a single or a series of audio visual works intended for commercial distribution to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communication medium, including but not limited to television broadcast, digital broadcast and streaming platforms in a one-to-many model. The fund will not normally support the development or production of a single or a series of audio visual works intended for self-distribution, such as web-series.

What are the funding routes?

• There are two routes to funding. These are:
  • Broadcast Content Development Funding: Support towards the development costs of a single project or a slate of projects.
  • Broadcast Content Production Funding: Support towards the production costs of a single project (one-off or a series).

Funding Information                   

• Broadcast Content Development Funding:
  • They would normally expect Broadcast Content Development Funding awards to be in the range of £10,000–£50,000 for the development of a single project and up to £100,000 for the development of a slate of projects.
  • Where a development budget for an individual project requires more than the maximum award of £50,000 then production companies will be awarded funding for an initial stage of development and can then reapply for additional funding where they can demonstrate that the initial development phase has enabled them to obtain broadcaster interest and/or committed co-funding from a broadcaster or other third party.
• Broadcast Content Production Funding:
  • Awards for Production Funding are likely to be made in the range of £100,000–£500,000. If appropriate, they may accept an application for a higher amount, where the project demonstrates exceptional benefits for the production sector in Scotland, as well as strongly meeting all the funding criteria to the highest level.

What can I apply for?

• Broadcast Content Development Funding:
  • This funding route will support the following development activities (please note this list is not exhaustive and is only intended to be used as a guide):
    • Payment to option the rights to formats; adaptation of pre-existing works; and rights to secure access
    • Development of the treatment, outline and/or screenplay
    • Script editing, story development, creative project development
    • Research
    • Mood boards, concept art work and/or storyboards
    • Taster/sizzle reels
    • Costs relating to travel, accommodation and subsistence of key personnel involved in the project
    • Budgeting and scheduling
    • Casting
    • External legal costs associated with rights options and clearance (e.g. writers/option/access agreements).
• Broadcast Content Production Funding:
  • Projects can be a series or a single programme. They will consider all genres but would particularly encourage applications from high-end television drama, live-action and animated children’s drama projects, and scripted comedy.
  • They will only fund a proportion of the production costs of projects, and you must have secured, or have a written indication of, third party co-funding before making an application.
  • In certain circumstances they will consider funding projects where the potential for international distribution is not readily demonstrable, but where it offers significant benefits to Scotland-based talent and the wider Scottish broadcast production sector.
  • All applicants for production funding must be able to demonstrate the need for support from public funds.

Who can apply? 

• Broadcast Content Development Funding:
  • They will accept applications for Broadcast Content Development Funding from Eligible Production Companies.
  • If you are a producer or writer or director that has yet to make your first broadcast commission, then they would encourage you to work with an Eligible Production Company to advance your project. Projects where the key creative talent are based outside of Scotland:
    • The writer(s), director(s), producer(s), or a majority of the key creative team, must be residents of Scotland (irrespective of nationality). The will not normally fund the development of a project on which all of the key creative talent (writer, director, producer) are based outside Scotland, even if the project is set in Scotland or based on underlying material which may have originated in Scotland. Projects whose key creative talent are based outside Scotland, but which will be shot and/or post-produced in Scotland, may qualify for support via the Production Growth Fund.
• Broadcast Content Production Funding:
  • They will accept applications for Broadcast Content Production Funding from Eligible Production Companies.
  • If you are a Scottish production company and have not worked in broadcast production previously you should seek to work with an established and experienced Eligible Production Company.

Eligibility Criteria

• The following are eligible to apply for funding from the Broadcast Content Fund:
  • Scottish Production Companies: production companies who;
    • Are headquartered or have a substantive business and production base in Scotland; and have an established track record of broadcast productions; or
    • Are a start-up production company headquartered in Scotland with an experienced management team who have previously held senior positions within an established production company or broadcaster.
  • Non-Scottish Production Companies: production companies who are not headquartered in Scotland but who;
    • are established in an EU/EEA State; and
    • Have a permanent branch or agency in Scotland at the time that funding from the Broadcast Content Fund is defrayed. If there is no such permanent branch or agency at the time funding is defrayed but the project involves a “meaningful co-production” with a Scottish Production Company then they may consider an application for funding; and
    • Have an established track record of broadcast productions or are a start-up production company with an experienced management team who have previously held senior positions within an established production company or broadcaster.
  • Co-Producing Non-EU/EEA State Producers: production companies who:
    • are based outside the EU/EEA;
    • have an established track record of broadcast productions;
    • Are co-producing the project with a Scottish Production Company where the role of the Scottish Production Company in the co-production is meaningful. Whether a Scottish Production Company’s role is “meaningful” will be assessed by reference to issues such as creative involvement, ownership of copyright, respective roles of the parties, credits and financial terms (including fees and net profit participation).
  • Overall, they strongly encourage applications from Eligible Production Companies who are seeking to build on existing strengths or who are looking to create new opportunities for growth through innovation.

For more information, visit Screen Scotland.