The BFI Creative Challenge Fund, awarding National Lottery funding, aims to decentralise project development and stimulate a healthier, wider ecosystem by inviting organisations to apply for funding to develop and run labs and workshops across the UK. The funded development programmes will enable creatives, resident in the UK, to develop specific projects which will be advanced through a structured ‘hothouse’ development environment and primed to receive financial support from the marketplace.
Based on evidence from consultations and evaluations, we have set three ‘challenges’ (detailed below) for applicants to respond to. Through the multiple challenges, we aim to fund a mosaic of interventions across the UK that touch underserved areas in the industry and support a thriving ecosystem of programmes that continue to respond to evolving needs.
Eligible applicants can propose short or long-term programmes, they can be virtual or in person and may include shadowing opportunities, mentoring, creative practice sessions such as read-throughs or scene shoots, peer support, finance and packaging advice, long-term career planning, and matching filmmakers with industry advocates and champions.
The Challenges aim to address issues facing project development in the UK independent industry They have been set following learnings from the first round and following input from industry and responding to recently published analysis and research.
Programmes identified as planning to support intervention for early career creatives working at pre-debut level may be supported with BFI NETWORK funding.
BFI Creative Challenge Fund 24-25
The fund was first launched in October 2023, and supported eight creative development programmes across the UK, supporting 86 projects and 130 writers, directors, producers and immersive artists. These programmes are now complete, and the projects are in various stages of advancement.
You can find out more about the first round of awarded programmes in our press release:
Current Challenges
Challenge One - Increase the diversity of genres in features and immersive projects
53% of feature development applications received by the BFI are categorised as dramas by their producers. This contributes to a lack of genre diversity in the projects and audience-focused narrative immersive projects receiving public funds and, more broadly, seeking support in the commercial marketplace.
We are looking for organisations to run genre-focused development programmes, to stimulate new projects and provide emerging creatives with environments that give targeted support. Programmes should be designed to maximise the chances of projects securing development finance from a range of sources following completion of the programme.
Programmes that have previously been supported through this Fund are eligible to reapply if they meet the requirements of this challenge. They will need to have completed delivery and demonstrate how they have adapted their programme in response to learnings from previous editions.
Challenge Two – Increase opportunities for early career producers to build viable projects
The current funding landscape often undervalues producers’ contributions during development, limiting their strategic input at crucial early stages. The model for project-based development support in the UK, focusses on financial support to writers and linked to the costs of getting a script into a shooting draft, with third party finance for producer fees and overhead being more limited. Producers, therefore, can often exist in economically restrictive conditions whilst in development and therefore do not have the scope or financial capacity to effectively build robust businesses.
We are looking for organisations to deliver creative development programmes designed to focus on producers as the lead engine in the development process. These programmes will be designed to support producers financially through attendance fees, providing supported space and time to strategize, package, finance and sell leading to, amongst other things, increased conversions for projects in development
Programmes should focus on honing early career and emerging producers’ creative instincts and approaches, evolve their communication and problem-solving skills, increase business skills and develop an understanding of market value, sales and box office ambitions at all stages of their current project.
Challenge Three – Increase opportunity for projects that have scale and/or a greater chance of a bigger audience impact domestically or internationally (or both)
Debut features can often achieve significant impact with festivals and award success and then their creators commonly have a four-to-five-year gap before their next project. Recent industry reports state only 10% of producers during the period covered 2014-2024 made more than one film. Of those 10% of producers, 92% have made no more than three films. There is a need to support and equip filmmakers with the drive and ambition required to identify and focus on which project on their slate should be next or help with scaling up and building projects that will have commercial success.
Programmes addressing this challenge should be aimed at emerging and more established filmmakers who are developing ambitious, independent UK and international films that have the potential for commercial success and audience impact, and that may be scope to capitalise on the new Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC).
We seek partners who have the experience and reach to help address this in a tailored focused programme structure.
Who should programmes benefit?
The beneficiaries of (participants in) your proposed programmes should be over 18 and not in full-time education at the point of taking part in the programme and either:
- UK resident writers and directors, or writer-directors, who are developing their first, second or third feature film/narrative immersive work — those working on their first film must have established themselves through a body of existing creative work
- UK resident producers of any level (early career, emerging or established) who are developing projects with writers or directors who meet the experience criteria above
- ‘Early Career’ is defined as not having written, directed or produced a fiction feature film or immersive media project that has received UK distribution in the last five years unless they have self-financed and/or self-distributed the work themselves.
- ‘Emerging’ is defined as having no more than three feature film projects produced and/or comparable television, theatre or immersive work.
- ‘Established’ is defined as having four or more feature film projects produced and/or comparable television, theatre or immersive work that have achieved commercial distribution in the UK.
Who can apply
Organisations with the specialist knowledge, relationships and delivery infrastructure required to deliver creative or talent development programmes, along with previous experience.
If you are a newly formed organisation staffed by individuals with the required experience, the eligibility criteria will be applied to your staff’s collective experience rather than the organisation.
Production, distribution, sales companies and film festivals can apply if they meet the eligibility criteria and are proposing a new programme that is outside of their regular activity.
We are particularly interested in receiving applications from:
- Organisations based outside London and the South East
- Smaller organisations in London or the South East that serve under-represented parts of the industry and are seeking to deliver a larger scale or nationwide programmes Organisations led by staff with characteristics that remain under-represented in the wider screen industry, in line with the focus areas of the BFI Diversity Standards
- Organisations that have not previously been supported by the BFI to deliver this area of activity
Animation and narrative immersive
There is currently a gap in support for developing scalable and ambitious audience facing immersive and animated feature projects, indicated partly by the fact only 5% of feature development applications received by the BFI are identified by their producers as animation. The development needs for producers of narrative immersive work and animated features differs significantly from those working in live action.
To address these challenges, we are seeking organisations who have specialist and relevant experience to provide programmes that specifically address the creative development challenges within animation and narrative immersive production. Applicants would need to create programmes which recognise that producers of these projects are constantly evolving, and they often have to adapt and flex becoming producers, creative technologists, distributors and exhibitors all in one, forging new pathways from development to financing to reaching an audience.
When you can apply
Applications are accepted all year round but must be submitted 16 weeks before the start of any funded activity. We can support programmes of any duration but all activity must be completed by 31 March 2026 unless you have approval from the Creative Challenge Fund Manager (creativechallengefund@bfi.org.uk) prior to making an application.
How to apply
You can apply online once you’ve read the funding guidelines in full. There is an application link in the guidelines.
We aim to take a decision within 12 weeks of receiving your application. If we need additional information from you, it may take us longer to reach a decision on your application.
Informational Webinar & Q&A
We’ll be hosting a webinar for applicants who would like to know more about this fund on Tuesday 6 May, 4pm to 5pm. Please sign up here.
If you have any questions relating to this funding or your application, email creativechallengefund@bfi.org.uk
Get help with your application
We are committed to making our funding accessible to all. If you have access requirements and need some support with your application, see access support for BFI funding applicants.
About BFI National Lottery funding
Since the very first National Lottery draw in 1994, public support — raised directly through National Lottery ticket sales — has funded more than 670,000 projects, raising more than £46 billion for good causes.
As a recipient, it is important to publicly acknowledge the source of this funding throughout the lifespan of the project. Effectively communicating that it is supported by BFI National Lottery funding ensures those engaging with the work recognise the value and benefit of this unique Good Cause funding.
Therefore, if your application is successful, you will be responsible for prominently crediting BFI National Lottery funding and thanking National Lottery players.
As such, you are encouraged to ensure that elements of your project/s which have the potential to engage a broad public audience are capitalised on, in order to communicate this message. More details will be supplied once an award has been made.