Contents
1. About this fund
The BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund has been allocated £15m over three years to support ambitious audience-facing independent UK and international film and broader screen activity of national significance.
Bringing films to audiences across the UK in a dynamic and original way, the activity supported will demonstrate cultural ambition and encourage audiences to take risks in the viewing choices they make. Your project should be high profile and able to attract national press and media coverage.
For local projects, you can apply for funding through the BFI Film Audience Network.
Aims of the fund
We want everyone to experience a great range of screen culture. All funded activity must deliver against at least five of the following aims which are listed in the BFI National Lottery strategy outcomes:
- people across the UK can access a wider choice of film and the moving image including stories that reflect their lives
- an increased profile for independent UK and international film and broader screen activity
- a larger audience for independent UK and international film and broader screen activity that is representative of the UK population, achieved through a genuine change in working practices – this could include, for example, new approaches to marketing and promotion, investing in an inclusive workforce that is representative of our population
- funding helps to tackle social, economic and geographic barriers for screen audiences in new and effective ways ensuring an increased number of accessible screenings right across the UK to ensure independent UK and international film and broader screen activity is truly accessible to all
- children and young people are empowered to develop their own relationships with a wider range of screen culture
- screen organisations have significantly reduced their carbon footprint
- a broader range of organisations supported by the fund, breaking down historic barriers to funding
2. Check if you’re eligible
You’ll need experience of film distribution, film exhibition or audience development activities in the UK. Experience can include:
- marketing initiatives
- film festivals
- film distribution, including cinema and online
- immersive installations and tours
- in-venue programmes or seasons
- touring projects
- in-venue audience analysis projects
Eligibility of your organisation
Your organisation must be a legally constituted organisation centrally managed in the UK that is one of the following:
- a limited company registered at Companies House that is not:
- defined as a ‘large’ company under the Companies Act 2006; or
- more than 50% owned by (or a subsidiary of)
- non-UK resident individuals or
- a company or corporation owned by non UK-resident individuals or
- a company or corporation having shares listed on any stock exchange
- a community interest company registered at Companies House
- a limited liability partnership (LLP) registered at Companies House that is not more than 50% owned by non-UK residents partners or members
- a UK combined or local authority or statutory body
- a UK charity or trust registered with the Charity Commission
Eligibility of your project
We can support projects of any duration but all activity must be completed by 31 March 2026 unless you have approval from the Audiences team prior to making an application.
You can apply if your project:
- takes place in the UK
- is for a national public audience and public benefit
- starts 16 weeks or more after the time of application
- is a new, time-limited activity within or additional to your core delivery – for example, a new marketing approach within a film festival to attract audiences not currently engaging with the festival
Funding can only be used to support projects that:
- respond to the fund’s aims
- demonstrate cultural ambition and encourage audiences to take risks in the viewing choices they make
Your project should also have specific outcomes reflecting the changes you want to achieve if you receive funding.
You can also apply for smaller awards to support pilot projects which take creative, operational and economic risks in developing audiences from specific under-represented backgrounds and have the potential to grow and reach national audiences.
During the assessment process, we may discuss with you whether it is appropriate to apply for a pilot projects award or a project award to achieve your aims.
When your project is ineligible
You’re not eligible to apply to the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund if:
- the focus is talent development (for example, panels or workshops discussing filmmaking skills)
- filmmakers are the intended audiences
- students are the intended audiences, where the screenings form part of their studies
- your screenings will take place in spaces closed to the general public (for example, university campuses)
- developing audiences for screen culture is not the primary outcome
- it’s for, or includes, large scale capital expenditure – small scale expenditure can be included if it directly relates to the delivery and outcomes of your project
- it focusses on artforms other than independent UK and international film and broader screen activity
- it’s for local or regional audiences, for example:
- projects that draw the majority of their audience from a single catchment area, offering a broad programme of films and events, rather than one which might be considered to have national reach because of its focus on a particular aspect of film culture or a distinct genre
- projects of a limited scale, which for example project relatively modest admissions (we consider under 5,000 admissions for a film festival to be modest)
- it relates to business development or business start-up costs
- it includes or promotes exclusive availability, for example, it’s only available on a pay-to-view platform
- it’s an extension of ongoing work
- it’s the core activity of your organisation
- you’re applying for an award for a pilot project and you’ve already received funding from this fund (or the former BFI Audience Fund)
Get in touch with the Audiences team if you’re unsure whether your organisation is eligible to apply to the fund: audiencefund@bfi.org.uk.
If you’re looking for opportunities for local projects, contact your local Film Hub for more details.
3. How much you can apply for
Funding depends on the timeframe and ambition of your project:
- pilot projects – you can apply for a minimum of £10,000 up to £20,000
- projects – you can apply for a minimum of £20,000 up to £200,000 per year
We can consider making single or multi-year project awards of up to £500,000 per year but applications for awards over £200,000 will only be accepted for projects which demonstrate exceptional cultural ambition, national profile and scale and are supported by a good range of partners. Awards over £200,000 are rare so we strongly advise that you discuss your project with the Audiences team before making an application for over this amount.
This fund is highly competitive and you should bear this in mind when deciding what level of award you’ll need to deliver your project and if the scale of request is appropriate for the level of public benefit.
If your project is longer than 12 months
All activity will need to be completed by 31 March 2026. Our decision to offer funding for more than 12 months will be based on evidence that your project will deliver strongly against the fund’s aims and that you’ll be unable to achieve your project outcomes in a shorter period.
If you’re successful in securing an award for more than one year, funding will be cashflowed in line with your projected expenditure subject to:
- satisfactory performance – you’re able to continue your activity in accordance with your contractual terms, and that you can demonstrate (through regular reporting) that you’re able to remain financially viable through to the end of the term
- routine reporting of progress against KPIs, costs to date, proposed changes to the forecast budget and activity plans, and details of planned activity
The amount of funding that we can make available for the second year of funding may be impacted by the ongoing availability of National Lottery funds at predicted levels. If we have to reduce funding we will aim to provide sufficient notice and work with you to change plans accordingly.
UK subsidy legislation
The Audience Projects Fund will usually offer funding by way of a grant. However, the BFI complies with UK subsidy legislation in its operation of the Audience Projects Fund. Where the proposed use of funding comprises subsidy, additional conditions will attach to the offer of funding and if the project is expected to result in a commercial gain for the applicant, the BFI will offer funding as a recoupable grant repayable from such gains. We may request further information at application stage if this is assumed to be the case.
4. What you can use the funding for
Eligible costs
You can use this funding for project costs such as:
- activities needed to deliver the project, for example marketing or curation
- contribution to overheads relating to the delivery of the project
- engaging specialist advice, for example marketing, PR, or access associated with the project
- accessibility needs, for example subtitles, close captions, audio description, BSL interpreted events, relaxed screenings and marketing materials
- professional development spend if relating to the outcomes in the project
Ineligible costs
Examples of common ineligible costs are:
- core costs for day to day running of your organisation not associated with the project
- staffing costs which are covered by other sources of funding
- film or broader screen production costs including post-production
- business start-up costs
- development of your business not relating to the project
- costs relating to an extension of ongoing work
- parties, including opening and closing night galas, awards ceremonies and prizes
- large scale capital expenditure
- activity that is currently or has already been specifically supported by another external source of funding
- costs incurred prior to an offer of funding from BFI
- promotional or other activity (such as standees and printed brochures) which do not support environmental sustainability
- a contribution to the same activity supported by other BFI funds such as BFI Film Audience Network
- costs not directly relating to audience development
This list is not exhaustive, and we may tell you that other types of activity within your application cannot be supported by a BFI award or ask that you amend specific activities and associated budget allocations.
The budget templates include additional guidance on eligible and ineligible costs.
If you’re registered for VAT
Your figures should not include VAT that you can claim back. If you are not registered for VAT, or you are registered for VAT but cannot fully recover the VAT you incur on costs, your figures should include irrecoverable VAT. Grants we make are ‘outside the scope’ of VAT and should be listed in your accounts as a grant and not, for example, as a fee for any services supplied to the BFI. You should get financial advice from your own accountant or the relevant tax office.
Partnership funding
Eligible applications need to demonstrate an element of partnership support which can include cash or in-kind support. Partnership contributions are an important demonstration that there is genuine support for your project from your community, stakeholders and other partners.
The larger the request to the fund the more partnership funding we would expect to see. As a guide, we expect this to be a minimum of 40% of the total project budget (cash and in-kind). For pilot projects, there is no minimum percentage.
Partnership funding does not have to be secured at the point of application but will need to be secured in advance of BFI award payment and before the proposed project start date. Other BFI funds cannot be used as partnership funding (for example from the BFI Film Audience Network). UK National Lottery funding from another distributor (for example Arts Council) should not be the only form of partnership funding.
BFI National Lottery funding
We can only award funding to projects that have a clear public benefit along with an evidenced need for National Lottery funds.
You should not apply for National Lottery funds to replace existing project funding or available income, or to fund activity that can start without an award.
BFI National Lottery Funding is project-based, time-limited funding and, as such, there should be no expectations of ongoing support beyond the term of any awards made.
5. What your project needs to achieve
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
All awarded projects will contribute to the following KPIs which we use to measure the success of the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund:
UK-wide targets
- percentage of successful applicants from outside London and the South East: 60%
- percentage of funded projects which take place outside London and the South East: 100%
- admissions or beneficiaries from outside London and the South East: 75%
- successful applicants new to BFI National Lottery funding: 20%
- total admissions: 6 million
Accessibility targets
- accessible screenings (closed captions, audio description, BSL interpretation, marketing materials, ticket incentives or discounts): 50%
- relaxed screenings (autism, neurodiverse, dementia or baby friendly): 50%
- percentage of projects available online: 50%
Environmental targets
- sustainable screen support offered to 100% of awardees each year (based on awardee data supplied by BFI)
- minimum 80% of awardees have calculated a carbon footprint using provided tools
Equity, diversity and inclusion
All activity supported by our funding should address the BFI Diversity Standards. If successful, you’ll need to evaluate and report how you’ve delivered against the aims of the Diversity Standards in practice.
Your activity will contribute towards achieving our inclusion targets, which are:
- disabled (including those with a longstanding physical or mental condition and those identifying as D/deaf or neurodiverse): 18%
- Black and Global Majority (London): 40%
- Black and Global Majority (outside London): 30%
- gender balance – of those identifying within the gender binary (also monitoring trans and non-binary identities): 50%
- sexual identity – those identifying as LGB+: 10%
- working class background: 39%
UK-wide
Our funding supports national, regional and local activity to ensure that communities throughout the UK feel the benefit of the screen industries and culture. You’ll need to tell us where your proposed activity will be delivered and how this will support the BFI’s UK-wide principle.
Environmental sustainability
All organisations awarded funding are asked to consider what it means to apply the principle of environmental sustainability (ES) to the funded activity or their organisation more generally. This could be good environmental practice for the project (for example, travel and events), as an organisation more broadly, or exploring environmental themes as part of the work.
Due to the range of organisations and activity that we fund, we’re not prescriptive about what this should look like, but there are five priority areas that you could focus on in your planning and application: food, energy, transport, materials use and influencing change.
Awardees can make use of the wider resources and support provided by our designated partner, Julie’s Bicycle, primarily through the Sustainable Screen Hub, as well as fund-specific support. Awardees will be required to submit environmental impact data and report on how they have applied the ES principle. Find guidance on reporting on Julie’s Bicycle website.
6. How to apply
When you can apply
You must apply at least 16 weeks before your project start date. Applications submitted less than 16 weeks before the start of a project are ineligible and will be declined.
We strongly encourage you to apply as soon as you’re ready to provide sufficient lead time to the start of your project.
If your project relates to distribution of a single film
You can request for the start date to come forward no earlier than two weeks from the original intended date if the market conditions make such a move necessary in order to achieve the most beneficial outcomes (for example, competitive titles or availability of key talent). Requests for a date change will need to be made no later than 7 weeks before the intended project start date.
If you have any questions before making an application, contact audiencefund@bfi.org.uk.
Submitting an application
You need to create an account to make your application online. You can save your application and return to it later.
Make sure you complete all the sections, as incomplete applications are ineligible and will be declined.
View a PDF preview of the application form
Diversity standards form
Before you can submit your application, you’ll need to complete and submit the Diversity Standards – Audience Projects form. You’ll need to register an account to do this.
This form will give you a unique diversity standards reference number, which you’ll need to fill in your application form. You’ll need to submit both forms 16 weeks ahead of your start date for your application be eligible.
Application forms received without a completed and submitted diversity standards form will be considered incomplete and therefore ineligible.
Information you’ll need to provide
In your main application you’ll need to provide:
- a brief overview of the core activity your organisation delivers
- a brief overview of the specific audience facing project you want the BFI to support
- detail on the specific audiences you will be targeting with BFI funding
- an outline of how evidence of or research on your existing and potential audiences has informed your project
- your approach to ensuring the activities in the project are accessible
- a thousand-word proposal (details are in the application form)
- evidence that your organisation can successfully deliver the project
- a full project budget and cashflow for the project
Documents you’ll need to provide
- budget (completed using the template provided)
- if applying for multi editions of the project, your budget should be for the total duration
- during the assessment process, we may ask you to provide a budget for each year
- KPI target (completed using the template provided)
- KPIs should be for the duration of the project
- environmental plan for your organisation
- environmental plan for your project
- workplace bullying, harassment and anti-racism policies
- marketing plans specifically for the project, not your organisation
- any other document requested
If you’re applying with a distribution project
You’ll also need to submit evidence that you control the UK distribution rights for the proposed film title or that you’re in the process of acquiring those rights.
If you’re applying for a multi-year project
If your project spans more than a year, not just crosses over a financial or calendar year end, we’ll ask why you need multi-year support and you’ll need to provide key milestones and measures of success and the following:
- Your last set of independently certified / audited accounts
- If more than 12 months has passed since the year end covered in your certified accounts, please additionally provide draft accounts for the intervening auditable period as approved by your board (including both income and expenditure reporting and a balance sheet)
- Your most recent budget and management accounts for the current financial year as approved by your Board (including both income and expenditure reporting and a balance sheet), as well as any subsequent budget reforecast since board approval was provided
- Budget and forecast for your organisation for financial years 2023 to 2026, accompanied by notes highlighting the assumptions made and key risks (for instance around renewal of funding from other sources)
- Your organisational risk register
Any documents submitted other than those requested will not be considered.
Download the Distribution budget template
Download the Projects budget template
Download the KPI targets template
Equality monitoring
You may be asked to provide equality monitoring data relating to your organisation’s leadership or project staff at the point of application or during your project. The data you submit on this form will be confidential, anonymous and not seen by the fund staff.
If you have any questions when completing the application form email us at audiencefund@bfi.org.uk.
7. What happens after you apply?
- You’ll get confirmation we received your application within 1 to 2 working days.
- We’ll request any additional information we may need within 4 weeks.
- You’ll get a decision within 12 weeks, unless we need more information from you, then it’ll take longer.
- If your project is for the release of a film, you will need to arrange a screening or provide a screening link so that we can watch the film as part of the assessment process.
How your application is assessed
We’re looking for projects of national significance, ensuring a larger UK population has access to UK and independent film and broader screen activity, reducing historic barriers and ensuring activity is accessible
When assessing your application, we consider how closely your project meets the fund aims. We’ll also consider the following:
Public benefit of your project
This includes:
- the cultural significance of your project and proposed partnerships
- if your project promotes diversity in content
- if your project will contribute to a greater diversity in the workforce and audiences
- if the activity is additional to your organisation’s core work
- if your project provides opportunities for audiences to experience or learn about types of films to which they would not otherwise have access
- evidence of research on which the project is based
- relevance to the intended identified audiences
- how many people will benefit from the project
- evidence of sustained, long term audience development especially outside London and South East England
Delivery and management plans
This includes:
- evidence that the proposed activity is technically and logistically viable and the applicant has the relevant experience to deliver the project and reach the identified audiences
- robust monitoring and evaluation plans and how you will integrate the outcomes of the project into your core work
- how you’ve managed any previous BFI awards, if applicable
Finance
We’ll assess:
- if the scale and ambition of the project is appropriate to the amount of funding you have requested
- (if the request is above £200,000) is the project exceptional?
- is it clear what BFI funding will support and does it represent good value for money?
- are the costs and revenues realistic?
- how much partnership support is included and if there is any possibility of further income from other sources?
- is your organisation financially secure, especially in the context of multi-year awards?
- is there a strong need for National Lottery funding?
We may share your application with other BFI teams or external consultants to help us assess it.
How we prioritise applications
We receive more applications than we are able to support and will prioritise projects that:
- best deliver on the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects fund aims
- will have the biggest impact on developing new audiences for independent UK and international film and broader screen activity
- offer value for money and have the greatest potential to unlock additional partnership funding
- take risks and try new approaches
- aim for sustainable audience development and have a plan for future financial sustainability
- best address the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, and UK-wide
- allocate a greater percentage of Lottery funds in supporting direct audience development rather than staffing and overheads
8. Getting a decision
If you’re unsuccessful
We may have turned down your application because we determined that the project did not:
- meet our fund aims, or did not meet them strongly enough
- demonstrate a strong enough commitment to one or all of the following principles: equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI); environmental sustainability; UK-wide
- offer value for money or sufficient public benefit
- have adequate budget for the ambition of the project
- demonstrate enough relevant experience
- developed enough
- demonstrate sufficient need for National Lottery support and should be financed by other means
- meet with the BFI Diversity Standards
If you’re successful
You’ll get a written offer of funding which you will need to sign and return to the BFI within 14 days. The offer will set out details of how you’ll receive the funding, how to use it and how we expect you to report to us.
Check the conditions of funding to find out what you’ll have to do if you’re offered an award.
Feedback on unsuccessful applications
If requested, we will try to provide feedback. As a small team we will prioritise those organisations where we asked for additional information during the assessment process. The feedback will be by email, video call or telephone.
We will keep the data and supporting materials you sent to us in line with our records retention policy.
We welcome your feedback on the application process and how we might improve it.
9. Conditions of our funding
If you are offered an award, in addition to the General Conditions of National Lottery Funding, the following conditions will apply:
- We’ll measure the progress of your project using interim and final reports which you will need to send to us on the dates specified in your funding agreement. We will cashflow payment of your award in line with the reporting dates.
- Where applicable, you will need to adopt safeguarding provisions for protecting children and vulnerable adults and ensure that data on all participants in and beneficiaries of the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund can be shared with BFI in compliance with data protection legislation.
- You’ll be required to work collaboratively with relevant BFI departments and partners.
- You’ll be required to share data insights, data reports and learning from your project and ensure their continued availability after expiry of the term of funding.
- You’ll be required to submit environmental impact data and report on how you’ve delivered against the Environmental Sustainability principle. For awards made over multiple years, an annual report is required. Further guidance can be found on the Julie’s Bicycle website.
- If the award may result in commercial gain or profit from the activity it will take the form of a recoupable grant (see also section on Subsidy Control in the Nation Lottery Funding General Conditions).
- If the award relates to the distribution of a film you will be required to make available audio-description files and soft-subtitled files (or similar) on the digital cinema package and for the home release and you will be required to display the BFI moving/animated logo (featuring the National Lottery logo) at the start of the film.
For multi-year awards we will confirm the amount to be allocated to each year, how it will be cashflowed and when performance review points will occur. Prior to each new financial year we will review:
- achievement of agreed deliverables to date
- any updates to your plan, budget forecast (including income and other partnership funding) and risk register
- your ongoing ability to deliver the agreed activity (including in relation to your continuing financial stability)
Such awards will be offered for the relevant multi-year period to ensure stability and continuity of awarded activities and we anticipate cashflowing each award in equal annual amounts.
The BFI National Lottery Funding Plan 2023 to 2026 has been developed based on full use of predicted income from National Lottery ticket sales due to BFI. In the event that receipts to BFI are lower than predicted we may have to make a pro-rated reduction across all funding plan programmes. The amount of funding that we can make available for the later year(s) may therefore be impacted by the ongoing availability of National Lottery funds at predicted levels. If we have to reduce funding for any year we will ensure that we provide sufficient notice and work with you to modify plans accordingly.