Contents
1. Overview
Welcome to the guidelines for the International Distribution Prints and Advertising (P&A) Support strand, part of the UK Global Screen Fund (UKGSF): financed by the UK government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and administered by the BFI. Please read these guidelines carefully before applying.
The UKGSF is a three-year scheme that seeks to boost the UK’s international competitiveness by offering additional, targeted support at each stage of the screen content supply chain.
The UKGSF supports international business development, co-production, sales and distribution activities, so as to:
- grow the revenue and sustainability of UK independent screen businesses by supporting their international activity
- enable industry to further grow international partnerships and to develop projects with international appeal for mutual benefit
- increase the reach of UK screen content to international audiences
The International Distribution strand
The International Distribution strand aims to grow exports and global demand for UK independent film by supporting the UK film industry to achieve measurable results which would not have been achievable without UKGSF support, including increasing:
- the number and value of international sales of UK independent film
- international audiences for UK independent film
- commercial returns for UK screen companies, rights holders and financiers
Having considered the most efficient way to achieve the above aims, the BFI considers it appropriate to streamline two of the previous forms of support by amalgamating and consolidating the festival and market launch support offered via the International Distribution funding strand in 2021-2022, and the support offered via the National Lottery-funded Film Export Fund.
This type of festival launch support will continue to be offered going forward under the Festival Launch Support scheme which will be operated under the International Distribution strand of the UK Global Screen Fund.
The International Distribution strand of the UK Global Screen Fund will therefore make three forms of support available:
- Film Sales Support — awarded to a UK sales agent presenting a UK film to international buyers at international markets with the aim of securing international distribution deals
- Festival Launch Support — awarded to either the UK producer or UK sales agent of a UK film, to support the launch of the film at an agreed film festival with the aim of increasing the film’s profile and sales
- Prints & Advertising (P&A) Support — awarded to either the UK producer or UK sales agent of a UK film, to contribute towards the P&A Costs of a grouping of international distributors, with the aim of increasing the film’s circulation, audience size and Box Office potential
These guidelines cover P&A Support only.
Read the guidelines for Film Sales Support and Festival Launch Support.
Prints and Advertising (P&A) Support
Applications for P&A Support may be submitted from 20 July 2023 onwards.
Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis.
P&A Support will help secure wider and higher profile cinema releases of live action and animated, fiction and documentary feature films that are capable of qualifying as ‘British’ films under the current definitions, including UK co-productions, and which otherwise qualify as an Eligible Film (as per the requirements set out in section 2 below). Eligible Films can be in any language, including English. We are looking to provide support for those Eligible Films that have clear appeal to identified international audiences, and strong potential for commercial success.
P&A Costs are all of the marketing and technical costs associated with the theatrical release of a UK independent film in a given international territory, incurred by the local distributor. UKGSF P&A Support funding is available for certain eligible P&A Costs, as defined in the Eligible Costs list in Section 3 below.
This will enable UK independent films to:
- secure better international release results by way of wider releases, higher admissions and increased press coverage;
- encourage higher marketing spend, so that distributors can more effectively launch and promote UK independent films in international territories;
- boost the competitiveness of UK producers and UK sales agents in the international independent film sales marketplace;
- increase international consumer and industry recognition of the director, producer, cast and crew, so as to raise the international profile of UK creative individuals and help drive funding and pre-sales on future UK independent films;
- secure better returns for rights holders and financiers from international release successes.
Prioritisation
In making awards through each of its strands, the UKGSF is seeking to ensure a UK-wide benefit and address geographic imbalance within the industry. This means that as part of our assessment, we will consider:
- where the applicant company and UK producer(s) are based
- where projects are shot/made
- how projects reflect the culture and talent of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the English regions outside Greater London
Any queries about the Fund or the application process should be directed
to ukglobalscreenfund@bfi.org.uk.
2. Check if you’re eligible
Applications can only be made through a UK registered and centrally managed company.
The application must be made in the name of either the UK-based sales agent appointed to sell the Eligible Film internationally or the lead UK producer of the Eligible Film and, in each case, such entity must also qualify as an Eligible Applicant (as per the requirements set out below).
Who can apply?
To be eligible to apply for P&A Support funding, you must meet all of the Eligibility Criteria set out below:
Eligible Applicant
We can accept applications if your organisation:
- is a limited company registered and centrally managed in the UK whose core business is either:
- securing and selling distribution rights to new feature film titles; or
- producing independent narrative content for cinema, commercial online release, or television broadcast
- has either:
- been appointed as the UK sales agent selling the international rights for the Eligible Film; or
- acted as the lead UK producer on the Eligible Film
- is not a company in which more than 25% of its shares are held, directly or indirectly, by any one or more of the following third parties:
- a non-UK corporate entity
- a television broadcaster/SVOD platform or operator
- any company defined as a large company under the Companies Act 2006
Eligible Film
You are able to apply if your film:
- has a production budget of £12,500,000 or less
- is a new feature length (minimum 60 minutes running time) live action or animation, fiction or documentary film
- has been completed no more than 24 months prior to the application date, or is currently in production or post-production
- will have its lead release within 12 months of the application date
- qualifies or is wholly capable of qualifying for certification as a British film under one of the following:
- the cultural test for British Films
- one of the UK’s official bilateral co-production treaties
- the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production
- has not been majority financed by a studio, mini major or streaming platform
- is a film whose theatrical release rights have been acquired by an Eligible Distributor in each of the territories included in an Eligible Territory Grouping for which support is being sought. A theatrical release is defined as the exhibition of an Eligible Film in cinemas within a territory to the paying public. Limited screenings during a film festival do not constitute a theatrical release.
Eligible Territory Grouping
- Includes a minimum of four international territories, outside the UK
- Includes at least two territories from the following list of key territories:
- Australia/New Zealand (as a block, or Australia alone)
- Benelux (as a block only)
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
- Latin America (as a block, or Mexico or Brazil alone)
- North America (as a block, or the US or Canada alone)
- Poland
- Scandinavia (as a block only)
- South Korea
- Spain
Eligible Distributor
- Controls the rights necessary to release the Eligible Film in cinemas in at least one territory within the Eligible Territory Grouping
- Will directly control the release date, target screens, marketing and promotion of the Eligible Film in the applicable territory(ies)
- Must be a corporate entity established and in good standing in accordance with the local laws of the applicable territory and/or of its incorporation
- Is not a mini major or studio or streaming platform
If you have read this section of the guidelines thoroughly and are still unsure if you are eligible to apply, please email us at ukglobalscreenfund@bfi.org.uk.
3. What you can use the funding for
An Eligible Applicant will be required to coordinate and submit an application on behalf of the Eligible Distributors who have acquired the theatrical rights for, and intend to theatrically release, the Eligible Film in the Eligible Territory Grouping.
The Eligible Applicant may apply for support on behalf of each Eligible Distributor for each territory within the Eligible Territory Grouping, in respect of certain Eligible Costs (as defined below) in connection with the local theatrical release of the Eligible Film.
Each P&A Support application should relate to a single Eligible Film. Only one application can be made per Eligible Film.
An Eligible Applicant will be contractually and financially responsible for the management of the P&A Support funding including, but not limited to:
- collating supporting paperwork and submission documents from the Eligible Distributors
- taking receipt of the entire P&A Support funding for the Eligible Film
- distributing such P&A Support funding to eligible distributors for use in their respective territory(ies) within the Eligible Territory Grouping, in accordance with the terms of the application and the P&A Support funding agreement
- coordinating and collating Final Report materials from the Eligible Distributors.
Funding caps
The maximum P&A Support funding available per Eligible Film across the Eligible Territory Grouping as a whole is £100,000.
The maximum P&A Support funding available per territory (or per territory block, if the territory has been bought as a block by the Eligible Distributor) within the Eligible Territory Grouping is £30,000.
The P&A Support funding allocated to any individual Eligible Distributor for each respective territory (or territory block) within the Eligible Territory Grouping:
- should be no higher than the minimum guarantee paid by that Eligible Distributor for the Eligible Film; and
- cannot exceed 25% of that Eligible Distributor’s Total Release Costs.
For the purposes of completing the application, the Total Release Costs are defined as
- the minimum guarantee (MG) plus the entire anticipated P&A Costs to be paid or incurred by the Eligible Distributor for the Eligible Film (including those funded by the requested UKGSF grant) for the respective territory or territory block.
If the application is successful, and after all the releases have taken place, the applicant will be obligated to provide a Final Report with the breakdown of actual Total Release Costs for each territory, to ensure that the UKGSF grant allocation per territory has not exceeded 25% of Total Release Costs in each territory.
Example 1
- MG paid by Eligible Distributor for Turkey : £40,000
- P&A Costs for Turkey: £90,000
- Total Release Costs (MG + P&A Costs for Turkey): £130,000
- Maximum P&A Support funding that can be requested for Turkey: £30,000
In other words: maximum is no greater than the MG paid and no more than 25% of the Total Release Costs and capped at £30,000 per territory.
Example 2
- MG paid by Eligible Distributor for Scandinavia: £60,000
- P&A Costs for Scandinavia: £40,000
- Total Release Costs (MG + P&A Costs for Scandinavia): £100,000
- Maximum P&A Support funding that can be requested for the given territory: £25,000
In other words: maximum is no greater than the MG paid and no more than 25% of the Total Release Costs; and capped at £30,000 per territory.
A Grant Request Calculator is available, which will automatically calculate the maximum grant that can be requested for each Eligible Distributor for a given territory, based on their MG and total P&A Costs.
- Download Grant Request Calculator below.
A further limit on the UKGSF funding programme as a whole, in order to ensure proportionality, is that no group of companies can receive more than £625,000 in combination from any or all of the UKGSF funding strands over a three-year fiscal period.
If you are making multiple applications to us, or intend to access other UKGSF funding strands for support, you will need to ensure your total applications to us are within this overall funding cap.
For the avoidance of doubt, any awards made under other BFI funding programmes (including awards made from non-UKGSF funds) will not count towards the UKGSF £625,000 cap.
Partnership funding
Any applicable minimum guarantees paid by an Eligible Distributor and the Eligible Distributor’s own P&A contribution for any given territory within the Eligible Territory Grouping will be considered partnership funding.
Costs incurred and paid for by any Eligible Distributor prior to the submission of the application for P&A Support by the Eligible Applicant may also be counted as partnership funding.
Eligible Costs
A grant request for P&A Support can be made for the following Eligible Costs.
Print costs
- Technical material costs for the Eligible Film, including manufacture of DCPs (digital cinema package), film print, print insurance, VPFs (virtual print fees), KDM (key delivery message) encryption
- Translation, subtitling or dubbing costs into a local language, or accessible version creation
Advertising and promotion costs
These should be related to the release of the Eligible Film in the territory to exhibitors (b2b) and consumers (b2c) and may include design and production or original materials or access and re-versioning of third party materials.
- costs of promotional and marketing materials including:
- posters, printed materials, fliers and leaflets
- trailers
- creation of TV, radio, print and web advertising
- costs related to media buying including:
- TV, radio, print, outdoor, internet and social media advertising
- in-store and cinema promotional materials
PR costs
These should be related to the commercial release of the Eligible Film within the territory and may include expenses such as:
- costs of hiring a local press agency
- costs of goods/merchandise
- festival or theatrical premiere costs in the territory
- press junkets/interviews, press screenings/previews (including tech costs), press tour
Talent costs
These should be related to attendance of director or cast at the theatrical premiere or during a promotional tour within the territory and may include expenses such as:
- travel and accommodation
- appearance fees
- logistical costs
Other Ancillary Costs
- shipping, post, courier, freight
- censorship/local rating and any approved edits
Ineligible costs
The following costs will not be eligible for UKGSF P&A Support funding:
- Minimum guarantee payable by the Eligible Distributor for the Eligible film.
- Eligible Applicant and/or Eligible Distributor’s company overhead (including sales, marketing, finance, legal, technical and other staff costs; insurance, telecoms, local taxes).;
Eligible Applicant and/or Eligible Distributor’s company personnel expenses (including market or festival office; shipping costs; registration; travel and accommodation costs; per diems or hotel extras, cabs, entertaining). - Authorised sub-distributor’s costs unless documented and auditable on terms equal to or better than the Eligible Distributor in the applicable distribution agreement for the Eligible film.
- Any costs already covered by an existing UKGSF or BFI grant (for example, if a contribution towards subtitling costs in a given language has been funded by the UKGSF Film Sales Support fund or UKGSF Festival Launch Support fund for a given local language festival, then the film cannot receive P&A Support for subtitling in the same language).
The UKGSF reserves the right to exclude any other costs which do not reflect the spirit and intention of the International Distribution P&A Support strand.
It will need to be clear from the information given in the application that any award from the UKGSF International Distribution P&A Support strand would achieve good value for public funds, including through supporting only activity and outcomes that would not otherwise occur.
Please note that retrospective costs, in other words, costs already incurred prior to the date of application, cannot be covered by funds awarded by the UKGSF (although as noted above, they may be counted towards the required partnership funding).
P&A Support awarded under the UKGSF International Distribution strand will be made in the form of non-recoupable grants. Under the terms of such grants, successful applicants will be contractually required to fully disclose the amounts received by them from the UKGSF when accounting to the applicable UK producer(s) and financiers of the Eligible Film.
Where costs for any activity have been met by P&A Support funding, the supported Eligible Distributors must not seek to recoup any such costs, whether as release expenses or otherwise, in order that the benefit of these grants is shared by the rights holders and financiers of that film.
To the extent that the Eligible Applicant or any Eligible Distributor subsequently receives any other funding in respect of any costs covered by a P&A Support award, then they will be required to immediately repay an equivalent amount of the grant to UKGSF.
4. How to apply
Applications open at midday on 20 July 2023.
We will accept and assess applications on a rolling basis.
An Eligible Applicant will collate and submit the relevant information for an application from Eligible Distributors who intend to release the Eligible Film in cinemas, in an Eligible Territory Grouping outside the UK, comprising of no less than four territories.
Eligible Applicants are responsible for:
- deciding on the allocation of the overall P&A Support grant request between the territories within the Eligible Territory Grouping, using the Grant Request Calculator to determine the maximum grant requests per territory/territory block;
- co-ordinating the application and reporting processes, including providing Eligible Distributors with the correct UKGSF templates to complete where relevant;
- the accuracy of the information provided directly by the Eligible Applicant and submitted in the application form;
- ensuring that all information provided to the Eligible Applicant by Eligible Distributors for inclusion in the application form is accurate to the best of the Eligible Applicant’s knowledge and belief;
- acting as a representative for and an intermediary between the UKGSF and the Eligible Distributors in the Eligible Territory Grouping, including receiving and administering any P&A Support funding awarded by UKGSF.
Submitting an application
You need to create an account to make your application online.
You can save your application and return to it later.
Please note that if this is your first time submitting an application to the BFI since 1 November 2022, you will need to create a new account.
Make sure you complete all the sections as incomplete forms will be automatically ineligible.
For each territory (or territory block) in the Eligible Territory Grouping, the Eligible Applicant will be required to provide a Total Release Costs budget and detailed Release Plan document.
These should be prepared by the relevant Eligible Distributor using the templates provided, which detail the costs in respect of which the application is made.
These templates are available to download below.
Please note that if you are applying for P&A Support funding for a territory which has been bought as a block by an Eligible Distributor (as defined by the distribution agreement: for example, Latin America, or Scandinavia, or Benelux) then the funding cap of £30,000 will apply to the territory block as a whole.
A single Total Release Costs budget (in GBP, if converting from multiple currencies) and a single Release Plan can be submitted on behalf of the territory block in question.
Download the Grant Request Overview template
Download the Total Release Costs template
Download the Release Plan template
Download a PDF preview of the application form
If you need additional support using the application form, please contact us at ukglobalscreenfund@bfi.org.uk.
Speculative submissions
We will only consider funding projects that have been submitted to us through the formal application process. This means that we cannot accept, or read, informal submissions such as scripts or application materials submitted by any means other than via the online application portal.
Information you need to provide
You will be required to submit the following information:
The information to be submitted in the online form includes details of:
- the Eligible Applicant
- the Eligible Territory Grouping
- the Eligible Distributors
- the Eligible Film
- how the application will address the UK-wide priorities set out in the assessment criteria.
You will also be required to submit the following attachments:
- A Release Plan (using the template provided) to be completed by each Eligible Distributor for each territory in the Eligible Territory Grouping detailing:
- their company profile and track record
- the main deal terms for the Eligible Film
- details of their release strategy for the Eligible Film
- anticipated receipts and performance for the Eligible Film.
If being completed on behalf of a territory block, a single Release Plan document can be provided.
- A Total Release Costs budget (using the template provided) to be completed by each Eligible Distributor for each territory in the Eligible Territory Grouping detailing:
- a breakdown of their anticipated Total Release Costs for the Eligible Film in the applicable territory, including a line by line budget for their total P&A Costs;
- a breakdown of how the UKGSF P&A Support funding they are requesting will be spent.
If being completed on behalf of a territory block where costs are being converted from multiple currencies, a single Total Release Costs budget template can be completed in GBP for the territory block as a whole.
- A Grant Request Summary (using the template provided) to be completed by the Eligible Applicant summarising the grant requests and Total Release Costs for each Eligible Distributor for each territory within the Eligible Territory Grouping.
- A copy of the signed sales agency agreement/deal memo appointing the sales agent to sell the international rights for the Eligible Film (where applicable).
- Copies of signed distribution agreements relating to the Eligible Film with every Eligible Distributor in the Eligible Territory Grouping.
- A copy of the proposed final gross budget for the Eligible Film, together with a detailed finance plan.
- A corporate structure chart for the Eligible Applicant, detailing all direct and indirect ownership interests, and corporate domicile of all related entities.
Further documentation may be requested during the assessment process, if necessary for us to properly evaluate the application.
BFI Diversity Standards
As part of your application, you must complete the BFI Diversity Standards tab so we can understand your intentions around diversity, inclusion and representation for your project. This means detailing how you will address industry under-representation in relation to disability, gender, race, age, sexual orientation, religion, socio-economic status and geographical location.
Please read the guidance on how to complete the diversity standards section of your application form.
If successful, you will need to report following the conclusion of your activity, evaluating how you have delivered against the aims of the diversity standards in practice.
Applicants to this fund need to respond to the diversity standards on a summary level. This means you are expected to fill in an overall response to each Standard A-E, not individual criteria.
You are only expected to respond to each standard where you have relevant activity and staff, but you should still try to fill as much detail as possible.
Please refer to the guidance for ideas of how to respond given your project and activity type, the size of your company or project team, and any early career or career development roles you are able to offer.
If your plans are not fully developed at the point of application, then please state the stage you are currently at and explain how you will turn your aims into actions.
If we are interested in supporting your project we may ask you to further develop your ideas before we make a funding decision.
If your team or organisation has a long-standing commitment to diversity, enabling you to meet the BFI Diversity Standards by continuing your current practice, your application should outline how you will build on past achievements and show leadership to the wider industry.
Successful applicants will be required to submit an equality monitoring report as part of deliverables required to release final payment.
This Report will request information on the contributors to your project and will be used to measure success against the BFI Diversity Standards.
If you do not hold equality monitoring data for key staff working on your project, we advise that you send out anonymised equality monitoring forms prior to activity commencing so that you have the information to hand when completing your Final Report.
The information will be used to measure achievement against the BFI Diversity Standards.
Please note that the information provided by applicants within both their diversity standards and equality monitoring forms will be anonymised and used to help inform future funding decisions, research and strategy.
If you have questions or concerns about your ability to meet the standards or would like to discuss approaches to meeting the criteria, you can contact the Diversity Standards Manager in the BFI Certification Unit on 020 7173 3273 or email diversitystandards@bfi.org.uk.
Equality monitoring form
You’ll be asked to complete an equality monitoring form when you submit your application.
The form asks for demographic information on the staff working on your project or in your organisation.
The data that you submit on this form will be confidential and anonymous and not seen by the staff assessing your application. However, we will not be able to put forward your application for assessment until you have completed the equality monitoring form.
5. What happens after you apply
You will get an email confirming receipt of your application within 3 to 4 working days. Please email ukglobalscreenfund@bfi.org.uk if you do not receive this.
We will request any additional information we may need within 4 weeks from the date of application. The amount of time it takes for you to supply these may have an impact on our ability to take a funding decision within the timeframes outlined below.
You will receive a funding decision within 8 weeks of the date of application.
If we need more information or if your application is ineligible
Once submitted, we will review your application and, if necessary, may write to you or request to meet with you to obtain more information about your application. If we need additional information from you, it may take us longer to reach a decision on your application.
We will check that your application is eligible for funding, using the criteria identified previously. Incomplete applications will be considered ineligible, so please ensure that you complete all sections of the application form with the information requested.
If your application is ineligible, we will send you an email to inform you of this within four weeks of your date of application. We do not normally allow applicants to resubmit, but we may at this stage allow you to rectify an error on your application, if this is the sole reason that it is ineligible.
How your application is assessed
Our assessment will score applications against the following criteria:
International growth – 20%
- The range of territories in the Eligible Territory Grouping, including the number of key territories (as listed in the definition of Eligible Territory Grouping in section 2 of these guidelines) included.
- The quality, scale and ambition of the Release Plans.
- How each Eligible Distributor will take advantage of any relevant opportunities, including local events and key dates, to maximise the impact of release spend and raise the profile of the film in the applicable territory.
- The level of detail provided on activity or spend facilitated by P&A Support funding.
- Any experimentation and innovation demonstrated through the planned activity and how this is linked to growing audience or revenue.
Finance – 20%
- Economy and efficiency evident in the proposed Release Plan and Total Release Costs budget (for example: are the costs reasonable, will deals secured on items and services represent good value for public money).
- Scope and ambition of the Total Release Costs budget, including amount of minimum guarantee, and the nature and amount of planned P&A expenditure not covered by the requested UKGSF P&A Support funding.
- The stage at which each Eligible Distributor committed to the Eligible Film for the applicable territory, especially if a project was acquired before completion at any stage (development, script, production, post-production).
- Inclusion of release comparison titles to demonstrate market potential, risk and proportionality of spend and ambition.
Funding outcomes – 20%
- The level of UK funding and creative involvement in the Eligible Film, which will in turn generate greater monetary and reputational outcomes for the UK talent involved, with priority given to films with majority UK cast and crew and majority UK financing.
- Enhancement of projected admissions and Box Office, allowing for higher monetary and reputational benefits to UK producers.
- The projected impact for UK directing/producing/writing talent, including the impact on the career of the UK producer(s) and/or those working on their first or second features.
- The potential for higher prominence and reputational benefit for UK cast, e.g. event attendance in territory, photo opportunities, awards, consumer profile, industry profile.
Track record and team – 15%
The ability of the Eligible Applicant and each Eligible Distributor, based on evidence of previous experience of the company and/or its staff, to deliver significant international sales/distribution for comparable UK films.
Additionality – 15%
- How existing Release Plans will be enhanced by P&A Support funding, especially the impact on scale of release, target length of run, increased press coverage and audience reach.
- How the P&A Support funding will be targeted towards activity in ways which deliver higher ancillary values for the Eligible Film after theatrical release (including television, SVOD, TVOD).
- The potential of the release to increase awareness of UK film in each territory in the Eligible Territory Grouping and enhance and expand international perceptions of UK film.
UK-wide benefit – 10%
- Where the Eligible Applicant and the UK producer(s) (if not the Eligible Applicant) of the relevant Eligible Film are based.
- Where the relevant Eligible Film is shot/made.
- How the relevant Eligible Film reflects the culture and talent of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the English regions outside Greater London.
- Any other proposed UK-wide benefits identified within the application.
Cross-cutting BFI priorities required across all open programmes
Each of the following must be fully addressed:
- the quality and ambition of plans to address the diversity standards
- feasibility and impact of company’s intentions for activity to be more environmentally sustainable and reduce negative environmental impact
Assessment
All applications will be assessed by the UKGSF team at the BFI. We may choose to consult external reviewers with relevant expertise during the assessment process.
The UKGSF will seek to support projects that represent good value for public money and that make a case for achieving significant results against the stated aims of the UKGSF.
If we don’t receive any further materials or information from you within four weeks of our requesting it, your application will automatically be marked as ‘withdrawn’. This will not affect your ability to apply for other BFI funds or to UKGSF in the future.
Projects which are not progressing beyond the assessment stage will be declined by email. This email will state that we have reviewed your application and are not considering it further and that your application is now closed.
Following assessment by the UKGSF team, all projects which are being recommended for funding will be submitted to the BFI Grant Finance Committee for final approval.
This committee is made up of members of the BFI Executive Board and other staff members who make funding decisions in line with the BFI Grant Funding Policies and Procedures handbook.
6. Getting a decision
If you’re successful
Stage 1: Funding agreement
Each successful applicant will be required to enter into a standard form UKGSF P&A Support funding agreement (the funding agreement), containing the total funding awarded for the release of the Eligible Film by the Eligible Distributors in the Eligible Territory Grouping.
This must be countersigned by the Eligible Applicant and returned to the BFI within 14 days of issue or it will automatically lapse.
In addition, each Eligible Distributor will be required to sign individual Inducement Letters, acknowledging the terms of the P&A Support funding. A template of the inducement letter will form part of the funding agreement.
Stage 2: Payment
An amount equal to no more than 50% of the grant will be paid to the Eligible Applicant upon signature of the funding agreement provided that they have met all of the conditions precedent to the award specified in the funding agreement, including providing evidence that:
i. the first release of the film in the Eligible Territory Grouping is confirmed and no more than six months away;
ii. a notice of availability for delivery has been issued to the first distributor to release the film in the Eligible Territory Grouping;
iii. all minimum guarantees due by all Eligible Distributors for the Eligible Territory Grouping before or on the respective delivery to each Eligible Distributor, have been paid in full; and
iv. inducement letters have been signed by each Eligible Distributor.
The balance of the grant will be paid upon receipt and approval by UKGSF of a Final Report, to be submitted no more than three months after the last theatrical release of the Eligible Film in all of the territories included in the Eligible Territory Grouping, together with proof of full payment of all of the minimum guarantees payable by all of the Eligible Distributors for the Eligible Territory Grouping.
Stage 3: Reporting
The Final Report must include:
- a marketing report detailing how the Eligible Film was marketed and promoted in each territory within the Eligible Territory Grouping, including local press articles and times and dates of any television or radio coverage, or links to any online coverage;
- a full release report indicating: (i) for theatrical release – opening and total box office admissions and box office rentals received by the Eligible Distributor for each territory within the Eligible Territory Grouping and (ii) any VOD deals confirmed during that period (iii) any other activity or exploitation of the Eligible Film in the Eligible Territory Grouping in the funded period;
- a statement of the benefits to each Eligible Distributor and to the Eligible Film’s release;
- promotional data including but not limited to: (i) a list of all press coverage achieved through the participation of the Eligible Film at festivals and markets, where this activity was supported by the P&A Support funding; (ii) examples of the marketing and advertising materials which were produced with the support of the P&A Support funding, for example, copies of trade advertising, festival-specific posters, etc.;
- a cost statement detailing actual expenditure compared against the Total Release Costs budget submitted for each of the territories within the Eligible Territory Grouping.
After an offer of funding has been made, the Eligible Applicant will be issued with further guidance on final reporting, including details of the information required to be provided by the Eligible Distributors within the Eligible Territory Grouping.
Resubmission
No resubmissions can be made to the International Distribution P&A Support strand for projects that are declined unless there is a substantial and significant change in elements, or where an application has been withdrawn from the previous funding process by the applicant.
If you meet either of the above criteria, please contact us to confirm whether you are able to apply. If you then submit a new application for the same Eligible Film, please ensure that you identify any revised project elements clearly in the new application.
Feedback
We aim to make the application process as transparent as possible. Please note however that, as a result of the volume of applications we receive, we do not have the resources to provide feedback to applicants that are unsuccessful.
This means that, if we are unable to support your application, you will receive a standard email from us that states this outcome without providing further information about the decision. If we met with you to discuss your project as part of the assessment process and your application was not successful, we may give you feedback on the decision by either phone or email.
We welcome constructive feedback from you on our application process, so we can continue to improve.
7. Conditions of funding
In addition to the BFI general funding conditions for successful applicants, the following conditions of funding will be set out in full in the funding agreement that each successful applicant will be required to enter into. This will include the following (but may also include others specific to your application):
1. Any funds advanced by the UKGSF must be used exclusively for the purpose for which they were requested, as set out in the UKGSF application and subsequent funding agreement.
2. The funding is awarded as a grant that is not generally recoupable by the BFI, except in the circumstances set out below and in the funding agreement.
3. The Eligible Applicant must manage and distribute the P&A Support funding to each Eligible Distributor approved by the fund as set out in the funding agreement.
4. If the actual Total Release Costs for the Eligible Film for any territory within the Eligible Territory Grouping are less than the respective Total Release Costs budget as attached to the funding agreement, then UKGSF may proportionately reduce the amount of the grant payable or require a portion of the grant to be repaid.
5. Any part of the UKGSF grant not spent on eligible costs by the end of the funded period (as defined in the funding agreement) shall be reimbursed immediately to the BFI, unless the UKGSF approves its use on other eligible costs. We may require evidence of expenditure by way of copies of receipts/invoices for expenses covered by the funding.
6. The Eligible Applicant and the Eligible Distributors may be required to take part in formal evaluation of the UKGSF if contacted by an independent evaluator. This will include the provision of information on the relevant Eligible Film and the funded activities to inform this evaluation. This may include, but shall not be limited to, information in respect of the Eligible Film and the funded activities for the purposes of case studies, quotes from the Eligible Applicant and the Eligible Distributors benefitting from the award, and provision of visual materials relating to the funded activity.
7. The Eligible Applicant will be required to grant to the BFI and DCMS the right to use stills and clips from the supported Eligible Film for the purpose of promoting the UKGSF in any media throughout the world for a period of at least three years from the date of issuance of the conditional offer of funding.
8. Eligible Distributors accounting for the release of the Eligible Film in their respective territory within the Eligible Territory Grouping may not seek to recoup any costs which are funded by the P&A Support funding, whether as release expenses or otherwise.
9. If, and to the extent that, the Eligible Applicant or any Eligible Distributor subsequently receives any other funding in respect of any costs covered by the P&A Support funding for the applicable territory within the Eligible Territory Grouping, then the Eligible Applicant and/or the Eligible Distributor will be required to immediately repay an equivalent amount of the grant to the UKGSF.
10. The offer of funding and the funding agreement may be terminated and any funding already advanced may be required to be repaid in the event that any of the requirements set out in these guidelines or any of the terms of the funding agreement are breached.
11. The BFI may withdraw any offer of funding and terminate the funding agreement if it has reasonable concerns relating to the Eligible Film and/or its ability to be distributed internationally, any of the Eligible Distributors’ partnership funding, or if the Eligible Epplicant and/or any Eligible Distributor operates in a way which might bring the BFI or DCMS into disrepute.
12. Eligible Applicants will be issued with detailed branding guidelines that set out the requirements for acknowledging the P&A Support funding and the UKGSF as a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport fund administered by the BFI.
13. We require Eligible Applicants and Eligible Distributors to increase the visibility of the government’s support by: displaying the UK Global Screen Fund logo on promotional materials; assisting in communicating the benefit of the UKGSF to ensure its value and impact is recognised and understood by key stakeholders; making themselves available to take part in promotional activities; and encouraging the participation of talent connected to the Eligible Film.
It is an important condition of UKGSF funding that the source of the funding is prominently acknowledged through use of the UKGSF logo and through agreed verbal and written acknowledgement. Also that partners and beneficiaries take opportunities to highlight, not just the fact of the funding, but why it is funded and therefore the increased opportunity that is possible through the government’s support.