Our Small Indie Fund ringfences £1million a year to support talented small independent production companies with turnovers of less than £10million. In 2025/26 the fund has a dual focus on TV and digital production.
The Small Indie Fund, TV supports small companies working across Children’s, comedy, entertainment, factual, Film, daytime and drama.
Find out more about the Small Indie Fund, Digital scheme which is also open for applications now.
What you’ll receive on the Small Indie Fund, TV
Successful indies on the Small Indie Fund, TV will receive company investment and BBC editorial and business mentors, who will provide support and advice about how to work with the BBC and the opportunities available, as well as support for companies to grow their networks.
Who can apply
The TV Small Indie Fund is open to:
- scripted TV production companies across the UK with annual turnovers of less than £10m
- unscripted TV production companies in Scotland, Wales and England with annual turnovers of less than £10m
Note, unscripted indies based in Northern Ireland will be supported by the separate Hot House development scheme.
The fund has a focus on diverse-led companies and those based in the Nations and English regions.
Companies that have previously applied for or been accepted for the fund can apply again.
How to apply
Access to the fund is managed via an annual application process and is open for applications now. Please complete the form below to apply.
The deadline for applications is 22 December.
As part of the application process, companies are asked to select a commissioning genre they wish to work with – factual, entertainment, daytime, comedy, drama, Children’s or Film.
Please note, companies must complete a company leadership questionnaire as part of their application. Find a list of the roles we consider as company leadership and our definition of the underrepresented groups.
Companies can apply to both the TV and Digital funds if can they articulate clear development plans in both areas, but will only be placed on one of the funds.
Email us for further information about the fund.
Terms
Note, companies will agree with their mentors how investment is used after they have been selected. Download the terms and conditions (pdf) for this investment.
Ideas pitched as a result of mentoring are covered by a separate development agreement.
Support is granted on a company by company basis – and we will consider a number of factors when identifying recipients of the fund, including the strength of the company’s creative potential and current commissioning opportunities.
Our production development funds
The Small Indie Fund, Digital is part of our commitment to supporting the creative industries in all four nations and delivering the most distinctive content for audiences. Companies can also apply for the Small Indie Fund, TV and the Radio and Music Indie Development Fund. Find out more on the links below.
