Culture Recovery Fund for Independent Cinemas

Thank you for your interest in the Culture Recovery Fund for Independent Cinemas in England, which will be administered by the BFI for the Government. This fund is part of the UK Government’s cultural recovery package providing £1.57 billion to support world-class cultural, arts and heritage institutions.

£30m has been allocated to the Culture Recovery Fund for Independent Cinemas in England which will be open for applications from Monday 10 August – Friday 30 October 2020.

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About the Culture Recovery Fund

The global shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the UK cultural sector including the closure of cinemas across the UK. We believe that, in order to help secure and maintain a healthy, resilient and world-class film exhibition sector for the future, we need to support independent cinemas through this unprecedented and challenging time. We also believe this is an important opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to a diverse and inclusive film culture – one which offers all audiences the opportunity to experience the full riches of on-screen storytelling. We want cinema to reflect our experiences and our lives as well as offering us different perspectives and opening up a world beyond our own. This is at its most powerful in the collective setting of a big screen cinema venue.

The Culture Recovery Fund for Independent Cinemas in England is intended for independent cinemas across England whose businesses have been unavoidably interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and will continue to be disrupted upon re-opening. The Fund will have two components – one off Safety grants to help cinemas make their venues safe for staff and audiences and Business Sustainability grants to underpin ongoing organisational viability. We expect the Fund to be heavily over-subscribed and that not everyone will be successful. Please make sure to read the Guidelines carefully and respond as fully as you can in your application.

Guidelines

Please ensure you have read the most up to date funding guidelines before you complete the application form. The guidelines were updated on Friday 7 August 2020.

You will be required to complete the template below as part of your application.

Please note that you must use the budget template provided and you must attach it to your application as Microsoft Excel Worksheet (.xlsx). If you submit a .pdf version, your application will be considered ineligible and you will be asked to resubmit.

For venues in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, please contact your Screen Agencies for further information: NI Screen, Screen Scotland and Ffilm Cyrmu Wales. 

Applying to the Culture Recovery Fund

To make a new application, use the link below. If you are a new applicant to the BFI, you will need to create an account before completing the application form.

Make an application

If you already have an account and want to access any previous applications, use the link below.

Account login

We can provide assistance to applicants who have a disability, are D/deaf, have a visual or hearing impairment or are neurodiverse, where this support is needed in order for someone to make an application to the Culture Recovery Fund for Independent Cinemas. Visit for information.