Applying to be a BFI Film Academy Hub

Contents 

1. About this fund
2. Check if you’re eligible
3. What you can use funding for
4. What your project needs to achieve
5. How to apply
6. What happens after you apply
7. Getting a decision
8. Conditions of funding
9. Appendix – BFI Film Academy core educational outcomes

1. About this fund  

This fund is for screen and education organisations who want to deliver year-round activity to young people aged 16 to 25, supporting them to access careers advice, technical skills training and personalised guidance to enable them to pursue a career in the screen industries.   

We will fund one organisation in each region of England and in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to lead the delivery of a BFI Film Academy Hub in their area.

Each organisation funded will be responsible for delivering BFI Film Academy Regional Hub activity to the Priority Education Investment Areas as identified by the Department for Education (DfE) as areas for place-based intervention. These are areas where educational outcomes are the weakest or were previous DFE opportunity areas.

• East of England, including Ipswich, Norwich, and Fenlands & East Cambridgeshire
• South East, including Hastings
• South West, including Portsmouth and West Somerset
• West Midlands, including Sandwell, Stoke-on-Trent and Walsall
• East Midlands, including Derby and Nottingham
• North East including Hartlepool and Middlesbrough
• Yorkshire and The Humber including Bradford, Doncaster, and Scarborough
• North West including Blackpool, Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford and Tameside
• London, including Barking and Dagenham, Brent, Croydon, Enfield and Newham
• Scotland
• Northern Ireland
• Wales

Fund aims and priorities

BFI Film Academy Hubs will be responsible for creating a community and will dedicate time to working with alumni and providing much-needed support locally. The Hub will be responsible for engaging with schools, youth clubs, colleges and wider local groups with the overarching aim of giving young people aged 16 to 25 their first step into a career in the screen sector. We will require you to reach young people across your region or nation, with priorities informed by our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion principle. Each Hub will also have a dedicated alumni coordinator focused on providing localised alumni support. 

All BFI Film Academy Hubs will need to meet the following outcomes of the BFI National Lottery Strategy:  

• children and young people are empowered to develop their own relationships with a wider range of screen culture, including through education
• more people understand how to express their creativity through stories on screen, including children and young people
• creative talent is supported and nurtured, as they emerge and throughout their careers
• equitable and more visible routes into the sector for people of all ages
• people from under-represented groups across the UK can access the support they need to develop their careers and skills 

You will also need to deliver against our three principles for National Lottery funding: 

• equity, diversity and inclusion
• UK-wide
• environmental sustainability

2. Check if you’re eligible 

Your organisation 

Your organisation must: 

• be legally constituted and centrally managed in the UK, this includes:
  • limited liability company or partnership registered at Companies House
  • community interest company registered at Companies House
  • combined or local authority or statutory body
  • charity or trust registered with the Charity Commission (including UK universities and colleges)
• be an existing screen or education organisation
• have direct links to screen industry experts
• have experience and expertise in working with young people aged 16 to 25 and in recruiting and working with participants from a range of diverse backgrounds
• have the infrastructure and human resource capacity to host a BFI Film Academy Hub
• have an existing network of local partners to collaborate on the delivery of work across the region/nation
• have access to the required space for delivery year-round and to deliver courses – this could be through working with an external partner(s)
• have staff that have been Disclosure and Barring (DBS) checked, and able to prove this has been carried out or renewed in the last two years
• have a current and compliant safeguarding policy
• operate on a not-for-profit basis or be able to deliver this activity on a not-for-profit basis

Safeguarding participants is absolutely critical to the BFI Film Academy. Hubs will be responsible for the safety and welfare of all participants and will have a duty of care for all taking part irrespective of age. When filming any project activity, the duty of care would start by ensuring the activity is properly risk assessed and that the activity is managed in a safe manner throughout. This also applies to the delivery of networking events, where relevant. 

3. What you can use funding for 

You can apply for up to £610,000 to deliver a BFI Film Academy Hub in your region or nation over three years.

It is expected that the activity will scale up, year-on-year, over the three years and we would expect to see budgets and cashflows along the lines of the following:

1. Year 1 – up to £155,000
2. Year 2 – up to £195,000
3. Year 3 – up to £260,000

Delivery partners in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales 

These partners need to provide a minimum of 30% match funding to contribute towards the £610,000 total, which could come from a National Lottery distributor in the nation such as Screen Scotland, Northern Ireland Screen and Creative Wales.

Supporting BFI Film Academy Hub activity

The funding can only be used to support BFI Film Academy Hub activity providing regional activity to new entrants (people who are engaging with BFI Film Academy for the first time) and support to alumni of other, nationwide BFI Film Academy programmes. These programmes are UK-wide and therefore Hubs will support young people before, during and after other BFI Film Academy activity. 

This section describes what BFI Film Academy Hubs will need to deliver.  

Introductory courses  

You will be required to provide BFI Film Academy introductory courses that give young people aged 16-19 an overview of the film industry with a focus on ‘below the line’ production roles, screen heritage, exhibition and distribution. You will need to equip young people with general knowledge of the different roles and departments in these parts of the screen industries. Courses should also support participants to identify development opportunities for ‘above the line’ (writer, director, producer) roles, signposting them to other organisations and other programmes funded by the BFI, such as BFI Future Film and BFI NETWORK. 

You will be required to offer some spaces on BFI Film Academy Introductory courses to young people who attend National Saturday Clubs (NSC).  

Introductory courses will need to: 

• provide a minimum of 30 hours of training
• provide specific sessions that address the BFI Film Academy Core Educational Outcomes
• provide sessions led by or including high-profile industry figures who are recognised practitioners in their field
• cover a wide range of screen industry roles and every area of filmmaking, with an emphasis on skills shortage occupations related to your region or nation.  
• give participants the opportunity to watch British independent and specialised cinema and engage with a range of mediums, to integrate critical understanding and enable access to a range of screen cultures
• support participants to take their first steps towards employment in the screen industries
• enable participants to construct a personal development plan, including aspirations for progression
• signposting to next steps at other organisations including BFI Film Academy Training Courses and BFI Skills Cluster training opportunities.
• give participants the opportunity to plan, deliver and review a practical film-based project, either individually or as part of a team, which must be showcased at the end of the course
• provide “hands on” technical experience centered around collaborative filmmaking, including giving participants experience on current industry equipment.

You will need to ensure that young people will leave the introductory course with: 

• a short film to add to their portfolio
• basic knowledge of the screen industries and different careers available
• access to a local network of others interested in film
• clear progression routes into further opportunities within the wider screen ecosystem
• access to your Hub’s year-round BFI Film Academy activity 

Introductory courses need to be delivered between September and March each year.

Year-round activity

Each Hub needs to introduce a free membership scheme that young people can sign up to giving them access to year-round activities. You will need to develop and implement local engagement plans to enable the broadest pool of local young people to participate,

You will need to provide core sessions focused on:

• the range of roles available in the screen industries
• the skills and capabilities needed to be a successful freelancer including basic principles of business and financial literacy, CV writing, and how to apply for opportunities within the region and where to find them
• environmental sustainability on set

Additionally, you will develop a year-round programme that responds to the specificities of your area, taking into consideration other opportunities in your region or nation. This can be achieved through the following additional sessions:

• skill development workshops in specific areas of the industry – below the line production roles and wider screen including screen heritage, exhibition, distribution
• networking encouraging young people to build connections with others in their area and with local industry professionals through events and the BFI Careers Festival programme
• any other free membership events or communications such as newsletters

A mix of physical and online delivery should be used to maximise accessibility and uptake.

Alumni activity

You will also need to provide activities specifically for those returning from BFI Film Academy Training Courses and engaging in any further strands added to the BFI Film Academy programme. You will need to appoint an alumni coordinator who will be responsible for engaging with participants directly and creating a supportive environment for them to thrive in. The coordinator will provide mentorship, motivation and inspiration, encouraging ongoing engagement from previous beneficiaries of BFI Film Academy, creating a strong alumni network. They will also provide young people with a clear point of contact locally to ensure their learning doesn’t end when they complete BFI Film Academy activity elsewhere.

You will need to provide the following activity for alumni who have taken part in the Training and any further strands:

Core activity:

• shadowing scheme on BFI NETWORK films
• CV workshops and portfolio building
• wellbeing and mental health

Additional activity can be used to provide more opportunities for alumni throughout the year:  

• mixers for crew and short film directors (in partnership with BFI NETWORK or equivalent)
• financial and administrative best practice

There are also many BFI Film Academy alumni now working in the industry who may be willing to keep engaging with the programme. You will be responsible for fostering this important network of near-to-peer people in your area who can inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

Apprenticeship for alumni staff

You’ll need to hire one alumni coordinator as part of the Hub via an apprenticeship. There is a ringfenced £25,000 contribution per year that you should use towards a salary for the three-year post. The alumni coordinator must undertake training as part of this role. 

In England, this should be either of the below two qualifications, depending on academic level:

• Career Development Practitioner Level 6
• Employability Practitioner Level 4

In England the BFI will fund the training through a levy transfer. You will be given more information about this if your application is successful.

In Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, please suggest an equivalent qualification in your application form. The funding for this training will need to be agreed with your local screen agency.

Deliverables

In your application you’ll need to identify the specific activity you will deliver using the funding, which will enable you to meet your KPIs. Your deliverables should include: 

Year-round activity

• topics and types of training sessions
• number of training sessions per year
• number of participants per training session
• number of participants taking part in shadowing opportunities on BFI NETWORK films

Introductory courses

• number of in-person training sessions
• number of training hours undertaken per participant
• a course of training (or series of courses) for up to 80 young people in year one, 100 young people in year two and 140 young people in year three
  • training courses should run across your delivery area to develop new skills and help young people to build a career in the screen industries
  • this must also provide participants the opportunity to plan, deliver and review a practical film-based project, either individually or as part of a team
• end of training networking and showcasing event for participants in your delivery area, so all BFI Film Academy participants can meet each other, have their films showcased, and celebrate course completion with a range of attendees from industry experts in the area, delivery partners, parents/carers, and wider stakeholders such as BFI Skills Cluster representatives (where relevant)

You and your delivery partners will also be required to attend a Partners’ Day hosted by the BFI, which will include “train the trainer” sessions.

Eligible costs

You can use this funding for costs such as:

• activities needed to deliver Hub activity including introductory courses, year-round sessions and alumni support
• staff directly involved in Hub delivery including the alumni coordinator
• outreach to aid the recruitment and engagement of participants
• contribution to overheads related to the activity (at a reasonable level)

All costs should be at a level to maximise the public benefit and value for money of the fund. 

Costs we cannot support

Funds should not substitute or replace existing funding or income that would otherwise be available, or to fund similar activity that can start without an award. BFI National Lottery and DCMS funds are only awarded to applicants that demonstrate need and a clear public benefit from the activity. This is project-based, time-limited funding, and you should not expect ongoing support beyond the term of any awards made.    

Ineligible costs include:

• core costs for day to day running of your organisation not associated with the activity
• activity that is already specifically supported by another external source of funding
• staffing costs which are covered by other sources of funding
• costs relating to an extension of ongoing work
• capital expenditure
• activity focused on other art-forms such as literature, dance on film, theatre, poetry film, opera or artists’ moving image
• cost incurred prior to an offer of funding from BFI
• promotional or other materials (information stands, printed brochures) which does not support environmental sustainability

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.

Marketing and communications are covered centrally by BFI Film Academy and should not be included in your budget. However, recruitment and outreach costs can be included, particularly where it enables you to reach a more diverse group of young people.

If you’re registered for VAT, your figures should not include VAT that you can claim back. If you’re not registered for VAT, or you’re 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.

Cashflow

If you are successful, funding will be cashflowed in-line with spend across the three-year period and subject to:

• satisfactory performance — you are able to continue to deliver your activity in line with your funding agreement and these guidelines
• receipt and approval by BFI of routine reporting including progress against KPIs and costs to date
• demonstration that you can remain financially viable through to the end of the term
• receipt and approval by BFI of updated annual delivery plans for 2027/2028 and 2028/2029

Partnership funding

When you apply you will be asked if you have any other income sources for the activity, which could be cash or in-kind support. You are not required to have additional income. Other BFI funds cannot be used as partnership funding. The activity must be free for participants (though participants may have to pay their own travel costs to and from the activity on a means tested basis). 

4. What your project needs to achieve 

Key Performance Indicators 

We will measure the success of the BFI Film Academy Hubs using the following annual Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).  

Direct beneficiaries 

• number of young people recruited from National Saturday Clubs (NSC)
• a minimum of 150 participants engaged in the ongoing programme per quarter
• participants in introductory courses per Hub – 320
  • year one – 80
  • year two – 100
  • year three – 140
• participants from priority areas within the region or Nation – minimum 60%
• diversity of participants in line with BFI Film Academy priority areas described below
• participants who rate the programme as at least good (metric to be confirmed) - 80%

Beneficiary progression

• introductory course participants progressing onto a training course – 50%
• number of people taking part in shadowing on BFI NETWORK films or equivalent – 47
  • year one – 10
  • year two – 15
  • year three – 22
• participants signposted to BFI Skills Clusters activity – 60%
• percentage of alumni from 2016 to 2026 engaged with the Hub activity – 30%

Equity, diversity and inclusion

All activity supported by our funding should address the BFI Diversity Standards. If successful, you’ll need to report following the conclusion of your activity, evaluating how you’ve delivered against the aims of the Diversity Standards in practice.

Hubs will support young people from across their region or nation, with a focus on those from Black and Global Majority backgrounds, those with a disability, those from low-income backgrounds, those from identified opportunity areas and young people identified as NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).

In your main application, you will be asked to suggest KPIs for your region or nation based on census data.

Each BFI Film Academy Hub will contribute towards achieving the following BFI Inclusion targets: 

• 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: 50%
• Sexual orientation (LGB+) for young people aged 18 and over: 10%
• Low-income backgrounds measured by entitlement to Free School Meals: 25%

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 about where your Hub activity will be delivered and how this will support the BFI’s UK-wide principle.

Environmental sustainability

You’ll need to consider how you’ll apply environmental sustainability (ES) principles to the funded activity or your organisation more generally. This could include:

• implementing good environmental practice for the project, for example, travel and events
• embedding sustainability within your organisation more broadly
• exploring environmental themes as part of the work, for example, programming, training or skills development

Due to the range of organisations and activity that we fund, we’re not prescriptive about what you should focus on. For guidance, you can refer to resources provided by Julie’s Bicycle, particularly the Sustainable Screen Resource Hub, which outlines good environmental practices. If your project relates to production activities, you can also explore resources provided by BAFTA albert.

If funded, you are required to submit environmental impact data and report how you have applied the ES principle. Find guidance on reporting on Julie’s Bicycle website.

5. How to apply 

Information you need to provide  

KPIs and deliverables 

• Proposed KPIs for your activity, aligned with the fund-level KPIs
• Proposed deliverables for your activity, linked with achieving your KPIs 

Programme of activity  

You’ll be asked to confirm your delivery area — please set out the locations you would like to focus your activity in, along with a clear rationale.

You’ll be asked to provide an outline of your course activity, detailing your aims and objectives and KPIs. You should identify the specific activity you will deliver using the funding (your deliverables), which will enable you to meet your KPIs.

Please download our activity schedule template and upload with your online application form.

In your application, please specify your delivery partners along with details of their relevant expertise and experience to help you deliver your courses across the identified locations in your chosen area.

Please include details of your end-of-training networking and showcasing event.

Experience and management 

You will be asked to detail your experience in managing similar programmes. You should include detail of: 

• previous experience in delivering high quality training courses or activities for 16-to-25-year-olds, with strong learning, cultural or vocational outcomes
• how the programme will be managed from launch to recruitment, including key milestones
• key staff members responsible for delivery, with biographies and confirmation of enhanced DBS checks for lead tutors

You should attach appropriate compliance procedures to your application, for example, your safeguarding and child protection policy.

Recruitment  

You will be asked to outline your recruitment strategy so we can assess the likelihood of you attracting target participants (those who are currently underrepresented in the screen sector)..

You should identify any underserved communities that you will focus on and why, which should be reflected in your proposed KPI targets.

Course deliverers should have a reserve list of participants and, where possible, replace the individual with another suitable applicant. You will need to notify the BFI of any participants who drop out of the introductory courses.

Safeguarding 

You will be required to give details of your arrangements for child protection, risk assessment and care, including your approach to digital and online safeguarding.

Budget 

Please use the budget template provided to detail: 

• year-round activity costs
• introductory course activity costs 

Please ensure you read the guidance on the first tab before completing the budget.  

Your budget should include £25,000 per year ring-fenced for an alumni coordinator along with the following ring-fenced amounts for travel bursaries and wider access costs for course participants: 

1. Year 1- £8,800
2. Year 2 - £11,000
3. Year 3 - £15,400 

Additional access funding can be applied for from the BFI Film Academy central pot on a case-by-case basis

Environmental sustainability

You should consider the following elements in answering this section: 

• venue – do you take environmental criteria into venue choice? For example:
  • does the venue have an organisational environmental policy or any environmental awards or certifications?
  • is it conveniently located for public transport?
  • what environmental measures are in place? (for example, green energy, waste prevention and recycling measures, water refill stations)
• staff and course participants’ travel – how do you plan to encourage the use of low or zero carbon travel?
• catering – does your catering offer a significant proportion of plant-based options, locally-sourced and seasonal ingredients, with minimal use of single use disposable serve ware?
• procurement and suppliers – tell us about how you avoid waste and source recycled, recyclable or reusable materials. 

Diversity Standards

You will also need to outline in your application how your proposed approach meets the BFI Diversity Standards.

Documents you need to provide

You will need to attach the following to your application: 

• full budget and cash flow for the activity applied for using the budget template
  • we may request further financial information from you when assessing your application
• activity schedule using the schedule template
• last set of independently certified or audited accounts
  • if more than 12 months has passed since the year end covered in your last filed statutory accounts, please also provide draft accounts for the intervening auditable period as approved by your board (including both income and expenditure reporting and a balance sheet)
  • if this is not possible for your organisation, contact filmacademy@bfi.org.uk to discuss with the team
• 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/forecast for your organisation for financial years 2026 to 2029, accompanied by notes highlighting the assumptions made and key risks (for example, around renewal of funding from other sources)
• your organisational risk register
• list of partner organisations delivering the programme
• schedule of year-round activity with specific sessions and number of attendees listed
• proposed course schedule
• your organisations safeguarding and child protection policies 

Equality monitoring form 

You may 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 you submit on this form will be confidential and anonymous and not seen by the staff assessing your application. We will not be able to put forward your application for assessment until you have completed the equality monitoring form. 

If you have any questions when completing the application form please contact us on filmacademy@bfi.org.uk  

Submitting your application 

To apply, you’ll need to create an account or have an existing account on our grant website. You’ll then need to complete and submit the online application form. You can save your application and return to it when you need to.

Make sure you complete all the sections as incomplete forms will be automatically ineligible.  

For guidance about how to use our new BFI applicant portal:

PDF preview of the application form

Download budget and risk template

Download activity schedule template

6. What happens after you apply 

You’ll get confirmation we’ve received your application and a unique ID number within 5 working days. 

You’ll get a decision within 12 weeks.  

If your application is ineligible  

We’ll let you know that we cannot consider it for funding. 

If you’ve made a mistake in your application, and that’s the only reason it’s ineligible, we may get in touch with you so that you can correct it. 

If we need more information   

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. 

How your application is assessed  

When assessing your application we consider: 

• how you have managed any previous BFI awards
• your demonstration of need for National Lottery funding
• whether there is a clear public benefit to the proposed activity. 

Scope 

Does the: 

• outline proposal demonstrate a good understanding of the aims and objectives of the BFI Film Academy?
• application demonstrate clear links to the screen industries?
• application demonstrate strong relationships within the educational and wider cultural sector?
• applicant explain how they will develop young people’s interest, passion and inform them about potential careers across the screen industries?
• application shows a clear understanding and knowledge of working with a diverse range of young people?  

Course schedule 

Does the:

• schedule offer a minimum 30 hours of in-person delivery?
• planned programme of activity contribute to delivering the Core Educational Outcomes 1 and 2?
• course include sessions focusing on a range of job roles within the specific chosen field?
• course include sessions which signpost participants on to next stages of development?
• course schedule include established and relevant (to the course subject) industry professionals?
• application propose a viable contingency plan in the event that the proposed schedule could not be delivered?  

In addition to these: 

• are there sessions where participants are given the opportunity to watch films enabling critical understanding of and access to a range of film cultures?
• is there time for each participant to plan, deliver and review a practical screen-based project either individually or as part of a team, to add to their portfolio?

Experience and management 

Does the applicant have:

• experience of delivering high quality training and activities for 16 to 25 year olds with strong learning, cultural or vocational outcomes?
• a clear plan for managing the programme from launch to conclusion, including recruitment and evaluation?
• qualified and relevantly skilled DBS-checked staff to deliver the course?
• the intention of hiring an alumni coordinator for this programme? 

Recruitment  

Does the applicant:

• demonstrate a clear recruitment and selection strategy for participants, ensuring that participants are openly and fairly recruited from across the UK?
• demonstrate clear experience of working with a diversity of young people from a range of backgrounds?
• describe ways it will reach those with disabilities, with proof of strategies to achieve this through previous projects?
• demonstrate how equality, diversity and accessibility will be addressed when assessing participants’ applications?

If applicable, has the applicant previously met its diversity commitments for a BFI Film Academy course (or similar)?  

Safeguarding  

Does the applicant have:

• a safe and reliable premises where they are proposing to run the programme?
• an up-to-date safeguarding and child protection policy, which includes digital safeguarding and appropriate safeguarding procedures and an incident reporting template?
• qualified and relevantly skilled DBS-checked staff to deliver the programme and evidence that appropriate compliance procedures are in place, for example, health and safety policies?
• appropriate compliance procedures in place, for example, a child protection and vulnerable adults protection policy? 

Budget 

Is the:

• applicant in an adequate financial position to deliver the course?
• budget realistic and appropriate to the scale and nature of the programme?

Does the budget:

• consider access requirements? (for example, improved physical access to the venues and interpreter costs)
• include support for participant travel costs, and provision for mentoring and support for progression routes? 

How we’ll prioritise applications 

We get a lot of applications and cannot support them all. We prioritise proposals that: 

• are closest to the Fund  aims and priorities
• we think will have the biggest impact
• offer value for money 

Identity checks 

We undertake due diligence assessments of the applications we are recommending to our decision-making committee for funding.  

We will request the personal address and date of birth of the CEO or Managing Director of the organisation applying. We will use this data to run an identity check. This is not a credit check and our request for this information is not an indication or confirmation of funding and you will be informed separately of the funding decision on your application. We will be unable to submit your application to our decision-making committee until we have received your completed form. 

Grant and Lottery Finance Committee Consideration

Following assessment of each application, funding recommendations will be made to the BFI Grant and Lottery Finance Committee. This is the final stage of the funding decision process. All applicants will be informed in writing of the decision on their application.  

7. Getting a decision 

If you’re unsuccessful  

We may have turned down your application because we determined that the proposal: 

• did not fit our funding objectives and outcomes
• did not demonstrate a strong enough commitment to one or all of the following principles: equity, diversity and inclusion; environmental sustainability; UK-wide
• was too ambitious for the budget
• did not demonstrate enough relevant experience
• was not yet developed enough
• did not demonstrate sufficient need for National Lottery support and should be financed by other means
• did not meet with the BFI Diversity Standards

Feedback on an unsuccessful application  

If we had a meeting with you to discuss your application, you can ask for feedback on your application. We’re a small team and unfortunately that means we’re unable to give feedback to other applicants. We will keep the data and supporting materials you sent to us in line with our records retention policy. 

If you’re successful  

You’ll:

• receive a written offer of funding
• need to sign the offer of funding and return it to the BFI within 21 days.

Your offer of funding will set out details of how you’ll receive the funding, how to use it and how we expect you to report to us. 

Read the conditions of funding section and General conditions of National Lottery funding to find out what you will have to do if you are offered an award. 

We welcome your feedback on the application process and how we might improve it – please contact us on filmacademy@bfi.org.uk 

8. Conditions of funding 

If we offer you an award, in addition to the General Conditions of National Lottery Funding, the following conditions will apply to your award: 

You will be required to provide the following as a condition to funding (i.e. in advance of the award): 

• list of all staff working on the programme on headed paper
• evidence of Disclosure and Barring (DBS) checks for all key staff working on the programme
• an up-to-date health and safety policy
• an up-to-date child protection policy
• up-to-date Safeguarding policy and procedures, and an incident reporting template
• completed risk assessment (the BFI will provide this template to successful applicants)
• attendance at quarterly UK wide programme meetings  

General 

You will need to adopt safeguarding provisions for protecting children and vulnerable adults.  

You will be required to work collaboratively with relevant BFI departments and partners, including those not identified in your application, to ensure widest possible dissemination of the Programme activity to potential users. 

Use of the award 

Any award must be used exclusively for the purpose for which it was requested as set out in your application. The award should not be used for marketing and advertising, or for any costs associated with the maintenance, technical development or updating of existing websites or for the development/creation of new websites. You will be required to undertake to fully comply with Disclosure and Barring, health and safety and child protection policies in delivering the course.  

Partnership funding 

BFI will require approval over the provision of all partnership funding including the identity of the providers and terms of funding to ensure that all associations are appropriate for the BFI and the National Lottery and to ensure that such relationships do not bring you, or by association the BFI and the National Lottery into disrepute. 

Where you have included unsecured partnership funding within your budget, you will need to provide updates on securing this finance to the BFI (normally as part of your performance reporting but, where such partnership funding is intrinsic to delivery of the activity, as a pre-condition to the funding agreement).  The BFI may elect to withhold or withdraw your award if you are unable to secure the level of partnership funding required to deliver the activity as planned or require that you submit revised plans and budget showing how the activity could be delivered without the planned partnership funding.  

Term 

Funding will be offered to deliver all elements of BFI Film Academy Hub delivery from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029.

Monitoring, performance review and evaluation  

As part of the award, we expect course providers to collect monitoring data on the deliverables. You will need to ensure that data on all participants in, and beneficiaries of, the Programme can be shared with BFI in compliance with data protection legislation. 

You will need to submit:

• quarterly narrative reporting on programme
• participant numbers and monitoring data for course participants
• participant numbers and monitoring data for year-round events participants
• venue confirmation and risk assessments for all activity
• updated course schedules before courses commence
• RAG reports
• a year-end budget and cost statement setting out actual expenditure against the approved budget
• media release forms for all participants
• list of project staff (including in partner delivery organisations), freelancers and volunteers
• images, video or sound recordings of your activity in formats specified

You will be required to attend an annual performance review as well as other routine or specific meetings with BFI colleagues to discuss progress.   

An evaluation may be carried out by an independent third party, and you may be asked to share data and other information with the appointed evaluators to demonstrate your contribution to these measures of success. 

You’ll need to report to us at the end of your activity, evaluating how you’ve delivered against the Diversity Standards in practice. 

You will be required to work with our designated cultural sustainability partner to assess your environmental impact. Further guidance and support will be provided to you once the award period begins. 

Payment of the award 

The BFI will set out a cash flow schedule for the award over a three-year period. 

The BFI National Lottery Funding Plan 2023-2026 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 second year may therefore be impacted by the ongoing availability of National Lottery funds at predicted levels. If we have to reduce funding for this reason we will ensure that we provide sufficient notice and work with you to modify plans accordingly. 

Acknowledging BFI funding

Your project will be funded by the BFI, which receives money from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the National Lottery. Because of this, it’s important to clearly show where the funding comes from.

You’ll need to: 

• use the correct logos (for UK government, DCMS, BFI, National Lottery, and any agreed match funders in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland) on things like websites, printed materials, and social media
• mention the funding in press releases and other communications—highlighting not just that you’ve received funding, but why it’s been given and the positive impact it supports
• follow BFI branding guidelines, which may be updated from time to time
• get BFI approval for any marketing or promotional materials related to your funded activity

9. Appendix – BFI Film Academy core educational outcomes (CEO)

Knowledge and understanding (Core Educational Outcome 1)

CEO1: Outcomes

A. Knowledge

• Understanding of film as a subject and art form and other subjects that are addressed through film
• Understanding of the film industry, options for career and Further Education progression

B. Soft skills 

Improved soft skills and communication skills (including non-verbal).

C. Attitudes and behaviours 

• Improved or enhanced motivation and engagement, empathy, confidence
• Strengthened sense of identity and voice

D. Enjoyment and aspiration 

Participants are engaged, captivated and enjoy the experience of film.

E. Careers advice and guidance 

Participants have knowledge around opportunities for career development, other training and advancement within their region and how to apply for them.

CEO1: Key learning points

• receive a rounded educational and cultural experience of the screen industry
• develop basic critiquing skills through watching and discussing a wide range of British and world cinema
• gain understanding of a story structure
• gain a clear understanding of the film and wider screen value chain from development through to distribution and exhibition
• have direct engagement with industry practitioners in relevant fields
• have greater appreciation of and demand for British films
• gain a clear understanding of key roles and job market in the film industry and wider film sector.
• develop knowledge around opportunities for screen sector across employment
• provide individuals with a sense of achievement
• develop knowledge around opportunities for career development, other training and advancement within their region
• support participants in devising a personal development plan, develop CV and portfolios
• gain knowledge of negotiating, communication, teamwork through direct practical application of filmmaking, for example, as part of production team, role of producer or director.

Skills (Core Education Outcome 2)

CEO2: Outcomes

New and improved technical skills, critical faculties, and collaboration and team work (applicants can choose to have one or more of these activity areas).

CEO2: Key learning points 

• gain understanding and practical experience of physical production of film
• learn basic camera/lighting/sound skills on current industry equipment
• gain overview of 3D and 2D animation techniques
• gain overview of VFX workflows with mainstream production
• post-production and mastering of films
• marketing, exhibition and distribution lessons
• gain practical experience of editing software, for example Final Cut Pro
• creating sets and understanding of art department — also hair make up, SFX
• produce short films where relevant
• develop a treatment that meets film production specification
• understand the uses of animation in film and develop and use the techniques and processes in a short film production: stings (short 15-second animates)
• learning and experiencing a variety of skills and roles within specialism
• create a portfolio that can be used to gain further opportunities 

Where relevant, participants should have the opportunity to showcase work produced during programme activity.