Applying for the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund

Contents

1. About this fund
2. Check if you’re eligible
3. How much you can apply for
4. What you can use the funding for
5. What your project needs to achieve
6. How to apply
7. What happens after you apply
8. Getting a decision
9. Conditions of our funding

1. About this fund

The BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund has been allocated £19.7 million over three years to support ambitious, audience-facing independent UK and international film and immersive activity of national significance.

Bringing films and immersive activity to audiences across the UK in a dynamic and original way, the activity supported will demonstrate cultural ambition and encourage audiences to take risks in the viewing choices they make. Your project should be high profile and able to attract national press and media coverage.

Sector-facing projects intended to support the industry to adapt, innovate and learn how to grow ambition and resilience are also eligible, but this isn’t the primary focus of the fund’s intended outcomes and ambitions. We encourage any organisations considering applying for this type of activity to contact us first to consider if your project is eligible for this fund.

For local projects, please contact your local Hub within the BFI Film Audience Network (BFI FAN).

Fund aims and priorities

We want everyone to experience a great range of screen culture. All funded activity must deliver against at least five of the following aims which are also detailed in the BFI National Lottery strategy outcomes:

• people across the UK can access a wider choice of film and the moving image, including stories that reflect their lives
• an increased profile for independent UK and international film and immersive activity
• a larger audience for independent UK and international film and immersive activity that is representative of the UK population, achieved through a genuine change in working practices. This could include, for example, new approaches to marketing and promotion, investing in an inclusive workforce that is representative of our population
• funding helps to tackle social, economic and geographic barriers for screen audiences in new and effective ways, ensuring an increased number of accessible screenings right across the UK to ensure independent UK and international film and immersive activity is truly accessible to all
• children and young people are empowered to develop their own relationships with a wider range of screen culture
• screen organisations have significantly reduced their carbon footprint
• a broader range of organisations supported by the fund, breaking down historic barriers to funding
• better support available for small and medium-sized enterprises and independents to develop their businesses
• evidence-based insight and analysis of the screen sector is readily available to all, supporting organisations and driving policy making

2. Check if you’re eligible

The lead applicant

You’ll need experience of one or more of the following: 

• marketing initiatives
• film festivals
• film distribution, including cinema and online
• immersive installations and tours
• major cultural festivals and programmes of national scale and ambition
• in-venue programmes or seasons
• touring projects
• in-venue audience analysis projects
• strategic sector support initiatives

Your organisation

Your organisation must be a legally constituted organisation centrally managed in the UK, that is one of the following:

• a limited company registered at Companies House that is:
  • not defined as a ‘large’ company under the Companies Act 2006; or
  • not more than 50% owned by (or a subsidiary of)
    • non-UK resident individuals or
    • a company or corporation owned by non UK-resident individuals or
    • a company or corporation having shares listed on any stock exchange
• a community interest company registered at Companies House
• a limited liability partnership (LLP) registered at Companies House that is not more than 50% owned by non-UK resident partners or members
• a UK combined or local authority or statutory body
• a UK charity or trust registered with the Charity Commission

Individuals, unincorporated associations or partnerships cannot apply.

For pilot projects, we only accept applications from organisations which have not previously received an award from this fund, or a previous version of the Audience Project Fund.

For immersive projects seeking funding to cover physical production costs as well as touring or exhibition costs, you will also need to be a UK culturally significant organisation that has commissioned (or intends to commission) the project in question.

In the context of these guidelines we define a UK culturally significant organisation as a public or private organisation, or not-for-profit organisation, that is able to demonstrate to our satisfaction that it successfully promotes and develops public-facing cultural activity that reaches significant UK-wide audiences.

We define immersive projects as screen-based storytelling projects where the audience is engaged through an immersive or extended reality experience, including but not limited to augmented reality, and virtual reality.

If you intend to apply for an immersive project, we strongly urge you to contact a member of the team to discuss eligibility in advance of making an application. We envisage making no more than three awards of this nature per year (with each eligible applicant receiving no more than one award in a 12-month period).

Eligibility of your project

We can support projects of any duration but all activity must be completed by 31 March 2029 unless you have approval to deliver beyond this date from the Audiences team before making an application.

You can apply if your project:

• takes place in the UK
• is for a national public audience and public benefit
• starts 16 weeks or more after the time of application (or 10 weeks, for single film distribution projects)
• is a new, time-limited activity within or additional to your core delivery – for example, a new marketing approach within a film festival to attract audiences not currently engaging with the festival

Funding can only be used to support projects that respond to the fund’s aims. Your project must also have specific outcomes reflecting the changes you want to achieve if you receive funding. Immersive projects must be intended for UK-wide exhibition.

If provision of an Audience Projects Fund award may result in commercial gain or profit from the activity, it will take the form of a recoupable grant (see Conditions of Funding below). This is particularly applicable to applications related to single film distribution and immersive projects.

Pilot projects

Awards of up to £20,000 are available to support pilot projects that take creative, operational and economic risks in developing audiences from specific underrepresented backgrounds and have the potential to grow and reach national audiences. We want to use these pilot awards to support new organisations to break down historic barriers and reach new and diverse audiences.

During the assessment process, we may discuss with you whether it is appropriate to apply for a pilot project award or a project award to achieve your aims.

Projects

Awards of up to £500,000 are available for nationally significant audience-facing projects that relate to the exhibition and UK-wide reach of independent UK and international film and immersive activity.

UK culturally significant organisations (see definition above) can also include physical production costs of up to £150,000 (within the maximum award amount of £500,000) for newly commissioned immersive projects. Physical production costs of the project are costs associated with the creation, storytelling, technical development and filming or recording of content.

Applications that are focussed primarily on the physical production costs of an immersive project will experience difficulties in demonstrating UK-wide reach and are therefore unlikely to be successful.

In addition, if the physical production costs are for a British work, it must be capable of being certified as British through the cultural test. Find out about the Audio Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) and Video Games Expenditure Credit (VGEC).

For immersive projects, the applicant must undertake to contractually require that the creators / producers of the project will comply with the provisions for potential recoupment of the award as set out in the Conditions of Funding below.

Applications to exhibit an immersive project already supported through this fund would need to make a new application in relation to new venues. Unless the application can demonstrate new elements to the project or a substantial increase in audiences, it is unlikely to be successful.

Please contact the Audiences team before applying to determine whether you would be eligible.

When your project is ineligible

Your project is not eligible for the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund if:

• the focus is talent development (for example, panels or workshops discussing filmmaking skills)
• filmmakers are the intended audiences
• students are the intended audiences, where the screenings form part of their studies
• your screenings are solely or primarily taking place in spaces closed to the general public (for example university campuses or invite only events)
• developing audiences for screen culture is not the primary outcome including issues-led projects or those with a campaigning component (for example, distribution of a documentary where the primary aim is campaigning or raising awareness of the issues explored instead of growing audiences for independent film and immersive activity)
• charity fundraising and awards events
• it is, or includes, large scale capital expenditure; small scale capital expenditure can be included if it directly relates to the delivery and outcomes of your project
• it focuses on art forms other than independent UK and international film and immersive activity (for example, is primarily a performance piece with an element of screen activity)
• it is for local or regional audiences (rather than national audiences)
• it is of limited scale, drawing in audiences from a single location, with modest admissions (as a guide we consider 5,000 admissions and under for a film festival to be modest)
• it relates to business development or business start-up costs
• it includes or promotes exclusive availability (for example, it is only available on a single pay to view platform)
• it is an extension of ongoing work
• it is the core activity of your organisation (the project you are applying for needs to be additional to core activity)

Get in touch with the Audiences team if you’re unsure whether you’re eligible to apply to the fund: audiencefund@bfi.org.uk. 

If you’re looking for opportunities for local projects, contact your local Film Hub for more details.

3. How much you can apply for

This fund is highly competitive, and you should bear this in mind when deciding what level of award you’ll need to deliver your project and if the amount you are requesting is appropriate for the level of public benefit.

Funding will depend on the timeframe and ambition of your project:

• pilot projects – you can apply for a minimum of £10,000 up to £20,000
• projects – you can apply for a minimum of £20,000 up to £500,000 per year
  • If you are a UK culturally significant organisation you can include up to £150,000 towards the production costs of newly commissioned immersive projects that are intended for UK-wide exhibition

We can consider making single or multi-year project awards of up to £500,000 per year, but applications for awards over £200,000 will only be accepted for projects which demonstrate:

• exceptional cultural ambition
• national profile and scale
• support from a good range of partners

Awards over £200,000 are rare so we strongly advise that you discuss your project with the Audiences team before making an application for over this amount.

If your project is longer than 12 months 

All activity will need to be completed by 31 March 2029. Our decision to offer funding for more than 12 months will be based on evidence that your project will deliver strongly against the fund aims and that you will be unable to achieve your project outcomes within a shorter timeframe.

Where we commit to providing funds for up to three financial year periods, the amount of funding that we can make available for a second or later year of funding may be impacted by the ongoing availability of National Lottery funds at predicted levels. If we have to reduce funding we will aim to provide sufficient notice and work with you to change plans accordingly.

UK subsidy legislation 

The Audience Projects Fund will usually offer funding by way of a grant. However, the BFI complies with UK subsidy legislation in its operation of the Audience Projects Fund.

Where the proposed use of funding comprises subsidy, additional conditions will attach to the offer of funding and if the project is expected to result in a commercial gain for the applicant (see Conditions of Funding), the BFI will offer funding as a recoupable grant repayable from such gains. We may request further information at application stage if this is likely to be the case.

4. What you can use the funding for

Eligible costs

You can use this funding for project costs such as:

• costs associated with activities needed to deliver the project, for example marketing or curation
• contribution to overheads relating to the delivery of the project
• engaging specialist advice, for example marketing, PR, or access associated with the project
• accessibility needs, for example subtitles, close captions, audio description, BSL interpreted events, relaxed screenings and marketing materials
• professional development spend, if relating to the outcomes in the project
• accessible events and services that support the independent exhibition and distribution sector to develop for the benefit of audiences

For immersive projects, applications should cover the exhibition and touring costs of the work to ensure UK-wide reach but can incorporate physical production costs if the applicant is a UK culturally significant organisation (as outlined and subject to the conditions outlined above).

Other costs may be eligible for support; if you are unsure, you should check before you apply by contacting audiencefund@bfi.org.uk.

Costs we cannot support

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

Examples of common ineligible costs are:

• core costs for day to day running of your organisation not associated with the project
• staffing costs which are covered by other sources of funding
• film production costs including post-production
• immersive project production costs, including post-production, when the applicant does not meet the definition of a UK culturally significant organisation or where the immersive project is British but is not capable of passing the British cultural test
• business start-up costs
• development of your business not relating to the project
• costs relating to an extension of ongoing work
• parties, including opening and closing night galas, awards ceremonies and prizes
• large scale capital expenditure
• activity that is currently or has already been specifically supported by another external source of funding
• cost incurred prior to an offer of funding from BFI
• promotional or other activity (such as standees and printed brochures, T-Shirts) which do not support environmental sustainability
• a contribution to the same activity supported by other BFI funds such as BFI Film Audience Network

This list is not exhaustive, and we may tell you that other types of activity within your application cannot be supported by a BFI award or ask that you amend specific activities and associated budget allocations.

The budget templates include additional guidance on eligible and ineligible costs.

Cashflow

If you are successful, funding will be cashflowed in-line with spend over your proposed project delivery timeline 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
• for multi-year awards: demonstration that you can remain financially viable through to the end of the term – please see General Conditions of National Lottery funding for other conditions relating to multi-year awards.

If you’re registered for VAT

Your figures must not include VAT that you can claim back. If you are not registered for VAT, or you are registered for VAT but cannot fully recover the VAT you incur on costs, your figures should include irrecoverable VAT. Grants we make are ‘outside the scope’ of VAT and must be listed in your accounts as a grant and not, for example, as a fee for any services supplied to the BFI. You should get financial advice from your own accountant or the relevant tax office.

Partnership funding

Eligible applications need to demonstrate an element of partnership support which can include cash or in-kind support. Partnership contributions are an important demonstration that there is genuine support for your project from your community, stakeholders and other partners.

The larger the request to the fund the more partnership funding we would expect to see. As a guide, we expect this to be a minimum of 40% of the total project budget (cash and in-kind). For pilot projects, there is no minimum percentage.

Other BFI funds cannot be used as partnership funding in the project budget (for example from the BFI Film Audience Network or BFI Doc Society); this does not include historic project costs (such as immersive project development or production funding for film distribution projects). UK National Lottery funding from another distributor (for example Arts Council) cannot be the only form of partnership funding.

If applying for an immersive project, an element of cash partnership funding (whether from the applicant’s own resources or from a third party) for the production, distribution and exhibition of the work must already be secured at the point of application.

For projects other than immersive proposals, partnership funding does not have to be secured at the point of application but will need to be secured in advance of BFI award payment and before the proposed project start date.

5. What your project needs to achieve

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

All awarded projects will contribute to the following KPIs which we use to measure the success of the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund:

UK-wide targets

• percentage of successful applicants from the UK outside London and the South East: 60%
• percentage of funded projects which take place across the UK outside London and the South East: 100%
• admissions or beneficiaries from the UK outside London and the South East: 75%
• successful applicants new to BFI National Lottery funding: 20%
• total admissions: 6 million

Accessibility targets

• percentage of projects available online: 50%
• accessible and relaxed screenings: 50%

Accessible and relaxed screenings include:

• closed captions / descriptive subtitles
• audio description
• BSL interpretation and live captions for events and event screenings
• ticket incentives and discounts (Pay What You Can, Pay it Forward, discounts for asylum seekers and refugees and group discounts in support of specific audiences identified in your project)
• autism, neurodiverse and dementia friendly screenings (screenings to follow guidelines around light and noise levels, freedom to move around and make a noise, end and start times provided, provision of a quiet space)

Equity, diversity and inclusion

All activity supported by our funding should address the BFI Diversity Standards. If successful, you’ll need to evaluate and report how you’ve delivered against the aims of the Diversity Standards in practice. Your activity will contribute towards achieving our inclusion targets.

UK-wide

Our funding supports national, regional, and local activity to ensure that communities throughout the UK feel the benefit of the screen industries and culture. You’ll need to tell us where your proposed activity will be delivered and how this will support the BFI’s UK-wide principle.

Environmental sustainability

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

• implementing good environmental practice for the project e.g. travel and events
• embedding sustainability within your organisation more broadly
• exploring environmental themes as part of the work e.g. 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 explore resources provided by our designated partner, Julie’s Bicycle, particularly through the Sustainable Screen Resource Hub, which outlines good environmental practices.

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.

6. How to apply

When you can apply

If your project relates to the distribution of a single film

Your application must be submitted at least 10 weeks before the start of any funded activity. Distributors can bring the title forward no earlier than two weeks from the original intended date if the market conditions make such a move necessary in order to achieve the most beneficial outcomes, but any such request needs to be received no later than three weeks after submitting the initial application.

For all other applications

You must apply at least 16 weeks before your project start date. Applications submitted less than 16 weeks before the start of a project are ineligible and will be declined. However, we strongly encourage you to apply as soon as you’re ready to provide sufficient time for assessment and lead time to the start of your project.

If you have any questions before making an application, contact audiencefund@bfi.org.uk.

Information you’ll need to provide

In your main application you’ll need to provide:

• a brief overview of the core activity your organisation delivers
• a brief overview of the specific project you want the BFI to support
• where applicable, detail on the specific audiences you will be targeting with BFI funding along with an outline of how evidence of, or research on, your existing and potential audiences has informed your project
• your approach to ensuring the activities in the project are accessible
• evidence that your organisation can successfully deliver the project
• your approach to monitoring and evaluation
• a full project budget and cashflow for the project

Documents you’ll need to provide

• project budget (completed using the template provided)
  • If applying for a multi-year project, your budget should be for the total duration and you should also include:
    • your latest statutory accounts – If more than 12 months has passed since the year end covered in your last filed statutory accounts, please additionally provide draft accounts for the intervening auditable period as approved by your board (including both income and expenditure reporting and a balance sheet)
    • your most recent budget and management accounts for the current financial year as approved by your board (including both income and expenditure reporting and a balance sheet), as well as any subsequent budget re-forecast since board approval was provided
    • budget and forecast for your organisation for financial years 2026 to 2029, accompanied by notes highlighting the assumptions made and key risks (for instance around renewal of funding from other sources)
    • your organisational risk register

During the assessment process, we may ask you to provide a budget for each year

• KPI targets (using the template provided)
  • KPIs should be for the duration of the project
• environmental plan for your organisation
• environmental plan for your project
• workplace bullying, harassment and anti-racism policies
• safeguarding policies
• marketing plans specifically for the project, not your organisation
• any other document requested

Any documents submitted other than those requested will not be considered.

If you’re applying with a distribution project

You’ll need to include a distribution agreement when you make the application to show that you control the UK distribution rights for the proposed film title.

You will also need to arrange a screening or provide a screening link at the time of application so that we can watch the film as part of the assessment process.

If you’re applying with an immersive project

You’ll need to demonstrate the ambition for the project to be able to tour across the UK (this will form part of your application activity).

If you are applying for a contribution towards production costs:

• that you are a UK culturally significant organisation (see above)
• that you are commissioning the project;
• if it is a British work, that it is capable of meeting the British cultural test;
• you have a credible and viable finance plan (demonstrating what partnership funding is secured or is yet to be secured and confirming whether or not a production tax credit will be advanced to meet part of the production costs);
• you have a balanced budget including for the production elements with contingency incorporated

If appropriate, you will also need to arrange a screening, supply proof of concept, early conceptual work, or provide a screening link at the time of application so that we can review these as part of the assessment process.

If you’re applying for a multi-year project

If your project spans more than a year, not just crosses over a financial or calendar year end, we’ll ask why you need multi-year support and you’ll need to provide key milestones and measures of success along with additional financial information as listed in the ‘documents you’ll need to provide’ section.

Diversity standards form

Before you can submit your application, you’ll need to complete and submit the Diversity Standards – Audience Projects form. You’ll need to register an account to do this.

This form will give you a unique reference number, which you’ll need to complete the main application form. You’ll need to submit both forms within the specified weeks as stated above.

Application forms received without a completed and submitted diversity standards form will be considered incomplete and therefore ineligible.

Equality monitoring

You may be asked to provide equality monitoring data relating to your organisation’s leadership or project staff at the point of application or during your project. The data you submit on this form will be confidential, anonymous and not seen by the fund staff.

Submitting an application

You need to create an account or have an existing account on our grant website to make your application online. You can save your application and return to it later.

Make sure you complete all the sections as incomplete applications will be ineligible and declined.

Please consult this PDF preview of the application form to see the questions you will be asked in full:

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

If you have any questions when completing the application form email us at audiencefund@bfi.org.uk.
 

7. What happens after you apply?

1. You’ll get confirmation we received your application within 1 to 2 working days.
2. We’ll request any additional information we may need within 4 weeks.
3. You’ll get a decision within 12 weeks, unless we need more information from you, and then it’ll take longer.

How your application is assessed

We’re looking for projects of national significance with a focus on increasing access and growing the participation of audiences who are representative of the UK population affecting a meaningful change in who gets to participate, reducing historic barriers and ensuring activity is accessible.

For sector facing projects, we are looking for strategically significant proposals with UK-wide impact. Applications should incorporate accessible events and services that will support the independent distribution and exhibition sectors to develop for the benefit of audiences.

When assessing your application, we consider how closely your project meets the fund aims. We will also consider the following:

Public benefit of your project 

This includes: 

• the cultural significance of your project and proposed partnerships
• if your project promotes diversity in content
• if your project will contribute to a greater diversity in the workforce and audiences
• if the activity is additional to your organisation’s core work
• if your project provides opportunities for audiences to experience or learn about types of films to which they would not otherwise have access
• evidence of research on which the project is based
• relevance to the intended identified audiences / sector beneficiaries
• how many people / organisations will benefit from the project
• evidence of sustained, long-term audience or sector development, especially outside London and South East England

Delivery and management plans 

This includes:

• evidence that the proposed activity is technically and logistically viable and the applicant has the relevant experience to deliver the project and reach the identified audiences
• robust monitoring and evaluation plans and how you will integrate the outcomes of the project into your core work
• if applicable, how you have managed any previous BFI awards

Finance 

We’ll assess:

• if the scale and ambition of the project is appropriate to the amount of funding you have requested.
• if the request is above £200,000, is the project exceptional?
• is it clear what BFI funding will support, and does it represent good value for money? Are the costs and revenues realistic?
• how much partnership support is included and if there is any possibility of further income from other sources?
• is your organisation financially secure, especially in the context of multi-year awards?
• is there a strong need for National Lottery funding?

We may share your application with other BFI teams (such as our finance and legal colleagues) or external consultants to help us assess it. BFI Filmmaking fund, will be involved in the assessment of commissioned immersive project applications. 

How we prioritise applications

We receive more applications than we are able to support and will prioritise projects that:

• best deliver on the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects fund aims
• will have the biggest impact on developing audiences for independent UK and international film and immersive activity
• offer value for money and have the greatest potential to unlock additional partnership funding
• take risks and try new approaches
• aim for sustainable audience development and have a plan for future financial sustainability
• best address the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, and UK-wide
• allocate a greater percentage of Lottery funds in supporting direct audience development rather than staffing and overheads

Identity checks

We undertake due diligence assessments of the applications we are recommending to our decision-making committee for funding. As part of this, before applying to the committee, we may request the bank details of the lead applicant.

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. Please note that 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. Please note that this is not a credit check. 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. If your application is declined, all supporting materials will be deleted from your submission in line with our record retention policy. 

8. Getting a decision

If you’re unsuccessful

We may have turned down your application because we determined that the project did not:

• meet our fund aims, or did not meet them strongly enough
• demonstrate a strong enough commitment to one or all of the following principles: equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI); environmental sustainability; UK-wide
• offer value for money or sufficient public benefit
• have adequate budget for the ambition of the project
• demonstrate enough relevant experience
• demonstrate it was sufficiently developed
• demonstrate sufficient need for National Lottery support and should be financed by other means
• meet with the BFI Diversity Standards

Feedback on unsuccessful applications

If requested, we will try to provide feedback. As a small team we will prioritise organisations from which we asked for additional information during the assessment process. The feedback will be via email, video call or telephone. We will keep the data and supporting materials you sent to us in line with our records retention policy. We welcome your feedback on the application process and how we might improve it audiencefund@bfi.org.uk

If you’re successful

You’ll get a written offer of funding which you will need to sign and return to the BFI within 14 days.  The offer will set out details of how you’ll receive the funding, how to use it and how we expect you to report to us.

Check the Conditions of Funding to find out what you will have to do if you’re offered an award.

9. Conditions of our funding

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

1. We will measure the progress of your project using interim and final reports which you will need to send to us on the dates specified in your funding agreement. We will cashflow payment of your award in line with the reporting dates.
2. Where applicable, you will need to adopt safeguarding provisions for protecting children and vulnerable adults and ensure that data on all participants in, and beneficiaries of, the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund can be shared with BFI in compliance with data protection legislation.
3. You will be required to work collaboratively with relevant BFI departments and partners.
4. You will be required to share data insights, data reports and learning from your project and ensure their continued availability after expiry of the term of funding.
5. You will be required to submit environmental impact data and report on how you have delivered against the Environmental Sustainability principle. For awards made over multiple years, an annual report is required. Further guidance can be found on the Julie’s Bicycle website.
6. Where cash income on the project budget exceeds expenditure (whether as a result of underspend or generation of additional income such as through ticket sales) the amount of the BFI award paid will be reduced commensurately on a pro rata basis in the proportion that the BFI award bears to the total approved budget amount for the activity or project (excluding any historic costs prior to the BFI offer of funding). 

7. If the award may result in commercial gain or profit from the activity in addition to that covered by paragraph 6 above it will take the form of a recoupable grant (see also section on Subsidy Control in the National Lottery Funding General Conditions).

   This means that for single film distribution once you have recouped an amount equal to your distributor release costs (P&A costs) at the BFI approved amount from income generated during the recoupment period, you will need to pay back the BFI (either until the full award amount has been recouped or until the end of the recoupment period specified in the funding agreement). If you do not recoup your own release costs during the recoupment period, the award will not need to be repaid.

   This means that for an immersive project, if any income is generated in excess of the predicted budgeted amount for the project including any tax credit from the production of the immersive work that has not been advanced to the budget of the work or if revenues are generated from further touring, exploitation or sale of the immersive project during the funded period and for a period of 5 years from the completion date of the funded project, then BFI shall be entitled to a 25% corridor of such revenues until the earlier of 5 years from the completion date set out in the funding agreement or repayment of the award amount. You must ensure that you either obtain a licence of all relevant rights in the project to enable you to give effect to this recoupment position or include contractual stipulations within your commissioning agreement(s) with the creators / producers of the immersive work to give effect to this recoupment provision. As a result, there will be additional approval (over proposed uses of income generated from the immersive project and / or further proposals to exhibit or tour the work whether in the UK or internationally), monitoring and reporting provisions in the offer of funding for these types of award.

8. If the award relates to the distribution of a film you will be required to make available audio-description files and soft-subtitled files (or similar) on the digital cinema package and for the home release and you will be required to display the BFI moving / animated logo (featuring the National Lottery logo) at the start of the film.
9. For distribution of single film projects and touring of immersive projects, BFI may require an onscreen credit / logo on the work in the format set out in the branding guidelines to be supplied by BFI for the fund.
10. For multi-year awards (aligned to financial years) we will confirm the amount to be allocated to each year, how it will be cashflowed and when performance review points will occur. Prior to each new financial year we will review:

• achievement of agreed deliverables to date
• any updates to your plan, budget forecast (including income and other partnership funding) and risk register
• your ongoing ability to deliver the agreed activity (including in relation to your continuing financial stability)

Such awards will be offered for the relevant multi-year period to ensure stability and continuity of awarded activities and we anticipate cashflowing each award in equal annual amounts.

The BFI National Lottery Funding Plan 2026 to 2029 has been developed based on predicted income from future National Lottery ticket sales that would fall due to BFI. In the event that receipts to BFI are lower than predicted we may have to make reductions across all funding plan programmes. The amount of funding that we can make available for the later years may therefore be impacted by the ongoing availability of National Lottery funds at predicted levels. If we have to reduce funding for any year, we will endeavour to ensure that we provide sufficient notice and work with you to modify plans accordingly.