Contents
1. About this fund
The UK Global Screen Fund (UKGSF), financed by the UK government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and administered by the BFI, seeks to increase the UK screen sector’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, promotion and distribution activities 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
UKGSF International Business Development
This funding provides non-recoupable grants for growth strategies that span three or five years, to support companies to develop and expand their turnover and scale of Intellectual Property (IP) creation, exploitation or acquisition.
Aims of the funding
The aims of the funding are to:
- transform screen content businesses in the four nations of the UK by supporting them to:
- develop a strong presence in international marketplaces
- create new international business partnerships and alliances
- develop and implement targeted development, production, sales, distribution and marketing strategies which exploit new opportunities in the global digital and online realm
- take advantage of new global export opportunities, develop and grow new revenue streams, and increase levels of private sector investment
- increase development of quality UK projects and talent, aimed specifically at the global marketplace and at global audiences
- support the corporate development, growth and international profile of established independent companies already operating in the UK screen sector by helping them to capitalise on opportunities in the global marketplace
- assist ambitious, promising companies to reach the next level of their development, and to help them attain investment readiness, based on compelling strategic plans for corporate growth through international activity
- stimulate business innovation, entrepreneurship and risk-taking in the UK screen sector when trading internationally
Application tracks
UKGSF International Business Development has three application tracks:
- challenger track: for earlier stage companies that wish to undertake a targeted scaling-up strategy focused on the production, acquisition or distribution of eligible content over a two-to-three-year period. Challenger track funding has broader eligibility criteria and can only be used on a targeted set of eligible costs
- general track: for companies looking to expand their revenues, audiences and reach through internationally focused growth strategies over a three-year period
- transformation track: for companies that wish to embark on an internationally focused, transformational business strategy over a three-to-five-year period. This track supports activity that is transformative for current business models and requires up to five years to be realised
If you have any questions about the fund or the application process, email ukglobalscreenfund@bfi.org.uk.
2. Check if you’re eligible
Eligible content
Business development strategies supported by this funding need to work towards creating, acquiring or exploiting the following forms of content:
- feature films (minimum 60 minutes running time) intended for theatrical or online release in fiction, documentary or animation, in any genre
- programmes (minimum 24-minute runtime across the season or episode, whichever is longer) intended for broadcast television, video-on-demand services, or other forms of online release in fiction, factual (including factual entertainment), documentary or animation, in any genre
- new interactive narrative video games for commercial digital platforms, generating revenue from the public consumer market
- by narrative game, we mean a project that enables players to inhabit an imagined space, whether based on actual locations or entirely fictional
- there will be a player character or characters (usually an avatar or first-person-perspective) which engages with this world, other entities or characters as part of an authored, connected series of events (a narrative arc)
Eligibility of your organisation
Organisation’s structure and ownership
You can apply if your company:
- is a limited company registered and centrally managed from the UK and in good standing
- does not have more than 25% of its shares held, directly or indirectly, by one or more of the following third parties:
- a non-UK corporate entity
- a television broadcaster/SVOD platform or operator
- a video games digital distributor (such as GOG, Green Man Gaming or Valve (Steam))
- any company defined as a large company under the Companies Act 2006
- has at least two years of accounts filed at Companies House by the closing date for applications to this fund
- has at least one director who has been a director of the company for more than two years by the closing date for applications to this fund
Organisation size
Your company must meet one of the definitions below for a micro-entity or small company according to the Companies Act 2006 (Part 15, Chapters 1 and 12).
You are also eligible to apply if, due to the employment of time-limited roles for the production of a game or animation, your micro or small company has temporarily scaled up to meet the below definition of a medium-sized company.
A micro-entity must have two of the following:
- 10 employees or less
- an annual turnover of £1,000,000 or less
- £500,000 or less on its balance sheet (meaning the total of the fixed and current assets)
A small company must have two of the following:
- 50 employees or less
- an annual turnover of £15 million or less
- £7.5 million or less on its balance sheet (meaning the total of the fixed and current assets)
A medium-sized company must have two of the following:
- 250 employees or less on average
- an annual turnover £54 million or less
- £27 million or less on its balance sheet (meaning the total of the fixed and current assets)
Organisation financial track record
If you are applying for the general or transformation track, your company must have achieved a minimum £35,000 gross profit average over a three-year period including the current year forecast and the past two years. Gross profit is defined as revenues less cost of sales, before any other company overheads such as salaries and wages, rent, and other expenses are taken into account.
If you’re applying for the challenger track, your company must have achieved a minimum cumulative £200,000 turnover over a three-year period including the current year forecast and the past two years.
Organisation credits: Challenger track
If you have company lead credits
For the challenger track, you must have between one and two company credits for a piece of eligible content that has had its initial broadcast, exploitation, or theatrical release within the last three years. Your credit must show that your organisation led on either:
- the creation of eligible content (equivalent to a company on-screen producer credit, or storefront-credited developer or publisher for games)
- the acquisition or commercial exploitation of at least one piece of eligible content
If you do not have company lead credits
If you do not meet the credit requirement above, you must show both of the following:
- evidence of a third-party funded development or prototype for at least one piece of eligible content planned for release in the next three years
- a company credit with significant contribution to the production or distribution of at least one piece of eligible content, or equivalent experience in other forms of screen content (such as short films or short-form videos)
Organisation credits: General and transformation tracks
For general and transformation tracks, you must have at least one company credit for a piece of eligible content that has had its initial broadcast, exploitation or theatrical release within the last three years. Your credit must show that your organisation led on either:
- the creation of at least one piece of eligible content, equivalent to a company on-screen producer credit, or storefront-credited developer or publisher for games
- the acquisition or commercial exploitation of at least one piece of eligible content
When you’re ineligible
You’re not eligible to apply if your company:
- is seeking support for a proposal based primarily around:
- news and current affairs programming
- reality TV
- game shows
- social networking or match-making sites (unless creating original screen content, of the types listed above, for distribution via social networking platforms)
- e-commerce
- theatre, including live theatre and recorded live theatre
- websites that are not platforms for the creation or distribution of screen content
- event management
- work that does not meet the other eligibility criteria stated elsewhere in the funding guidelines
- has previously received an award from UKGSF International Business Development for over £50,000, unless you have completed year three of your strategy and your final report has been approved
We may not assess your application if you have mismanaged a previous BFI award or have not provided deliverables on time without reasonable justification.
This list is not exhaustive and if you are unsure if your company is eligible, email ukglobalscreenfund@bfi.org.uk.
3. What you can use the funding for
You can apply for funding to support and accelerate an international growth strategy (the business strategy). You will need to demonstrate how you will achieve this strategy through an ambitious, export-focused business plan that can realistically be achieved with our support.
How much you can apply for
If you’re applying through the general or transformation tracks, you can apply for between £50,000 and £200,000. If you’re applying through the challenger track, you can apply for an award of £50,000, plus an optional, additional £5,000 to support mentoring costs, if needed. Your business strategy will need to justify the level of funding you apply for.
Ratio of grant to company turnover
The total amount of funding you are seeking cannot be more than 25% of your company’s aggregate annual turnover, over the period during which the award is paid out, including turnover of related SPVs which are wholly or majority owned by the applicant company. This 25% limit of grant to turnover must be reflected in the financial projections of the submitted business plan, the validity and viability of which will be assessed against your accounts for the previous two years.
Eligible costs
UKGSF International Business Development funding can only be spent on the costs of business strategies connected to creating, acquiring or exploiting IP in at least one of the eligible content categories. You will be required to itemise proposed expenditure in your application budget and identify how this expenditure will deliver your business strategy.
Generalised expenditure items that cannot be linked to your proposed activity or business plan and that do not provide detail on total amounts allocated (such as stating only “overheads” or “per diems”, freelance staffing as a total with no detail of day rate etc.) will result in your application being less likely to receive support.
Your budget should show any additional funding you have secured towards the activity for which you are seeking UKGSF support. This can include debt or equity funds from external sources (public or private), as well as self-generated funds (meaning revenues derived from prior and ongoing activities).
Challenger track
Eligible costs are limited to expenses associated with internationally-attributable revenue growth through:
- making a maximum of one new hire, whether via PAYE or freelance contract, to deliver the activity set out in your business strategy
- strategy-relevant travel to events, IP acquisition/optioning and marketing/PR expenditure, capped at no more than £10,000
- an optional, additional up to £5,000 to enable you to receive support from a mentor for 12 months. The objective of the mentorship should be to support you in growing your company’s international partnerships, reach, sales, audiences and the international appeal of your projects
General and transformation tracks
Eligible costs can include, but are not limited to, expenses associated with international revenue growth through:
- hiring salaried or freelance personnel and advisors to deliver the activity set out in your business strategy
- other business operating costs concerned with expansion into new markets and business areas or, in the case of transformation track applicants, business model change strategies
- internationalisation and enhanced monetisation
- establishing relationships with international partners
- research and development of, and investment in, new business areas
- innovative strategies to distribute, publish or exploit IP via digital platforms
- travel costs at a maximum of 10% of the total requested amount, where relevant to the proposed strategy
Ineligible costs
The following costs are not eligible:
- corporate restructuring costs
- existing company overhead
- staff cost contribution not tied to an international growth strategy
- cost of consultants hired to prepare the company for investment or sale
- development or production costs, including slate development and game prototyping costs
- return on capital to shareholders
- debt and debt service charges
- provisions for losses or debts
- interest owed
- doubtful debts
- exchange losses
- excessive or reckless expenditure
- any costs that you can recoup from third parties
- property rental costs
- litigation costs outside of the scope of services required to secure IP
- retrospective costs, meaning costs already incurred prior to the date of application.
This list is not exhaustive, and we may tell you that other types of activity within your application cannot be supported by a UKGSF award or ask that you amend specific activities and associated budget allocations.
Complying with UK subsidy legislation
The amount requested must also comply with UK subsidy legislation. UKGSF International Business Development operates within the terms of the minimal financial assistance exemption (MFAE).
MFAE requires the applicant company and any company within its group of companies (as defined in the Companies Act 2006) must not receive more than a combined total sum of £315,000 from UKGSF International Business Development (or from any other source of public funding also labelled as MFAE) over a three-year financial period (April to March regardless of your own financial year dates).
If you’re successful in this application, you’ll need to sign a declaration confirming that you will monitor all MFAE subsidies received within your group of companies to ensure that this cap is not exceeded. For the purposes of determining whether your group has received other MFAE subsidies please note the following:
- funding from the BFI Doc Society Fund is considered MFAE
- any other funds awarded to you under UKGSF are not considered MFAE
- funds awarded through the BFI’s National Lottery schemes are not considered MFAE unless you have been specifically notified that a payment is MFAE
For example, this means that your group could be offered an award of £100,000 from UKGSF International Business Development and within six months also receive £300,000 from other UKGSF funds, or other BFI National Lottery schemes (unless notified as MFAE) without exceeding the MFAE cap of £315,000.
However, to ensure proportionality, no group of companies can receive more than £781,250 from the UKGSF funding programme over a three-year financial period as defined above.
When reporting other subsidy income, if you are unsure as to whether MFAE applies, please list the subsidy and mark ‘unsure’ against MFAE and we will verify this with you.
4. How to apply
When you can apply
Check the landing page for opening and closing dates for this fund. We advise you to get in touch with us to ask any questions about your application at the earliest opportunity.
Challenger track has a one-stage application process.
General and transformation tracks have a two-stage application process. Applicants will be required to submit a limited amount of information for stage one. After an initial assessment, they will then either receive a declination or be progressed to stage two, where they will be required to provide additional information. If you progress to stage two, you will have ten weeks to develop and submit your application.
Download templates for your application
Budget and business plan template for general and transformation track
Information you’ll need to provide if you’re applying through challenger track
You’ll need to provide:
- a short company and team history
- a description of the company’s business as usual operations and current position in the marketplace
- identification of the potential outcomes and additional value to the company linked to the funding sought
- a narrative description accompanying your budget of how the funding will be used in the business strategy to meet the outcomes identified
- summary aims and strategy for the company’s international growth over the next three years, defining the opportunity and target market
- details of:
- how you will address the BFI Diversity Standards, both as a company and within the IP that you create, acquire or exploit
- your commitments to environmental sustainability as a company and through this activity
- any other public subsidy received in the last three financial years that constitutes or may constitute MFAE
- applicants applying for the £5,000 mentor allowance must supply:
- a description of what you hope to gain from the mentorship, and how that will impact your proposed international growth strategy
- how you will work with the proposed mentor to achieve your intended outcomes, as they relate to your international growth strategy
- biographies for up to three proposed mentors, explaining why their background is relevant to your international growth strategy and any past mentoring experience they might have
- we will assess whether they have relevant skills and experience to support company founders in delivering the proposed strategy and driving business growth
Documents you’ll need to provide if you’re applying through challenger track
If you’re applying through challenger track, you’ll need to upload the following documents in your application form:
- two years of annual (statutory) accounts
- your most recent set of management accounts not more than twelve months old (note that these should include a balance sheet and a profit and loss account)
- corporate ownership chart indicating direct and indirect ownership interests (%) and domicile of related entities, if applicable
- a completed business plan for the past two complete financial years and a forecast to the end of the current financial year
- a detailed budget showing the costs requested as well as any proposed additional funding
- evidence of a third-party funded development or prototype for at least one piece of eligible content planned for release in the next three years (if you do not have a credit leading on the creation, acquisition or exploitation of IP for eligible content)
- a completed company projects document detailing:
- any company credits leading on the creation, acquisition or exploitation of IP for eligible content
- significant contribution to the production or distribution of eligible content
- equivalent experience in other forms of screen content (such as short films or short-form video)
If you’re applying for the £5,000 mentor allowance, you must also supply quotes for 12-month engagement from up to three proposed mentors.
Information you’ll need to provide if you’re applying through general and transformation track
If you’re applying through general and transformation track you’ll need to provide the following at stage one:
- a short company and team history
- a description of the company’s business as usual operations and current position in the marketplace
- identification of the potential outcomes and additional value to the company linked to the funding sought
- a narrative description accompanying your budget of how the funding will be used in the business strategy to meet the outcomes identified
- for general track applicants, summary aims and strategy for the company’s international growth over the next three years, defining the opportunity and target market
- for transformation track applicants, the nature and proposed impact of the outlined transformation plan and the opportunities for international growth that would be unlocked through this over the next three to five years
If you’re invited to stage two, you’ll be asked to submit a more detailed application that builds on the strategy proposed at stage one. Your plans cannot be significantly different, and you should include:
- any updates regarding your team, projects or forecast revenues since your stage one application
- detailed information on how your company’s strategy addresses the goal of increasing international sales, audiences, reach, revenues and the creation, acquisition or exploitation of IP with international appeal
- details around how your company’s strategy will be implemented and achieved across the funding period
- detail around other sources of funding that could be leveraged during the strategy period, including but not limited to equity raises or planned debt and secured or anticipated external public or private funding
- identification of outcomes and additional value to the company linked to the funding sought
- any further relevant details regarding the costs proposed in the budget and how these will be incurred, for example:
- if hiring for a role, whether potential candidates have been identified or if a job description has been written
- if planning to attend markets, why these markets are relevant for the strategy and not part of the company’s business-as-usual
- details of:
- how you will address the BFI Diversity Standards, both as a company and within the IP that you create, acquire or exploit
- your commitments to environmental sustainability as a company and through this activity
- any other public subsidy received in the last three financial years that constitutes or may constitute MFAE
Documents you’ll need to provide if you’re applying through general and transformation track
If you’re applying through general and transformation track, you’ll need to upload the following documents at stage one:
- two years of annual (statutory) accounts
- your most recent set of management accounts not more than twelve months old (note that these should include a balance sheet and a profit and loss account)
- corporate ownership chart indicating direct and indirect ownership interests (%) and domicile of related entities, if applicable
- a completed business plan for the past two complete financial years, and a forecast to the end of the current financial year
- a detailed budget showing the costs requested as well as any proposed additional funding
- a completed company projects document detailing:
- any company credits leading on the creation, acquisition or exploitation of IP for eligible content
- significant contribution to the production or distribution of eligible content
- equivalent experience in other forms of screen content (such as short films or short-form video)
If you’re invited to stage two, you’ll need to provide the following documents:
- an updated business plan (page two of the template) forecasting your company’s projected turnover for the next three-year period for the general track or five-year period for the transformation track
- any documentation supporting the assumptions behind the business plan
- an updated detailed budget (page two of the template) showing the costs requested allocated across the period of funding
Additional areas you will need to consider
You will also need to address the BFI’s cross-cutting priorities in your application.
UK-wide
The UKGSF seeks to ensure a UK-wide benefit and address geographic imbalance within the industry. You will be asked to answer a question on the UK-wide elements of your company and projects. As part of our assessment we consider:
- where your company is registered
- where your company staff are based and work is being undertaken
- how the work that your company creates, acquires or exploits reflects the culture and talent of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the English regions outside Greater London
- any other proposed UK-wide benefits within the application
Environmental sustainability
You’ll need to outline how environmental sustainability will be embedded into your activity and organisation more broadly. This includes:
- reducing carbon emissions as much as possible and maximising environmental benefits of your activity
- telling us about any relevant themes of eligible content you are developing including how projects engage with the climate emergency
If funded, you’ll need to report how you have applied the environmental sustainability principle in your activity and organisation. We’ll also signpost you to a range of tools, resources, and training opportunities to support you in embedding good environmental practice.
If you have questions or would like to discuss approaches to improving environmental sustainability, you can contact us for advice at ukglobalscreenfund@bfi.org.uk.
Equity, diversity and inclusion
In your application you will be asked to answer a question about representation within your organisation’s leadership. You will also need to complete and submit the BFI Diversity Standards – UKGSF form so we can understand your intentions around diversity, inclusion and representation for your organisation. 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. 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.
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 organisation 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.
Diversity Standards form
You’ll need to create an account for the BFI Diversity Standards portal, if you don’t already have one. Once you have logged in to the portal, click ‘start new application’ and select the Diversity Standards – UKGSF version of the form.
Ensure that you have information about your activity, staff, early career and training opportunities and your accessibility processes before you start filling in the form.
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 by the same deadline as for your main application.
Application forms received without a completed and submitted Diversity Standards form will be considered incomplete and therefore ineligible.
The information you provide within your Diversity Standards form may be shared with any funding partners or the BAFTA and BIFA film awards, and used to help inform future funding decisions, research, and strategy. Any equality monitoring data will be anonymised.
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.
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.
For guidance about how to use our new BFI applicant portal:
You can view a PDF preview of the application form to see the questions you will be asked in full:
Incomplete applications will be considered ineligible so please ensure that you complete all sections of the application form with the information requested.
If you need additional support using the application form or encounter technical issues, 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.
5. What happens after you apply
Check our response timeframes for applications.
Once you have submitted your application, you’ll receive a unique ID number and an automated confirmation of receipt. If you do not receive this, email ukglobalscreenfund@bfi.org.uk
You’ll get confirmation we received your application within five working days.
We will review your application to check that it is eligible for assessment.
If your application is ineligible
We will endeavour to inform you of this within 14 weeks. If you then realise you’ve made an error on your application which has rendered it ineligible, please tell us immediately, as we may allow you to correct it and resubmit. We continue to verify application eligibility throughout the assessment process and may determine at any point that an application is ineligible.
If we need more information to determine eligibility
We may write to you by email to request more information about your application. If we need more information, it may have an impact on our ability to take a funding decision within the response timeframes above. You will be required to respond to this request within five working days or as otherwise specified in correspondence. If no response is given within that timeframe, the application will be declined.
How your application is assessed
The UKGSF seeks to support projects that are in clear need of public funding and that make a case for achieving significant results against the aims of the funding. Our assessment scores eligible applications against the following criteria:
International growth strategy 25%
We’ll consider:
- quality of your business strategy, especially the activity intended to increase international growth and revenues
- quality of your overall strategy for creation, acquisition, marketing or distribution of IP in the international marketplace
- quality of your plan to achieve clearly defined outcomes focused on increasing company revenues relating to international business activities, increasing international audiences and developing further international partnerships
Finance plan and resources 20%
We’ll consider:
- robustness of the financial projections in the business plan, which must demonstrate at least 75% of turnover coming from sources other than International Business Development funding
- the level and nature of additional funding (debt or equity) secured or anticipated from external public or private sources
- the level of resource invested or reinvested into the business by your company
- level of clarity as to how the business strategy will be delivered including how reasonable and detailed the allocation of expenditure is across planned activity
Funding outcomes 20%
We’ll consider:
- potential impact of the stated outcomes resulting from the funding on international revenues and financial sustainability, partnerships and audiences
- visibility and measurability of results within the business plan period
- Innovation within the strategy, new business models, new international relationships or partnerships
- alignment with the aims of funding and BFI cross cutting priorities through implementation of the proposed business strategy
- quality of narrative detail of what the funding will allow you to do (for example targeted hires, skill development, acquisition, development and production of IP) and how this is tied to the planned international activity.
- expected release date of the eligible content to be enabled by the business strategy and its potential to generate revenue within the period of the business strategy
Additionality 10%
The additionality that the funding will bring to your business (meaning new areas of activity that would not be possible without UKGSF International Business Development support).
Track record and experience of the team 15%
We’ll consider:
- overall previous creative, financial and managerial achievements
- existence of business relationships with relevant entities, including international ones, which will allow the business strategy to be achieved
- previous success in eligible content in terms of domestic and international audience data, sales, ratings and awards
- relevance of your skills and experience to successful delivery of the business strategy including, where applicable, proposed staff appointments
UK-wide benefit 10%
We’ll consider:
- where the applicant company is registered
- where the applicant company staff is based, and work is being undertaken
- how the work that the applicant company creates, acquires or exploits reflects the culture and talent of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the English regions outside Greater London
- any other proposed UK-wide benefits within the application
Cross-cutting BFI priorities
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 process
All applications will be assessed by the UKGSF team at the BFI. We may consult external reviewers with relevant expertise during the assessment process.
Companies applying under each track will be assessed against the other applicants within that track only. If we think your application is better placed in a different track than the one you have applied to, we may move it into that track during the assessment process.
Further information and meetings
General and transformation track applicants that have submitted stage two applications will be required to have a call with the assessors to discuss your proposed strategy as well as answer any additional questions necessary for us to complete the assessment. You will be required to schedule this call at the point of agreeing to submit a stage two application.
We may also invite challenger track applicants for a meeting or phone call to discuss your application further.
In all cases when we meet with you, this does not mean that we have made a commitment to fund your company. The meeting is an opportunity for us to discuss your application and project with you in more detail. You may need to supply further information after the meeting, and we will need to review that before we can make a final decision. If we ask for further materials or information from you and don’t receive these within five working days, or as otherwise specified in correspondence, 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.
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. 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. This is not a credit check. We are unable to submit your application to our decision-making committee until we’ve received your completed form.
Grant Finance Committee consideration
Following the assessment of your application, all projects which are being recommended for funding will be submitted to the BFI’s Grant Finance Committee. 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. This is the final stage of the funding decision process.
6. Getting a decision
You will be informed in writing if your application has been unsuccessful or successful.
We will aim to provide a funding decision in writing within the following timelines:
Challenger track:
- 23 weeks from the application deadline
General and Transformation track:
- Stage One decision: four weeks from the application deadline
-
For applications progressing to Stage Two there is then a ten-week development period.
- Stage two decision: ten weeks from the Stage Two submission deadline
If you’re successful
You’ll receive a written offer of funding which you’ll need to sign and return to the BFI within 14 days, otherwise the offer will lapse.
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. Successful applicants should also ensure they are aware of the payment terms for the award as detailed in the conditions of funding.
Unsuccessful applications
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.
Feedback on an unsuccessful application
We aim to make the application process as transparent as possible. Because of the volume of applications we receive, we do not have the resources to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants. 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 will keep the data and supporting materials you sent to us in line with our records retention policy.
Resubmission
No resubmissions can be made to UKGSF International Business Development 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 can apply. If you then submit a new application for the same project, ensure that you identify any revised project elements clearly in the new application.
We welcome your feedback on the application process and how we might improve it, via ukglobalscreenfund@bfi.org.uk.
7. Conditions of funding
If your application is successful, before we make any payments to you, you will be required to enter into a UKGSF International Business Development finance agreement with the BFI that sets out the terms and conditions of your award.
In addition to the BFI General Funding Conditions, these terms and conditions will include the following (but may also include others specific to your application):
- Any award must be used exclusively for the purpose for which it was requested, as set out in your application.
- The award is a grant that is not recoupable by the BFI.
The amount offered may be reduced, withdrawn and/or the agreement terminated if this UKGSF award will result in your Group of companies exceeding the MFAE threshold of £315,000 over 3 fiscal years.
The UKGSF Award should not exceed 25% of the Company’s total turnover (which may include turnover of related special purpose vehicles (SPVs) as reflected in the business strategy). In the event that the Company’s total turnover is less than provided in the business plan and results in the UKGSF Award being higher than 25% of the Company’s total turnover, the BFI may reduce or waive the final payment and/or require repayment of a portion of the UKGSF Award to the BFI.
- Your progress against your business strategy will be monitored by the UKGSF team and, as a minimum, we will require regular progress reports from the date of funding, as follows:
- challenger track
- 18 months after contract signature: interim report including expenditure against Budget
- the earlier of 36 months after contract signature or upon achieving a set of agreed KPIs: final report including expenditure against budget
- general and transformation tracks
- 12 months after contract signature: interim report including expenditure against budget
- 24 months after contract signature: interim report including expenditure against budget
- 36 months after contract signature: final report including expenditure against budget
Companies awarded under the transformation track may be asked to submit further information relating to results achieved against the agreed KPIs at the end of year five or during UKGSF evaluation, as appropriate.
BFI will review performance on receipt of each interim report. All awardees are expected to show progress against their stated strategic aims within the initial year(s) of their award in order to receive their full award amount. The funding agreement may be terminated if company turnover or expenditure of grant is materially less than projected or if, in BFI’s reasonable opinion, it becomes apparent that the business strategy cannot be successfully delivered.
- Schedule of payments:
Subject to clause five below, all grants awarded will be paid in accordance with the following payment schedule:
Challenger track:
- 60% of the grant will be paid to successful applicants on signature of agreement providing you have met or can demonstrate you are able to meet all the conditions precedent to the award (if any) set out in the agreement
- 20% of the grant will be paid 18 months after contract signature, subject to our receipt and approval of the interim report
- 20% of the grant will be paid no later than 36 months after contract signature, subject to our receipt and approval of a final report
General and transformation tracks:
- 50% of the grant will be paid to successful applicants on signature of agreement providing you have met, or can demonstrate you are able to meet, all of the conditions precedent to the award (if any) set out in the agreement
- 15% of the grant will be paid 12 months after contract signature, subject to our receipt and approval of the year one interim report
- 15% of the grant will be paid 24 months after contract signature, subject to receipt and approval of the year two interim report
- 20% of the grant will be paid 36 months after contract signature, subject to our receipt and approval of a final report.
We may require copies of receipts/invoices covered by the funding as evidence of expenditure.
Should your final accounts show that the required 75% of turnover coming from sources other than the grant has not been achieved, or if your final expenditure is less than the originally agreed budget, we reserve the right to reduce or withhold final payment, or require a portion of the grant to be repaid.
- We reserve the right to adjust the payment structure at the BFI’s sole discretion. The BFI will pay the grant to the UK limited company registered in the UK.
- If you subsequently receive any other funding in respect of any costs already covered by an International Business Development award (for example, third-party content development funding), then you will be required to immediately repay an equivalent amount of the grant to UKGSF.
- Your interim and final reports must include, at a minimum, the following:
- an analysis of expenditure against the approved Budget in respect of which the grant was made
- actual figures against the approved business plan in respect of which the grant was made
- actual figures against KPIs set for the funding by the UKGSF and the company (for example, increase in international turnover and profitability)
- a narrative report against the original outcomes in your business strategy
Successful applicants will be issued with guidance on interim and final reporting, including requirements around benefits generated by the grant and promotional activity.
8. You will be required to deliver against the undertakings made by you in relation to the BFI Diversity Standards. Failure to deliver against those undertakings without good cause may affect your ability to receive future project funding from the BFI.
9. Successful applicants will be required to take part in formal evaluation of the UKGSF if contacted by an independent evaluator. This could include, but is not limited to, project information for case studies, quotes from the successful awardee and visual materials relating to the funded activity.
10. Successful applicants will be required to grant, or use reasonable endeavours to procure the licence to each of the BFI and DCMS of the right to use stills and clips from any content developed, produced and/or acquired using the UKGSF Business Development award for the purpose of promoting the UKGSF in any media throughout the world for a period of at least five years from signature of the funding agreement.
11. 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.
12.The BFI may withdraw any offer of its funding if it has reasonable concerns relating to the financial status or good standing of the company, the nature and terms of any third party or corporate finance or if the successful applicant operates in a way which might bring the BFI or DCMS into disrepute.
13. Successful applicants will be provided with detailed branding guidelines that set out the specific requirements for acknowledging this funding and the UKGSF as a UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport fund administered by the BFI. We require grant recipients to increase the visibility of the Government’s support by:
- promoting and displaying the UKGSF logo
- assisting in communicating the benefit of the UKGSF, to ensure that 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 funded activity
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. Partners and beneficiaries are expected to take opportunities to highlight not just the fact of the funding but why their project is funded and therefore the increased opportunity that is possible through the Government’s support.
14. To ensure proportionality, no Group of applicants (or SPV) can receive more than £781,250 in combination from the UKGSF funding programme as a whole over a three-year fiscal period.