Applying for UK Global Screen Fund (UKGSF) Festival Launch funding

Contents page 

1. About this fund
2. Check if you’re eligible
3. What you can use the funding for
4. How to apply
5. What happens after you apply?
6. Getting a decision
7. Conditions of funding

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

The International Distribution fund

The International Distribution fund aims to grow exports and global demand for UK independent film by supporting the UK film industry to achieve measurable results which would not have been possible without UKGSF support, including increasing:

• the number and value of international sales of UK independent film
• international audiences for UK independent film
• commercial returns for UK screen companies, rights holders and financiers

UKGSF International Distribution therefore makes two forms of support available:

• Festival Launch - awarded to either the UK producer or UK sales agent of a UK film, to support the launch of the film at an eligible film festival with the aim of increasing the film’s profile and sales
• Prints & Advertising (P&A) - awarded to either the UK producer or UK sales agent of a UK film, to contribute towards the P&A costs of either a grouping of international distributors, or a single international distributor if releasing an animated feature or a documentary feature, with the aim of increasing the film’s circulation, audience size and box office potential

These guidelines cover Festival Launch funding only. 

If you want to apply for P&A funding instead, check the P&A guidelines.

Festival Launch funding

Festival Launch funding aims to help UK sales agents or UK producers to maximise the potential from an international festival selection of a UK film through supporting enhanced publicity and marketing activity, as well as assisting with the technical and logistical costs involved with a high-profile festival launch. We make non-recoupable grants to applicants who can clearly demonstrate how they will utilise a festival premiere to enhance the promotion, reach and value of a UK film internationally.

If you have any questions about the strand or the application process, please email ukglobalscreenfund@bfi.org.uk.

2. Check if you’re eligible

An application must be made by either the UK-based sales agent appointed to sell the film internationally or the lead UK producer of the film.

If an eligible UK-based sales agent is attached, then the application should be submitted by this entity. The lead UK producer is eligible to apply where there is no sales agent attached at the time of application or where the sales agent attached does not meet the eligible company criteria.

To be eligible to apply for Festival Launch funding, you must meet all the eligibility criteria set out below.

Lead applicant organisation

Your organisation must meet all the following criteria:

• be a limited company registered and centrally managed in the UK and in good standing, whose core business is either:
  • securing and selling distribution rights to new feature film titles
  • producing independent narrative content for cinema release, VOD or television broadcast
• has either:
  • been appointed as the UK sales agent selling the international rights for the eligible film, or
  • acted as the lead UK producer on the eligible film and has not been engaged on the eligible film only in a production services capacity
• be the parent company and not a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) created solely for the project
• 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 or SVOD platform or operator
  • a company defined as a large company under the Companies Act 2006 - this means the company has at least two of the following:
    • turnover of more than £54 million
    • balance sheet total of more than £27 million
    • more than 250 employees
• has written consent from either the lead UK producer or the non-UK sales agent of the film (whichever is not the applicant) approving the submission of the application and the proposed budgeted expenditures

We may not assess your application if you have mismanaged a previous BFI award or have not provided deliverables on time without reasonable justification.

Eligible film

You can apply if your film:

• has a production budget of £15,000,000 or less
• is a new ‘single project’ feature-length (no less than 60 minutes in length), fiction, animation or documentary film with potential for a theatrical release
• has been completed no more than 12 months prior to the application date, or is currently in production or post-production
• has not been majority financed by a studio, mini major or streaming platform
• has been invited to have its world, international, North American or European premiere in an official category or competition at an eligible festival
• qualifies or is wholly capable of qualifying for certification as a British film under one of the following: 
  1. the cultural test for British films
  2. one of the UK’s official bilateral co-production treaties
  3. the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production

We encourage you to check that your project meets the relevant requirements and certification deadlines before applying to UKGSF. If you’re unsure if your project can qualify, email certifications@bfi.org.uk before you apply.

Partnership funding

You will also need to provide evidence of partnership funding for the festival launch activity, which may come from your own resources or elsewhere. Costs you have incurred and paid for prior to the submission of the application, and which are directly related to the film’s launch at the festival, may be counted as partnership funding.

Eligible festivals

The eligible festivals are:

• Annecy International Animation Film Festival
• Berlin International Film Festival
• BFI London Film Festival
• Cannes Film Festival
• CPH:DOX
• Edinburgh International Film Festival
• Fantastic Fest
• International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)
• International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR)
• Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
• Sheffield DocFest
• SXSW Film Festival
• Sundance Film Festival
• Telluride Film Festival
• Toronto International Film Festival
• Tribeca Film Festival
• Venice Film Festival

If the festival you have been selected for does not appear in this list, you may be eligible for support through the British Council Travel Grant funding scheme.

If you have read these guidelines thoroughly and are still unsure if you are eligible to apply, please email us at ukglobalscreenfund@bfi.org.uk

3. What you can use the funding for

You can apply for up to £15,000 towards eligible costs described below in connection with the international promotion and sale of a film at a festival.

A film can receive a maximum of two separate Festival Launch awards if the film is selected for an official category or competition at two eligible festivals, but the cumulative amount awarded may not exceed £15,000 across the total number of festival launches supported.

A Festival Launch award cannot exceed 50% of the overall festival launch costs. Festival launch costs are defined as all costs related to the launch of the film at the festival, including those costs that are not eligible for UKGSF International Distribution Festival Launch funding. If you are applying for more than 25% of your festival launch costs, your application must demonstrate a strong commercial rationale for this higher level.

It will need to be clear from the information given in the application that any award from the International Distribution Festival Launch strand would achieve good value for public funds, including through supporting only activity and outcomes that would not otherwise occur.

Eligible costs

Applicants may apply for UKGSF International Distribution Festival Launch funding towards costs relating to the enhancement of promotion and sales activities for the film at the festival including, but not limited to:

• subtitling costs and production costs of subtitled prints or digital cinema packages (DCP) for use at the festival
• DCP transport costs
• a contribution to reasonable travel and accommodation costs to the festival for key talent essential to the promotion of the film (for example, lead cast, director, lead UK producer). Please note that this is only where these costs are not already covered by the festival and these costs need to be reasonable and proportional
• public relations activities at the festival (including press kits, the appointment of an international or local publicist and associated PR costs)
• marketing and promotional items specific to the film’s inclusion at the festival, including posters, brochures, flyers, screeners, trade advertisements and digital campaigns

Ineligible costs

The following costs will not be eligible for UKGSF International Distribution Festival Launch funding, but may be included in the total festival launch budget:

• per diems (daily subsistence costs)
• events and entertaining (dinners, drinks, parties)
• company overhead (including sales, marketing, finance, legal, technical and other staff costs; insurance and telecoms)
• company market expenses (including market office; shipping costs; registration, travel and accommodation costs; and per diems or hotel extras, cabs and entertaining)
• costs relating to the sales agent’s own attendance at the festival
• general company promotional materials, even if related to company attendance at the festival
• retrospective costs (meaning costs already incurred prior to the date of application).

The UKGSF reserves the right to exclude any other costs which do not reflect the spirit and intention of this funding.

4. How to apply

When you can apply

We will accept and assess applications on a rolling basis. 

Applications should be submitted as early as possible and no later than four weeks (not including public and bank holidays) before the official start date of the festival.

We may, at our discretion, accept applications made later than that, only if the applicant receives confirmation of the film’s selection at the festival after expiry of the deadline. In such a situation, please contact us as soon as possible for us to review your eligibility.

Given the typically short window of time between invitation and attendance at a festival, you should apply as soon as possible once you’ve received your invitation. You do not need to wait for the public announcement of your film’s participation to submit an application, and all submissions will be kept in strict confidence.

You can make your application while you are awaiting certification for your film as British (provided that an application for certification has already been lodged) but, if your application for Festival Launch funding is successful, we will be unable to make a first payment on the award until the film has been certified.

Information you need to provide

Your proposal

You’ll need to provide details of:

• the applicant
• the film and the festival
• the total festival launch costs
• anticipated subsidies, grants and other funding provided to the film at the festival including any costs to be met by the festival
• the proposed marketing and promotion plan for the film at the festival
• value of documented sales of the film, broken down by territory, to date, and the intended priority territories and buyers to be targeted at the festival
• how the application will address the UK-wide priorities set out in the assessment criteria
• a screening link to the finished (or near-finished) film

Documents you’ll need to provide

You’ll need to upload:

• the Festival Launch Budget template detailing the anticipated eligible expenditure that will be incurred while promoting the film at the festival
• where applicable, a copy of the signed sales agency agreement or deal memo appointing the applicant as the UK sales agent for the film
• written confirmation from the festival that the film has been officially selected 
• a copy of the proposed final gross budget for the film together with a detailed finance plan
• a signed statement confirming consent to the application and approval of the proposed festival launch budget
  • if the application is submitted by the UK sales agent this should come from the lead UK producer
  • if the application is submitted by the lead UK producer then a statement from the sales agent is required (if one is attached)
• evidence that the film has qualified, or is wholly capable of qualifying, as British (letter of comfort from the BFI Certification team, interim certificate, or final certificate)
• a corporate structure chart for the applicant organisation, detailing all direct and indirect ownership interests, and corporate domicile of all related entities

Download Festival Launch budget template

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 project. As part of our assessment we consider:

• where the applicant company and UK producers are based
• where projects are shot or made
• how projects reflect the culture and talent of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the English regions outside Greater London

Environmental sustainability 

You’ll need to outline how environmental sustainability principles will be embedded into your project. This includes:

• considering how your project’s themes or approaches engage with the climate emergency
• implementing good environmental practice for your activity (for example, travel and events)
• embedding sustainability within your organisation more broadly

If funded, you’ll need to report how you have applied the environmental sustainability principle in project delivery and more broadly. We’ll also signpost you to a range of tools, resources, and training opportunities to support you in making your BFI-backed project more sustainable.

Equity, diversity and inclusion 

As part of your application, you must complete and submit the BFI Diversity Standards – UKGSF form so we can understand your intentions around diversity, inclusion and representation for your project. This means detailing how your funded activity will address industry under-representation in relation to disability, gender, race, age, sexual orientation, religion, socio-economic status and geographical location. Pleaseread the guidance on how to complete the Diversity Standards. 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.

Applicants to this fund need to respond to the diversity standards on a summary level. This means you are expected to fill in an overall response to each Standard A to E, not individual criteria. You are only expected to respond to each standard where you have relevant characters, narratives, activity and staff or crew, but you should still try to fill as much detail as possible.  

Please refer to the guidance for ideas of how to respond given your project and activity type, the size of your company or project team, and any early career or career development roles you are able to offer.

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 project 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

In your application you will be asked to answer a question about representation within your organisation’s leadership. You’ll also need to complete and submit the Diversity Standards – UKGSF form before you submit your application. 

You’ll need to create an account for the BFI Diversity Standards portal, if you don’t already have one. 

Once you’ve logged in, click ‘start new application’ and select the Diversity Standards – UKGSF version of the form.

Ensure that you have information about your activity, current staff, any 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. 

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.

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

Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a unique ID number and an automated confirmation of receipt. If you do not receive this, please contact 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 two 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 to obtain 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 standard timeframe. 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 our stated aims. Our assessment scores eligible applications against the following criteria:

International growth: 20%

We’ll consider: 

The quality of the sales and marketing strategy for the film at the festival, which should:

• detail the territories and international distributors to be targeted at the festival
• show a clear route for the film to market and to international audiences
• include any innovation in the sales strategy and planned activity at the festival

 Finance: 20%

We’ll consider:

• the economy and efficiency evident in the proposed festival launch budget , including:
  • value for public money
  • the commensurate benefits derived by participation of the film in the festival
  • how reasonable the proposed costs are
  • deals secured on items and services 
• the level of detail in the festival launch budget
• how clear the use of UKGSF funding is and the eligibility of costs
• the level, source, and status of other income contributing to the festival launch costs
• market confidence as demonstrated by the number of sales made to date and the level of initial interest from specific buyers

Funding outcomes: 20%

We’ll consider:

• how the participation at the festival will generate and enhance international sales
• the projected impact for UK directing, producing and writing talent, specifically the impact on the career of the UK producers and those working on their first or second features
• the potential for higher prominence and reputational benefit for UK cast (for example, press and junket attendance, photo opportunities, awards, and consumer and industry profiles)

Track record and team: 15%

We’ll consider the ability of the applicant, based on evidence of previous experience of the company and its staff, to deliver similar festival launches for comparable UK films, leading to significant international sales or distribution for these films

Additionality: 15%

We’ll consider:

• how existing festival launch plans will be enhanced by Festival Launch funding, especially the impact on the scale of launch, increased press coverage, increased international sales and increased profile of UK talent 
• any additional territories and revenues to be targeted through the activity at the festival with Festival Launch funding

UK-wide benefit: 10%

We’ll consider:

• where projects are shot and made
• where the applicant UK company and individual UK producers are based
• how projects reflect 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
• the feasibility and impact of the 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.

You may be invited to a meeting or phone call to discuss the application further. Having a meeting with us does not mean that we have made a commitment to fund your project. 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 don’t receive any further materials or information from you 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 the UKGSF in the future.

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.

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. 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 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.

If you’re successful

You will receive a UKGSF funding agreement which you should sign and return to the BFI within 14 days or it will automatically lapse. 

Your funding agreement 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.

A copy of the executed funding agreement will be sent by the UKGSF to the lead UK producer, the sales agent (where applicable) and the collection agent (where applicable) so that they are notified of the UKGSF funding and that any expenditure funded by the grant should not be recouped by the applicant as sales agent expenses or otherwise.

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.  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 the Festival Launch strand 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 reapply. 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 Festival Launch funding agreement with the BFI that sets out the terms and conditions of your award. In addition to the BFI General Funding Conditions, the terms and conditions of your funding agreement will include the following (but may also include others specific to your application):

1. Any award must be used exclusively for the purpose for which it was requested, as set out in your application.
2. The award is a grant that is not recoupable by the BFI, except in the circumstances set out below and in the funding agreement.

3. Subject to clause four below, all grants awarded will be paid in accordance with the following payment schedule:

   An amount equal to 80% of the grant will be paid to the successful applicant upon signature of the funding agreement provided that the applicant can demonstrate that it has secured or has sufficient resources of its own to cover the required partnership funding and has satisfied any other conditions precedent to the award specified in the funding agreement. 

   The final payment, in an amount equal to 20% of the grant, will be made upon receipt and approval by UKGSF of a final report, to be submitted to UKGSF no earlier than three months and no later than six months after the planned participation at the festival. If final expenditure is less than the originally agreed total festival launch budget, then UKGSF may proportionately reduce the amount of the grant payable or require a portion of the grant to be repaid. We may require evidence of expenditure by way of copies of receipts and invoices for expenses covered by the funding. The final report will include:

• sales data in connection with the participation at the festival to include: 
  • the name and contact details of all distributors purchasing the film in each international territory
  • rights sold to each distributor
  •  the sale price achieved for each international territory
• an analysis of expenditure (and if requested, evidence of such expenditure) against the approved festival launch budget for the film 
• promotional data including but not limited to:
  • a list of international press coverage achieved through the participation of the film at festivals and markets where this activity was supported by the award
  • examples of the marketing and advertising materials which were produced with the support of the grant (for example, copies of trade advertising, festival-specific posters)

Successful applicants will be issued with guidance on final reporting, which will specify any additional information required to be provided to UKGSF in addition to the above.

4. 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. 
5. Support awarded under the International Distribution Festival Launch strand will be made in the form of non-recoupable grants. Under the terms of such grants, successful applicants will be contractually required to fully disclose the amounts received by them from the UKGSF when accounting to the applicable UK producer(s) and financiers of the film.
6. Where costs for any sales, marketing and promotional activity have been met by funds from the International Distribution Festival Launch strand, the supported applicants must not seek to recoup any such costs from sale proceeds or from any other source, in order that the benefit of these grants is shared by the rights holders and financiers of that film.
7. To the extent that the applicant subsequently receives any other funding in respect of any costs covered by an International Distribution Festival Launch grant, then they will be required to immediately repay an equivalent amount of the grant to UKGSF.
8. 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.
9. The BFI may terminate the funding agreement if it has reasonable concerns relating to the film or its ability to be distributed internationally, the applicant’s third party partnership funding, or if the applicant operates in a way which might bring the BFI or DCMS into disrepute. 
10. 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 and encouraging key talent to take part in promotional activities

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. 

11. 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.
12. Successful applicants will be required to take part in formal evaluation of the UKGSF if contacted by an independent evaluator. This will include the provision of information on the relevant film and the funded activities to inform this evaluation. This may include, but shall not be limited to, information in respect of the film and the funded activities for the purposes of case studies, quotes from the grantee benefiting from the award and provision of visual materials relating to the funded activity.
13. To ensure proportionality, no group of applicants (or SPV) can receive more than £625,000 in combination from the UKGSF funding programme as a whole over a three-year fiscal period.