Overview
The UK’s exhibition and distribution sectors play a vital role in bringing film and other screen content to audiences. They are under pressure from increased costs, changing audience demand and business sustainability challenges brought about through the post-COVID landscape. In response to findings from the recent BFI-commissioned Rapid Skills Review for Exhibition and Distribution, we now wish to support the design and delivery of a practical, targeted and interactive leadership and business development training programme. By improving leadership competencies, the fund aims to improve business effectiveness, leading to safer, happier, healthier, more sustainable and inclusive workplaces. We intend to make a single award of up to £1,350,000 for this programme.
Programme activity must provide the following to help exhibition and distribution leaders improve their business operational skills:
- strategic business skills
- mentoring
- actionable planning tools
Programme activity must take place between April 2026 and March 2029.
The programme should consider modular delivery approaches to ensure a breadth of training can be delivered by subject matter experts. Collectively, the modules should form a structured and cohesive programme of training and development activity. As a minimum the programme should include training in:
- mixed economy income generation/fundraising, covering income for core operations as well as projects (including capital)
- new distribution models
- digital marketing
- business leadership, including how to establish and promote inclusive workplace cultures and collaborative team dynamics
- financial and business planning
- strategic partnership working
- data analytics
Modules should be developed in a way to support greater join-up between exhibitors and distributors, including opportunities for shared learning, networking, and relationship building.
In your application, you’ll need to tell us where your proposed programme combines or separates exhibition and distribution participants and why.
Who can apply
We will make a single award to an organisation that:
- has previous experience delivering business development training programmes for the screen sector across the UK
- has a track record of delivering national activity via a partnership approach
- can draw on relevant expertise to design and deliver a multi-stranded programme of training
- has a detailed understanding of exhibition and distribution and a proven track record of engaging with these sectors
- is registered and centrally managed in the UK
Register for an information session
We will be hosting an online information session about this opportunity in early 2026. Please check back in the new year for more details.
You can email skills.coordinator@bfi.org.uk to register your interest in attending.
How to apply
Applications to deliver the programme will close at midday on 16 March 2026.
You can only apply online after you’ve read the funding guidelines in full.
Get help with your application
We are committed to making our funding accessible to all. You can get help if you need support to apply for funding.
About BFI National Lottery funding
Since the very first National Lottery draw in 1994, more than £50 billion for good causes has been raised directly through National Lottery ticket sales, funding more than 700,000 projects. As a recipient of National Lottery funding, it is important to publicly acknowledge the source of this funding ensuring that those engaging with your work recognise the value and benefit of this unique Good Cause funding.
If your application is successful, you will be responsible for prominently crediting BFI National Lottery funding and thanking National Lottery players. To communicate this message, you should ensure that the elements of your project which have the potential to engage a broad public audience are capitalised on. More details will be supplied once an award has been made.