The British Film Institute National Lottery Projects Fund
Project grants of between £20,000 and £200,000, and Research and Development grants of between £10,000 and £20,000 are available to UK registered charities, Community Interest Companies (CICs), local authorities and limited liability companies to bring independent UK and international films to audiences across the UK in a dynamic and original way.
The BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund awards National Lottery funding to support the exhibition and distribution of nationally significant audience-facing independent film and immersive projects across the UK.
The objectives of the fund are to achieve:
- A broader range of organisations supported by the fund
- An inclusive workforce that is representative of the UK population
- An Increased number of accessible screenings right across the UK to ensure independent UK and international film and broader screen activity is truly accessible to all
- An increased profile for independent UK and international film and broader screen activity
- Genuine change in working practices resulting in a larger audience, that is representative of the UK population, engaged in independent UK and international film and broader screen activity, and
- New approaches to marketing and promotion in order to reach new audiences
Grants are available to support various audience related activities in the UK, including:
- Film festivals
- Large scale and ambitious film programmes
- Touring film programmes
- Distribution releases, and
- Multiplatform distribution proposals.
The fund will support organisations with multi-year and short-term projects as well as smaller pilot projects from organisations new to the fund.
Projects must be high-profile and able to attract national press and media coverage. With a focus on increasing access and encouraging audiences to take risks in the viewing choices they make, supported projects will grow the participation of audiences that are representative of the UK population. Equal priority will be given to the cultural and social ambitions of projects.
The following funding is available:
Project grants of between £20,000 and £200,000. Grants of up to £500,000 can be made for projects of exceptional scale and ambition, although awards over £200,000 are likely to be uncommon. Applicant should have sought a minimum of 40% matched funding for their project grant application. The matched funding does not need to be in place when an application is made but must be secured before the grant payment is made. Project grant applications should demonstrate support from other partners.
Research and development grants of between £10,000 and £20,000. No matched funding is required.
Research and development projects should:
- Develop audiences from specific under-represented backgrounds.
- Have the potential to grow and reach national audiences, and
- Take creative, operational and economic risks.
Further information, guidance and an online application form is available on the BFI website. Applications should be made at least 4 months before the start of any proposed project.