Emerging Indie Fund

About the Emerging Indie Fund

The Emerging Indie Fund is an opportunity for indies in the Nations and Regions to accelerate their business.

Selected companies will receive slate development funding and increased access to commissioners and other departments within Channel 4, whilst growing their business. The programme aims to nurture emerging indie talent from the Nations and Regions and help them to grow their business through a proven combination of commissioner support, funding and training.

 

PACKAGE OF SUPPORT

The Emerging Indie Fund combines slate funding with ongoing support from Channel 4 to help awardees achieve business sustainability and strong relationships within the channel.

Selected indies will have a direct relationship with a relevant commissioning editor, who will meet with the indie on a regular basis to discuss their slate. They will also meet regularly with the Head of Indie Relations, who will advise them on working with Channel 4 and growing their company. Indies will access a series of online sessions with key departments within the channel, such as Finance, Corporate Affairs and Scheduling to get a unique insight into Channel 4.

Awardees will also receive slate development funding to help them develop programme ideas. This can be used to bolster the indie’s development team with additional staff roles or consultants, or for other costs relating to the effective development of their slate.

They will have access to business development and slate development expertise to help their business thrive and become sustainable, and will also benefit from networking and training events.

The package of support will run from December 2023 to June 2024.

 

WHO IS IT FOR?

The Emerging Indie Fund is aimed at talented companies that have the skills and resources to become sustainable TV production companies given the right combination of support. You may have had some single or digital commissions with Channel 4, and should already have a slate of ideas to discuss with a commissioner. We would like you to be bringing us distinct voices and stories that are aligned with Channel 4’s editorial priorities and Future4 strategy.

 

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for the Emerging Indie Fund applicants must meet all of the criteria below:

• Primary office and more than 50% of key creative decision-makers based in the Nations and Regions
• A true indie in which no one broadcaster holds more than 25% of its shareholding
• Turnover must be below £6m according to the latest set of accounts
• Has a slate of content in development suitable for Channel 4
• Evidence of a previous TV, film or digital production credit
• No more than one previous Channel 4 linear series commissioned or recommissioned
• No previous participation in the Emerging Indie Fund as a main awardee

 

HOW TO APPLY

Applications should be made through the online application form.

The deadline for applications is 9am on 19th October 2023.

If you require any support in submitting your application or need this information in a different format, or have any other questions about the Emerging Indie Fund, please email us on EIFund@channel4.co.uk to outline your access needs.

You will be asked to select at least one genre to apply to, and to outline some details about your company and what you would like to achieve, as well as your best idea. This idea may already be under discussion or in development with a Commissioning Editor, but should not yet be at editorial approval or greenlight stage.

Please familiarise yourself with the commissioning priorities of your chosen genre on the 4Producers website before applying to ensure that your ideas are closely aligned to their commissioning needs. Please note that any ideas included in your application will be read only for the purposes of selecting the Emerging Indie Fund cohort.

 

SELECTION

Eligible applications will be assessed by the Emerging Indie Fund team as well as Heads of Department and Commissioning Editors.

All eligible applications received will be assessed according to the following selection criteria:

• Alignment with Channel 4’s editorial priorities – including commitment to Channel 4’s Future4 strategy
• Development slate – indies must have ideas suitable for broadcast on Channel 4
• Ability to benefit – should be at the right moment in their journey as an indie to benefit from Channel 4’s support

We aim to respond to all applicants by 10th November 2023. Unfortunately, we are not able to give feedback on unsuccessful applications.

Up to nine indies may be selected. Additionally, a small number of indies who are considered to demonstrate particular talent but are not yet at the stage at which they would most benefit from the full package of support may be offered a discretionary award.

 

FIND OUT MORE

The Emerging Indie Fund team hosted a webinar outlining the opportunity on 4th October. You can watch a recording of the session below.

Please read our Terms and Conditions

READ MORE:

Channel 4’s Emerging Indie Fund 2022 Awardees 

4Producers – commissioning briefs from all Channel 4’s genre departments.