BBC Children’s and Education diversity fund

We are committed to growing diversity within the broadcast industry and creating more opportunities for individuals from underrepresented groups behind the camera. To support this we have a diversity fund worth £200,000 per annum for projects that actively develop off-screen talent from underrepresented groups through targeted initiatives which cannot be covered by the normal production budget. We are focussed on mid-senior roles.

Examples of how the fund could be used include:

• engaging an experienced director to mentor a neurodivergent theatre director undertaking their first TV role
• bringing writers from other genres and formats onto a training programme for pre-school animation writing and then being commissioned for scripts
• creating a shadowing opportunity for an up-and-coming director from a Black, Asian or ethnic minority background, leading to a directing role

Production companies can apply for the fund once a programme idea has been commissioned and we welcome companies approaching us with ideas around how they can develop individuals from under-represented groups. We particularly welcome applications that will support individuals from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds.

Applications should not exceed £10,000 per commissioned series or package of content as an absolute maximum, but this can be awarded to a single individual or split across multiple applications. Please note the following types of application cannot be supported by the fund:

• those relating to on-screen diversity
• those that can be covered within the business-as-usual production/project budget, such as hiring an individual from a diverse background for a role that is included in the production budget

Please contact your commissioning editor/editorial lead for further information and to find out how to apply.

BBC Content runs a separate diversity talent development fund for comedy, drama, factual, entertainment and daytime producers. Find out more.