BBC Radio & Music Indie Development Fund

Now in its fourth year, the BBC Radio Indie Development Fund will continue to support the indie sector by providing successful applicants with support in growing their business through expert mentorship and strategic guidance.

The BBC has once again committed £250,000 in funding for eligible audio indies. Successful applicants will receive £10,000–£25,000 plus mentoring from BBC commissioners to align on shared objectives and bring them to fruition.

This year the fund looks to support more established indies with a proven record of delivering content across radio and podcasts. The fund remains committed to fostering growth in the indie sector outside of London with a focus on the Nations & Regions. We particularly welcome applications from indies based in the following geographical areas:

• North East
• Scotland
• Northern Ireland
• Wales
• Indies with a track record in classical music based in the North West

All our network radio stations are involved in the fund once again this year. In your application, please explain how you would use the fund over the next year to grow and develop your company.

Eligibility

• You are an established independent production company who is already registered as a BBC Supplier. As part of the application form we will ask you to specify how many people work for your company in an average year.
• You have a proven track record of working with the BBC (or other audio commissioners)
• You are based or have a base outside of London.
• You do need to be a registered BBC supplier.

How to Apply

Successful applicants will receive a one year investment of between £10-£25k and will be allocated a mentor who they will work with to agree objectives and meet regularly for support and guidance.

Please note:

• You can only submit one application per commissioning area. If you would like to submit to multiple areas you will need to fill out a separate application form specifying why that particular area is where you would like to grow your company.
• Companies will only be awarded one successful pitch.

Timeline 

• Applications open: Thursday 13th November 2025
• Applications close: Monday 22nd December 2025
• Shortlisting from: January 2026
• Contracting: February 2026
• Mentoring begins: 1st April 2026

Our Production Development Funds

The Radio and Music Indie Development Fund is part of our commitment to supporting the creative industries in all four nations and delivering the most distinctive content for audiences. Companies can also apply for the Small Indie Fund, TV and the Small Indie Fund, Digital. Find out more on the links below.