BBC Indie Funds to support 40 production companies across the UK in 2026

As part of the BBC’s commitment to supporting the grassroots of the creative industries in all four nations, we are announcing the 40 independent production companies that will receive support from the Small Indie Fund and the Radio & Music Indie Development Fund.

All companies will receive strategic investment from a total £1.3m pot, mentors from the commissioning teams, and a programme of introductions to wider BBC teams, to help them grow and develop their ideas and businesses.

And as announced yesterday, a further 4 companies will be supported by the Digital Accelerator – a bold new partnership between the BBC and North East Screen Industries (NESIP) designed to grow and strengthen the region’s digital production sector. With £600,000 total funding, the programme aims to fast-track the growth of digital-first content companies in the North East. The successful 4 companies will receive ongoing support from BBC and North East Screen teams, including mentorship, editorial and business guidance, to help them scale up and deliver high-impact, market-ready digital content.

David Pembrey, BBC Content’s Chief Operating Officer says: “Partnering with a wide range of UK independent production companies is essential in delivering a distinctive, authentic content offer for our audiences. All of these initiatives – which support content right across our platforms and genres – were highly competitive; and we’d like to thank everyone who expressed interest as well as congratulate the producers who have been successful.”

Launched in 2020, the Small Indie Fund supports the growth of small qualifying independent production companies from across the UK with turnovers below £10m across Film, Scripted, Unscripted and Children’s. This year we also opened an additional Digital opportunity for production companies and studios who are looking to develop digital media content across a range of genres and platforms.

29 companies (23 for TV & Film and 6 for Digital) will be supported through the fund and receive a total of c £1.1m. 83% of the companies are based in the Nations & Regions, and 79% have at least two individuals in key leadership roles who are from under-represented groups.

Chris Jones from Nice One, a recipient of the Small Indie Fund across the past 2 years says: “A far wiser person than me once said that ‘vision without funding is just a hallucination' - thanks to BBC Small Indie Funding for Comedy, Nice One’s ambition to become a trusted supplier for funny new comedy from Belfast is becoming a reality with a new BBC series commission, and we are so grateful for this priceless continuing support.”

Now in its fourth year, the BBC’s Radio & Music Indie Development Fund supports and champions indies who are based across the UK. The 11 successful recipients of the fund, worth £250,000 in total, are all based outside of London. The cohort is made up of indies that between them deliver speech and music content and each company will be supported by bespoke mentoring from a BBC commissioner for 12 months.

Nina Robinson from Birmingham-based indie Soundtruism, a recipient of this year’s BBC Radio Independent Development fund, says: “The BBC Radio Indie Development Fund is a valuable and much-needed fund, supporting independent creative businesses in the UK. Soundtruism look forward to extending our slate through mentorship and contact with commissioners in different parts of the organisation.”

Opportunities for Unscripted companies in Northern Ireland are being developed, building on the previous Hot House initiative.

Companies selected for the 2026 Small Indie Fund (Digital and TV & Film), Radio & Music Indie Development Fund and the North East Digital Accelerator

Northern Ireland

barry crerar Ltd (Small Indie Fund)

Fibin Films Small Indie Fund)

Nice One Productions (Small Indie Fund)

Slack Panda Productions (Radio & Music)

Walk On Air (Radio & Music)

Scotland

Bespoken (Radio & Music)

Compact Ltd (Small Indie Fund)

F22 Films (Small Indie Fund)

The Big Light (Radio & Music)

Unified (Small Indie Fund)

Whistledown Productions (Radio & Music)

Wales

Awkward Studios(Small Indie Fund - Digital)

Beastly Media (Small Indie Fund - Digital)

Bumpybox Ltd (Small Indie Fund)

Good Gate Media (Small Indie Fund)

Overcoat Media (Radio & Music)

Pixie (Small Indie Fund)

Triongl Cyf (Small Indie Fund)

Yeti Television (Small Indie Fund)

English Regions

Adventure Alliance Films – North East (Digital Accelerator)

Audio Always – North West (Radio & Music)

Button Down - Yorkshire and the Humber (Small Indie Fund - Digital)

Changing World Productions - West Midlands (Small Indie Fund)

Cosmosquare Films - Yorkshire and the Humber (Small Indie Fund)

Dice Roll Productions - West Midlands (Small Indie Fund)

FilmNova – North East (Digital Accelerator)

Full Fat Television- West Midlands (Small Indie Fund)

Hill 5.14 - East (Small Indie Fund)

Made in Manchester – North West (Radio & Music)

Northern Child – North East (Digital Accelerator)

Runt Films - North West/London (Small Indie Fund)

Salt Street Productions Ltd - Yorkshire and the Humber (Small Indie Fund)

Soundtruism – West Midlands (Radio & Music)

Square Pears – South East (Small Indie Fund)

The Resonate Agency - West Midlands (Radio & Music)

Unedited – West Midlands (Radio & Music)

Wall of Entertainment - South East (Small Indie Fund - Digital)

Wander Films – North East (Digital Accelerator)

Zandland - North West (Small Indie Fund - Digital)

London

Brown Bred Productions Ltd (Small Indie Fund - Digital)

Fowl Fight Productions Ltd (Small Indie Fund)

Juno Studios (Small Indie Fund)

Them Ones Studios (Small Indie Fund)

Three Tables Productions (Small Indie Fund)

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