Scottish indies invited to pitch factual

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BBC Three BBC Three is partnering with BBC Scotland and Screen Scotland in a new collaboration that will provide local companies with the opportunity to win a four-part commission. 


Scotland-based indies are invited to pitch innovative, factual entertainment format ideas that reflect the life experiences of 16-24 year-olds. 


Ideas that are lighthearted and will help young audiences to wind down are of particular interest, and narratives centred around positivity, humour and playfulness are key considerations, alongside the inclusion of diverse talent.


At the end of the process, there will be a guaranteed series commission, available on BBC Three (iPlayer) and BBC Scotland. 


David Smith, director at Screen Scotland, said: “It is great to see Screen Scotland’s strategic partnership with the BBC continue to drive new opportunities for production companies based here in Scotland. This joint initiative will deliver a new returning series for the BBC from Scotland, generating creative jobs and developing talent.”


Expressions of interest will be accepted from 1 July and 14 August 2020. The BBC teams will then begin a thorough selection process, prior to entering into a period of paid development and project scoping with up to eight indies. During this phase, BBC Three will actively engage with the shortlisted companies, sharing insights and knowledge to help strengthen idea development.


Successful submissions will be notified before 4 September 2020 and invited to pitch in front of a team of BBC commissioners in October 2020. After the pitching session, two indies will be shortlisted to receive further funding to produce a 20-minute to 30-minute broadcast quality pilot of their idea. 

BBC Three and BBC Scotland will then choose one of the pilots to take through to series (4 x 30min format) for the network, to be featured on BBC iPlayer and BBC Scotland’s channel.

Full details can be found here