CBeebies’ Sarah and Duck and BBC1 dramas Death Comes To Pemberley and Remember Me are among the first projects to be guaranteed a tax break by the BFI.

The film body has begun issuing the full certificates for Animation and High End Television projects on behalf of the DCMS. The certificates can be used by producers to apply for tax relief on production spend incurred since 1 April.

In April, Broadcast revealed that Tony Jordan’s six-part crime drama By Any Means would be among the first to qualify and it is among the projects the BFI has certified.

The Red Planet-produced series will be joined by Origin Pictures’ three-part Jane Austen-inspired mystery and Mammoth Screen’s three-parter, Remember Me.

In June, Broadcast reported that Famous Flying Films and Mackinnon & Saunders’ series for CBeebies, would also qualify for around £600,000 of relief. The BFI has confirmed that the stop motion comedy and the second series of Karrot Entertainment’s Sarah and Duck, also for CBeebies, have each been sent full guarantees.  

Creative industries minister Ed Vaizey said issuing the first certificates was a significant moment.

“This is another landmark in the Government’s continued commitment to supporting the creative industries, a sector that continues to make an important contribution to economic growth and help bolster our position in the global race,” he said.

Red Planet production executive Alex Jones added: “The tax credits are an important step towards helping ambitious independent production companies like Red Planet close the finance on projects here in Britain without having to leave the country to save money.”

Since the application process began in April, the BFI has revealed it has sent out more than 30 ‘comfort letters’ to indies which needed assurance they would qualify for a tax break to secure further funds, while the legislative process is underway.  

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