UK’s ScreenSkills has secured £1.6m of BFI National Lottery Good Cause funding to continue and expand its bursary programme over the next three years, broadening its support to cover opportunities in film exhibition, distribution and games.
ScreenSkills, the UK’s national training body for the screen sector, has worked with Independent Cinema Office (ICO), Film Distributors’ Association (FDA), UK Cinema Association (UKCA) and The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie) on developing its expanded bursary remit.
In the previous three-year funding cycle, a small number of awards to people working in exhibition were made, but there were no specific guidelines for applicants working in exhibition, and little engagement from this part of the sector, with no applicants from distribution.
The new programme represents a more deliberate expansion into exhibition and distribution, with both areas now specifically included in the application guidelines, with eligibility criteria that better reflects how experience is assessed across exhibition and distribution, rather than relying as heavily on production credits.
The funding runs from April 2026 to March 2029 and has been awarded by the BFI as part of its National Lottery Skills and Workforce Development programme. ScreenSkills will act as the BFI’s UK-wide delegate partner to distribute bursaries, building on their partnership during the previous three-year funding period.
The BFI funding is a slight increase on the £1.5m ScreenSkills received from 2023-26.
The bursaries provide financial support towards costs that can otherwise prevent people from accessing career development opportunities. This can include training, equipment and software, travel and accommodation and accessibility support.
In 2025-26, 619 bursaries worth £497,000 were supported, with 99% of recipients saying their bursary enabled them to access opportunities they otherwise could not afford, and 71% said it helped them remain working in the screen industries.
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