BFI National Lottery Creative Challenge Fund

The BFI National Lottery Creative Challenge Fund is administered by the British Film Institute (BFI) with funding provided by the National Lottery.

The funding is intended to support UK-based organisations in designing and delivering creative project development programmes in feature film and narrative immersive media. These programmes should benefit participants and their projects by supporting writers, directors, producers and immersive artists.

The fund also tackles key industry challenges such as diversifying represented genres, creating opportunities for early‑career producers, and backing projects with strong potential for scale and audience impact in the UK and internationally. It aims to decentralise project development and strengthen the wider screen ecosystem by funding a range of interventions that reach underserved areas across the UK.

How Much Can You Apply for?

A total of £2.7 million is available over three years.

The amount of funding depends on the timeframe and ambition of the applicant's programme. Applicants can apply for between £12,000 and £150,000 for one edition (or call) for their programme, which should run for a maximum of 12 months. BFI can consider making awards for up to three editions of a programme at no more than £150,000 per edition.

Applications for awards over £200,000 will only be accepted for programmes which demonstrate exceptional project advancement, professional development of the participants, national profile and scale and are supported by a good range of partners. Awards over £200,000 will be rare, so BFI strongly advises that applicants discuss their project with the Creative Challenge Fund team before making an application for over this amount.

Who Can Apply

Applications are open to UK-based organisations that design and deliver creative project development programmes. Eligible applicants include production companies, film festivals, and other organisations with a track record in delivering professional or creative development initiatives. For-profit organisations can apply, provided the funded activity is not-for-profit. ​

Eligible organisations include limited companies, community interest companies (CICs), partnerships, local authorities, statutory bodies and registered charities or trusts.

Eligible Expenditure

Funding can be used for a wide range of eligible costs related to programme delivery. These include staff and freelance fees, participant payments, venue and equipment hire, travel and accommodation, creative practice sessions, mentoring, access needs, and reasonable overheads not already covered by other public funding.

How To Apply

Applications for Challenge One funding will be accepted during the following rounds:

• Round One: 12 January 2026 to 16 March 2026 (12:00) to support programme activity taking place between 9 July 2026 and 31 December 2026.

• Round Two: 13 July 2026 to 9 September 2026 (12:00) to support programme activity taking place between 1 January 2027 and 30 June 2027.

Guidance notes and application details can be found on the BFI website.

Documents & links

• BFI - National Lottery Creative Challenge Fund