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Creative Skillset
Film Skills Fund
Funding Programme for Sales and Distribution
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Junior management and leadership
Changing business models: cross-platform and rights options in the
changing digital landscape
Understanding distribution
Digital marketing and social media
Female leaders in distribution
Total fund: £300,000
Deadline: Noon, Thursday 11 June 2015
About the Creative Skillset Film Skills Fund
Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund is funded by the British Film Institute (BFI) with National Lottery
funds and through the Skills Investment Funds, which comprise industry and Government coinvestment.
The Film Skills Fund is part of the Film Skills Strategy, which addresses the vital skills and training
needs of the film industry to deliver maximum economic and cultural return: to create jobs,
strengthen skills, build skills for the future, and ensure world-class film education. Find out more
about the Film Skills Strategy.
Please read this Funding Programme in conjunction with the Creative Skillset Funding for
Organisations Guidelines. Please then call and discuss your project with Film Partnership
Manager Rebecca Davies before submitting your application – rebeccad@creativeskillset.org /
020 7713 9869.
Funding aims
This funding programme supports sales and distribution companies to develop and grow, to nurture
a diverse workforce, and to embrace digital opportunities.
As outlined by the BFI’s Film Forever Strategy 2012-17, the distribution of independent and
specialised films in the UK remains a predominantly high-risk activity. High advertising costs, fixed
windows, a declining DVD market, new platforms and changing consumer habits, and the Virtual
Print Fee mechanism present many challenges for small businesses in a fast-paced digital
environment.
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This fund is allocated over several strands, designed to address training needs in different areas:
1. Junior management and leadership
Total fund: £60,000
Through consultation with industry we have identified the ongoing need for structured junior
management support. We invite applications to deliver training to help junior distribution and sales
executives develop their potential at an early stage in their career. Training should include
management and leadership techniques, which can be contextualised in the distribution and/or
sales environment. Areas should include:
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High value negotiations - effective approaches and conflict techniques
Understanding personal strengths and weaknesses
Effective networking techniques
Performance management
Time management
Programmes should target distribution/sales executives with 1-2 years’ experience who have the
potential to grow.
2. Changing business models: cross-platform and rights options in the
changing digital landscape
Total fund: £60,000
Digital technologies and audience behaviour are providing opportunities and challenges for the film
sector, shaking up traditional business models.
We invite applications to deliver training in which digital rights experts in SVOD, VOD and streaming
services provide an overview of cross platform exploitation and emerging opportunities. These
may include experienced digital aggregators, digital rights or film lawyers, representatives from a
cross-section of established and emerging digital platforms, as well as recent case studies of
projects that have successfully exploited their IP.
This training should provide current market knowledge in cross-platform distribution, helping
distributors and content owners devise innovative release strategies that harness emerging digital
platforms to build their audiences.
Programmes should target distribution/sales executives with at least 2 years’ experience.
3. Understanding distribution
Total fund: £60,000
As junior professionals, or those in more senior positions that are new to the distribution sector,
start to develop their careers, it is essential to be able to contextualise distribution within the broader
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film value chain, as well as understand the dynamics and interdependencies between different
distribution outlets and processes, as well as new approaches.
We invite applications to deliver a programme targeting professionals with around 1-2 years’
experience in the distribution sector that provides an overview of the film industry and the
challenges and opportunities currently facing distributors, with the intention of equipping
participants with the skills and knowledge to do their current jobs more effectively, and an
understanding of how to navigate the sector that will help them plan more effectively for their next
career move.
Programme should target distribution executives with at least 2 years’ experience.
4. Digital marketing and social media
Total fund: £60,000
Pioneering digital marketing techniques can play a huge part in engaging a films core audience –
building awareness and anticipation and complementing other forms of a film campaign. We invite
applications to deliver training to help film business professionals develop and understand digital
tools, technologies and creative online approaches. Programmes might include:
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Consumer behaviour and audience strategy
Integrated campaigns – film and non-film case studies
Data capture and analysis
Legal and ethical issues
Digital design and coding
Programmes should target distribution and marketing executives
5. Female leaders in distribution
Total fund: £60,000
Our 2012 Film Census showed that only 20% of CEOs and directors working in distribution are
female, compared to 47% of the UK workforce.
We are looking to establish an initiative, or build on existing management initiatives that will recruit
around 8-10 female leaders who currently hold middle or senior management roles and who have
the potential and ambition to move into top level management positions.
Each participant should receive a bespoke package of support to identify their career ambitions
and provide them with a tailored programme that could comprise work placements, work
shadowing, mentoring or coaching to provide them with the confidence and capabilities to fasttrack into senior leadership positions.
Programmes should target female exhibition professionals in middle or senior management
roles.
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What should training look like?
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Structured training can include classroom based learning with active industry professionals,
mentoring, coaching, and on-line self-assessment;
Creative Skillset supports project-based training which replicates real industry practice;
Programmes which foster cross-sector relationships (i.e. train a mixed sales and distribution
cohort) are encouraged. However, sector specific schemes are also welcome to apply;
The Creative Skillset Film Skills Strategy complements the BFI Film Forever strategy, and
will prioritise support for applications which will help the UK film sales and distribution
sectors to grow through investing in new entrants and working professionals.
We welcome applications for two year agreements. You will need to apply with information
for year one only (see How to apply for full details).
Application criteria
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Applications must be made by organisations (not individuals) that have experience of
delivering successful industry-led training or can demonstrate how they will secure this
expertise;
Training must address our funding aims as identified above;
Training must be delivered by 31 March 2017;
Training should not duplicate what is already available in the UK and must offer value for
money;
Trainers and speakers must have a good track record in providing industry training;
Training must be available UK wide (this can be facilitated by regionally based training
and/or travel and accommodation bursaries via the project budget);
Who cannot apply to this fund?
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Individuals cannot apply under this fund. Find out more about support for your own training
needs.
Projects where outcomes are solely geared to the practices and business interests of a
single organisation will not be funded.
Your application
Applications will be assessed against the funding aims and application criteria set out in this
document and the Creative Skillset Funding for Organisations Guidelines.
Your application should detail how you will include the following key elements in your delivery:
Industry-led training
The training programmes we fund must be led by industry, be innovative and provide value for
money. We expect applications to demonstrate input from established industry professionals into
the training programme development.
Diversity
Creative Skillset is committed to improving the diversity of the film industry’s workforce to better
reflect the UK’s diverse population. We have set participant targets which are specific to this
funding programme. Please see below.
The Creative Skillset Census 2012 and Creative Media Workforce Survey 2010 provided the
following workforce statistics in gender, diversity and disability for the total workforce for film
production, distribution and sales, and exhibition.
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Gender – female representation is 46%, compared to 36% in the wider Creative Industries;
Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic representation is 4.5%, compared to 5.4% in the wider
Creative Industries;
6% of the workforce in film was identified as disabled, compared to 9% in the wider Creative
Industries.
Sector specific breakdowns:
Distribution, sales and marketing
 Female representation is a healthy 51% in this area of film, but there remains a strong
gender imbalance in leadership roles, with only 20% of strategic management roles held by
women;
 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic representation is a low 3.4%;
 Disability representation is less than 1%.
In order to make an impact on these figures we have set the following participant targets
which are specific to this fund:
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Female participants – 60% (Note that the female leaders in distribution programme
should recruit to 100%)
Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic participants – 20%
Disabled participants – 10%
Applications must demonstrate a commitment to reaching these targets. This should include
proactive policies, e.g. providing access provisions for disabled applicants, childcare subsidies,
travel subsidies etc.
Applicants will need to collect diversity data for all participants, including those who apply to take
part but are not successful.
Evaluation
It is essential that Creative Skillset is able to demonstrate the impact of its investment to promote
the depth, breadth and impact of training to the wider industry and to reinforce the benefit of
continuing to invest in the skills of the UK Creative Industries.
Evaluation of your training programme should be embedded throughout its delivery so that the
training can be improved upon throughout its lifetime. You must also plan for a dedicated evaluation
phase upon programme completion. You must detail how you intend to evaluate your training
clearly within your application, including the measures of success you will look for.
Impact and legacy
We expect supported training programmes to plan their legacy in order to extend accessibility and
impact. This could involve filming content to disseminate online, producing a report from the training
highlighting the learning outcomes, or encouraging participants to blog about their experiences so
that others can share their learning. You must detail your impact and legacy proposals clearly within
your application.
Sustainability
Creative Skillset is committed to supporting the environmental and economic sustainability of UK
film and works with its funded partners to raise awareness and standards across the sector. All
applicants for funding must evidence their own sustainability policy and demonstrate how they have
considered environmental and economic sustainability in the development of the proposed training
activity.
How to apply
All applications must be discussed with Film Partnership Manager Rebecca Davies before
being submitted. Please contact Rebecca on rebeccad@creativeskillset.org / 020 7713 9869.
Please note there is a high demand for our grants and funding is limited. Your application will be
assessed against the criteria set out in this Funding Programme. Creative Skillset reserves the
right to apply a portfolio approach to ensure the fair distribution of funds across industry, subject to
meeting the required quality threshold.
How much should you ask for?
The total fund available under each area is £60,000.
The amount you request should be the amount you need to deliver your project efficiently and
effectively. We pay close attention to value for money over all our programmes.
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We welcome applications for two year agreements. You will need to apply with information
for year one only. If you are also applying for one further iteration (for similar or progressive
activity), you will need to justify in the application form why this is important. Funding relating to
year two is subject to our funding agreement continuing with the BFI, our funders. Please also note
that an annual review will be undertaken for each year of funding. Should performance not meet
expected standards, Creative Skillset reserves the right to withdraw the funding for future year(s).
Please note: if you are registered for VAT, your figures should not include VAT that you can claim
back. If you are not registered for VAT, your costs should include VAT. Grants we make are
‘outside the scope’ of VAT (this means that they are not a business activity). They must be listed
in your accounts as a grant and not, for example, as a fee. You should seek financial advice from
your own accountant or the relevant tax office.
Partnership funding
We will not normally meet more than 70% of a project’s delivery, and may invest less. We therefore
expect you to find a minimum of 30% of the money you need from sources other than Creative
Skillset, such as partnership funding.
A minimum of 25% of your partnership funding must be cash. For example, if your project costs
£100,000 and you’re applying for a total of £70,000, the remaining £30,000 is your partnership
funding. Of that £30,000, at least £7,500 must be cash. As this is training for existing professionals
we expect participants to contribute towards their training and some if not all your cash partnership
funding will come from fees.
Risk assessment
Successful applications will be asked to identify their project’s financial and non-financial risks.
Please bear this in mind when making your application. Whilst not all risks can be mitigated, we
will ask you to provide details of how you will address any threats to the success of your project.
Using the online application form
Please apply using the online application form accessed by this link.
Once you have completed the online form you will be asked to attach the following completed
documents:
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Project and Budget Report template
The following should be attached as Microsoft Word documents:
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Detailed course outline and schedule;
Trainer/tutor CVs;
Company financial information. If you have submitted an application to Creative Skillset in
the last 12 months or would like clarification, please contact a member of the Fund Team
at the details below as we may not require further financial information.
When you have successfully submitted your application you will receive an automated email
confirmation. Please note that we cannot accept responsibility for any late or incomplete
applications and regret that these will be rejected.
Contact us
For more information on the application process or any queries, please contact:
Holly Mackavoy
Fund Co-ordinator
e: hollym@creativeskillset.org
t: 020 7713 9877
Key dates
Deadline for applications: Noon, Thursday 11 June 2015
Awards announcements: Week commencing Monday 27 July 2015
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