British Film Institute
Free to Apply
Closing: 18th November ’25
BFI NETWORK Early Development funding supports writers based in England in the early stages of development for debut long-form projects. Open to writers who have not yet written a feature film or immersive work that has been produced and received a UK distribution deal, the fund directly supports writers who do not yet have a first draft of a script (or equivalent format for immersive work) to produce an initial treatment outlining the story, characters, themes and structure along with related materials such as mood boards or visual content. The first stage supports long-form live-action, immersive and animation fiction projects with awards of £3,000 to £5,000 to develop a treatment. Writers can apply with or without a producer. Projects supported at treatment stage and completed to schedule can then apply for second stage funding to complete a first draft of the full feature-length screenplay or equivalent format for immersive work. National Lottery funding is available, and access support is available for those who need help with applications.