ScreenSkills invites training providers or industry professionals to tender for training designed to address skills shortages and gaps and to help build a more inclusive workforce in unscripted TV.
Training for the UK unscripted TV industry is supported by the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Fund (with contributions from productions companies, broadcasters and SVoDs in the UK).
Investment addresses the skills and development needs of unscripted TV, tackling skill gaps and shortages, and ensuring the robust growth of the sector is secured with a fully skilled and inclusive workforce. All priorities are endorsed by the industry led Unscripted TV Skills Council and Steering Group.
The Unscripted TV Skills Fund is looking for organisation(s) or individual(s) who can design and deliver training courses, events and masterclasses for development professionals.
Who can apply?
ScreenSkills welcomes applications from individuals, partnerships or organisations that have a proven track record of delivering successful industry-standard training projects. We particularly welcome applications from those based in the UK nations and regions, including partnerships between organisations and/or individuals with expertise in unscripted TV.
The successful applicant will need to demonstrate their understanding of Unscripted TV training requirements, including the diversity challenges facing the industry and must clearly demonstrate that they have the resources to track the career progression of participants beyond the life of the programme.
If applicants are already delivering similar training and can expand their offer to include the scope outlined below, they are also welcome to apply.
Applicants must:
- Demonstrate evidence of appropriate, recent engagement with the industry in the design and delivery of the programme
- Meet critical diversity aims as outlined in this tender, including:
- making reasonable adjustments to the training (whether face-to-face, content or online and including during the application process) to make it accessible to a diverse audience – we may ask for evidence of your approach and implementation
- having an equality policy in place as an employer
- providing diversity and inclusivity training to facilitators – (see free ACAS online training).
All ScreenSkills-funded training programmes are now required to use the ScreenSkills application system. Exceptions are made at ScreenSkills’ sole discretion and only in exceptional circumstances.
Key requirements
We are seeking creative responses from our training provider network to deliver a range of interventions to support the enhancement of development skills. The below is a non-exhaustive list of areas of interest:
· Online training sessions to support new skills for development professionals incl.
o Long form vs short form content development
o Podcasting
o Funding and how different sources impact development
o Expert speakers sharing their experiences of securing development funding and commissioning success
· Long form sizzles and how to deliver excellence
· Successful sizzle showcase
· Resilience for development teams
· Development for non-development teams
Training providers are asked to express their interest in delivering programmes which address some/all the above, including the projected cost from the total pot available. We also welcome other ideas for consideration.
We would like to see a consideration of AI and its impact covered in all training.
ScreenSkills’ Skills Checklists should be used if applicable when developing training content.
Participants must also complete ScreenSkills’ e-learning modules in tackling bullying and harassment, inclusive hiring, mental health awareness and unconscious bias.
We expect training to be completed by the end of March 2026.
Participant aims
Each intervention should be for a minimum number of participants based across the UK and this number will be set in consultation with ScreenSkills. Recruitment may target anyone working in unscripted TV development subject to the specific programme or activity.
The following are the minimum diversity aims for this programme:
- At least 68% of beneficiaries based outside London
- 50% female
- 30% social inclusion (based on parental occupation)
- 20% from a minority ethnic group
- 12% disabled
- 12% LGBT (sexual orientation and gender identity aim)
Providing access to diverse crew and talent is key to our delivery objectives. All trainers and companies delivering programmes that are funded by the Unscripted TV Skills Fund must make best efforts to meet the identified diversity requirements. ScreenSkills reserves the right to ask for evidence of this.
We expect training providers to ensure that sufficient, appropriate equipment is available to enable everyone to fully participate.
We require all Skills Fund-funded programme participants to set up a ScreenSkills profile via our website. Participants must complete their profile and diversity monitoring data before the training begins.
How to apply
At this stage we are requesting an expression of interest. After clicking the button below, training providers will be emailed by the USF team and asked to complete a brief document outlining the key aspects of the proposed programme, how the key requirements of the training sessions will be met, information about the company and the provider’s capacity to deliver training.
How much can you apply for?
We have a total funding pot of £140,000 for this activity.
All our funds are treated as grants and therefore are not applicable for VAT.
Deadlines
All expressions of interest should be sent directly to the Unscripted TV Skills Fund team via the 'register interest' button by Thursday 8 May.
Once you’ve clicked this button, a member of the unscripted team will then share with you a short form that must be completed and returned to USF@screenskills.com by no later than Sunday 11 May.
If you are successful in being shortlisted, you will be required to submit an online application form and a budget by Sunday 15 June. Applicants will be notified of a decision by w/c 14 July.
Other useful information
As part of your application, we will expect you to detail how you have, or will be, ensuring the training and any application process are accessible including, but not limited to, alternative application formats, marketing and the delivery of training.
We expect your budget to include a reasonable bursary allocation for delegates who risk being excluded due to costs including, but not limited to, travel and caring responsibilities.
If there is, or will be, a charge to the delegates for the training, we will also expect your budget to include a reasonable bursary allocation.
Please ensure that, where applicable, costs are shown in your budget inclusive of VAT. This also applies to any delegates fees you may charge.
If you would like to discuss any aspect of this tender, or your proposal, before submitting your application, please contact us at USF@screenskills.com.