ScreenSkills bursaries: apply for funding to progress your career

Bursaries is now closed for applications as planned, to allow for updates to the site. It will reopen at midnight on 10 April.
If you have any questions in the meantime, please get in touch with the bursary team at bursaries@screenskills.com

ScreenSkills bursaries are designed to provide financial assistance to those looking to enter, progress in, return to, or transfer into the screen industries. Our ambition is to ensure that the industry has access now, and in the future, to the skills and talent it needs for continued success by helping to unlock opportunities across all types of screen work. Supporting an individual with a bursary to develop their career helps the screen industries to respond to skills gaps and priority shortage areas. We welcome applications from people in groups under-represented in the industry.

Bursaries are supported by the BFI, awarding National Lottery funds, by industry contributions to the Film, HETV and Children’s TV Skills Funds and through money from the Television Skills Fund targeted at improving diversity and inclusivity. Despite the various funding sources, we have created one route to accessing bursaries in order to make the application process as straightforward as possible.

Every bursary application will be assessed by a senior manager at the final stage. We aim to offer funding wherever possible, but we cannot promise that all applications will be successful due to limited funding and skills shortage priorities.

Click here to read the full bursary guidelines which you will need to complete your application.

You can only apply for a bursary if you can confirm that all the following statements are accurate:

• I am eligible to work in the UK 
• I have a UK bank account
• I am 18 years old or above 
• I currently work in the UK screen industries or I can demonstrate my intention to work in the UK screen industries

You can apply for money to pay for most things that relate to training, work and work-related activities, including training fees, accommodation, care, disability access costs, equipment, software, travel and (for people already working in the industry) driving lessons. But bursaries cannot pay fees relating to undergraduate or postgraduate study or things that should be paid for by an employer. (See the guidelines for full list)

How to apply

Click here to read the full bursary guidelines to assist you with your application.

Before applying for a bursary please make sure you can confirm that all the following statements are accurate:

• I have read the guidelines and identified my career stage (Entry, Early, Experienced or Expert)
• I have checked the funding level for my identified career stage
• I have checked the allowance rates (see the allowance grid on page 8  in the guidelines) 
• I have a copy of my CV, proof of ID and a UK bank account, and a 500-word personal statement
• I have evidence of my career stage as outlined in the guidelines, e.g. letters of recommendation
• I have the information needed for the help I want, (e.g. if I'm applying for accommodation, I have evidence of distance from home)

If you have any questions not answered in the guidelines, or if you need any help, contact bursaries@screenskills.com

When you have completed the application form and attached your supporting documents you should click on the ‘submit’ button. Your application will not be submitted to ScreenSkills for assessment until you have clicked ‘submit’.

Applications are assessed by the ScreenSkills bursary team and senior managers. It will take up to a month for us to reach a decision on your application. We may need to ask you for additional information, so the time we take to make a decision may also be affected by the time it takes you to respond to any requests for further information. Please bear in mind that, to ensure equality of opportunity, we cannot speed up the assessment process in any individual case. We recommend that when you’re planning your application you allow at least six weeks between when your application is submitted and when you would need to use the bursary funding. If your application is successful, you will receive an offer e-mail with a letter outlining the offer and our terms and conditions.  You need to accept the offer formally before funds are paid.

Frequently asked questions

• I don’t know what career stage I am at, what should I put in my application? 
  Please select the category you feel is most appropriate. If our assessors believe you are at a different stage, we can alter this during the assessment. We don’t reject applications because an inappropriate/incorrect career stage has been selected. Please see the bursary guidelines for more information about career stages.
• I’ve submitted my application, but don’t know if you’ve received it? 
  If you do not see an on-screen notification that tells you that your application was successfully submitted, please contact support@screenskills.com
• When will I hear back about my application?
  Applications are assessed over the course of a calendar month. If we don’t need to request any additional information, we will process your application and be in touch after approximately a month with a decision. If you didn’t provide us all the information we requested, we will get in touch as soon as possible to ask for the missing information. This will delay our overall decision on your bursary because we are unable to assess your application while we wait for your response.
• My course is happening next week, I can’t wait a month for your decision what should I do?
  ScreenSkills does not accept liability for your costs should you decide to attend a course or purchase equipment before we have informed you of our decision.
• Can I get funding for a course I have already attended/equipment I have already purchased?
  No, we do not fund retroactive applications.
• When will I get my money?
  If you have received a bursary offer from us all details will be in your offer letter. When you have met all the conditions outlined in your offer, it will take at least 10 working days for the funds to reach your account.