ScreenSkills invites training providers or industry professionals to tender for a new training programme designed to address skills shortages and gaps and to help build a more inclusive workforce in film, unscripted and unscripted high-end TV.
Training for the UK high-end TV, unscripted and film industry is supported by the ScreenSkills High-end TV Skills Fund, Unscripted TV Skills Fund and Film Skills Fund (with contributions from productions companies, broadcasters and SVoDs in the UK).
The High-end TV, Unscripted and Film Skills Funds are looking for an organisation or individual/s who can design and run a training programme for 40 non VFX professionals working in unscripted high-end TV, 20 working in film and 20 working in unscripted.
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 providers based in the UK nations and regions, including partnerships between organisations and/or in partnership with freelancers who have worked in VFX roles in the industry.
The successful applicant will need to demonstrate their understanding of all of the 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 welcomed 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 will ask for evidence of your approach and implementation.
- having an equality policy in place as an employer
- having a monitoring system in place to track the diversity of the delegates, see the Monitoring diversity and inclusion - ScreenSkills
- providing diversity and inclusivity training to facilitators – (see free ACAS online training).
- gather long-term destination data from the delegates to prove impact of training utilising the ScreenSkills monitoring questionnaire.
- develop a clear structure for the training, ensuring that it is outcome focused.
- discuss and agree with those taking part in the programme that they will provide feedback on the training if requested which could include providing ScreenSkills with a quote on their experience of the training.
Key requirements
The applicant must design, manage, market, recruit and deliver four online VFX courses in groups of 20 for a total of 80 participants: 40 working in HETV unscripted, 20 in film and 20 in unscripted.
The course should be delivered as four sessions, two for HETV, one for unscripted and one for film covering production management and editorial training and should include:
- How VFX companies are organised – who the teams are and how they interact
- Creative pipeline/ VFX workflow and how it interacts with the shoot and edit schedules
- Budgeting and scheduling
- Aligning editorial ambition/ expectations with budgets
- Case studies
The training for the unscripted session should include:
- Specific unscripted examples
- Cover high-end and below tax-credit thresholds - particularly when looking at budgets
The HETV Skills Fund is interested in hearing interpretations of how this programme can be delivered and encourage applicants to recommend further topic areas to enhance this training. The ScreenSkills’ skills checklists may be helpful.
We expect that this training and any related events should be delivered by no later than 1 March 2026.
Participant aims
The training should be for a minimum of 80 non VFX professionals based across the UK- 40 working in HETV unscripted, 20 working in film and 20 in unscripted in the following roles:
- Production managers
- Line producers
- Producers
- Showrunners
The following are the minimum diversity aims for this programme:
- 40%-60% of beneficiaries based outside London
- 10-30% from a minority ethnic group (ethnicity aim)
- 45-55% women (gender aim)
- 12-20% disability (disability aim)
- 25-40% lower socioeconomic background (social inclusion aim)
ScreenSkills aims to go beyond legal diversity requirements and considers additional measures of inclusivity, including:
- employment status
- whether a person is returning to work following leave
- geographical location (including representation of nations and regions)
- socio-economic background
Providing access to diverse crew and talent is key to our delivery objectives. All trainers and companies delivering programmes that are funded by the High-end TV, Unscripted and Film Skills Funds must meet the identified diversity requirements. If they fail to do so, they must show robust evidence of why a target has not been met.
We require all Skills Fund-funded programme participants to set up a ScreenSkills profile via our website which allows us to gather data and track beneficiaries.
Participants must complete their profile and diversity data before the training begins.
How to apply
At this stage we are requesting an expression of interest. Please complete this 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.
If you have access requirements and would like an alternative way to submit your application, or would like any support in completing the expression of interest form, please email jacqui.tauntonfenton@screenskills.com who will be happy to help.
How much can you apply for?
We are looking for bids of up to £20,000
All our funds are treated as grants and therefore are not applicable for VAT.
Deadlines
Please save your completed form with this naming convention: ‘EOI – Film, Unscripted and HETV Unscripted VFX Management Programme'
All expressions of interest should be sent directly to the jacqui.tauntonfenton@screenskills.com by 8 September 2025
If you are successful in being shortlisted, you will be required to submit an online application form and a budget.
Other useful information
If you progress to full application, we will expect you to detail your plans for ensuring the programme and application process are accessible including, but not limited to, alternative application formats, marketing and the delivery of training.
As part of accessibility, 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.
Please ensure that, where applicable, costs are shown in your budget inclusive of VAT.
If you would like to discuss any aspect of this tender, or your proposal, before submitting your Expression of Interest, please contact jacqui.tauntonfenton@screenskills.com