BFI Film Academy open call for delivery partners
The BFI Film Academy Courses programme is part of the BFI’s Skills and Workforce Development strategy. It aims to provide opportunities for talented and committed young people between the ages of 16–19 to develop new skills and build careers in the screen industries, regardless of their background, previous educational achievement, or personal circumstances, with a focus on those from underrepresented groups in the industry. Courses must be led by industry experts and cover key areas of the screen industries, enabling young people to develop crucial commercial and cultural knowledge and skills to make those first steps towards a career in the screen industries.
BFI Film Academy Courses are supported by the Department for Education in England, National Lottery funding awarded by the BFI, with up to £1,052,250 allocated for 2024-25 to deliver 12 regional or national BFI Film Academy Shorts Courses, and up to £640,000 allocated for 2024-25 to deliver eight BFI Film Academy Specialist Courses.
Read more about the BFI Film Academy here.
Key fund dates
| Application launch date | Tuesday 5 March 2024 |
| BFI Film Academy open call funding webinar | 2pm Wednesday 20 March 2024 |
| Application closing date | Midday on Friday 3 May 2024 |
| Decision and offer of funding for Short Courses | Week commencing Monday 10 June 2024 |
| Decision and offer of funding for Specialist Courses | Week commencing Monday 1 July 2024 |
| BFI Film Academy Short Course commences | From September 2024 |
| BFI Film Academy Specialist Course commences | From February 2025 |
What you can apply for
- For Short Courses, partners can apply for up to £91,500 per region.
- For Specialist Courses, partners can apply for up to £80,000 per course.
- See the fund guidelines for a detailed breakdown of what you can use the funding for.
What you need to provide
A full list of what you need to provide can be found in the fund guidelines for each course.
Apply for funding
Read the full guidelines for the course you’d like to deliver below. You can apply using the application link in the guidelines:
- Making an application to deliver a BFI Film Academy Short Course
- Making an application to deliver a BFI Film Academy Specialist Course