How to apply for a Screen Bursary
Screen Bursaries are money grants for you to spend on training. You'll get up to a maximum of £800 if you are a freelancer and up to a maximum of £500 if you are in permanent employment.
During 2009/10 Skillset will invest up to £250,000 in Screen Bursaries, supporting a minimum of 250 people working in the Film, TV and audio visual Archive sectors.
Due to an unprecedented high volume of applications the Screen Bursary Scheme has been closed for the Film and TV sectors for the remainder of this financial year.
Screen Bursaries are still open to those working in the Archive sector and those applying for Qualification (NVQ) funding - see below for eligibility details and to apply.
Other Bursaries are available, including Multiplatform Bursaries - return to our Bursaries section for more information.
Information on applying for funding for a Qualification can be found in the Screen Bursaries guidelines below.
Screen Bursaries Guidelines 2009
New online application process - Apply here
The new online form takes you through the application step by step, and should not take more than 20 minutes to complete. The the new system allows you to fill in the form in one go or save it and come back to it when you're ready.
Step 1 - Before you access the online application form, make sure you have the following information available:
- The name of your chosen training course/s or qualification;
- The name and address of the training provider;
- The cost of the training and any additional travel and accommodation costs if you are eligible to claim them; and
- The dates of your training.
Step 2 - Accessing the online application form
Step 3 - Complete the Eligibility Quiz. This is the first page of the application, a choice quiz against the Screen Bursaries eligibility criteria. Once you've succesfully completed the quiz you'll be able to progress on to the rest of the application.
If you fail this test you will be directed to a Skillset webpage which will give you information on alternative sources of funding. If you have failed the test but think you are eligible for a bursary please call Hal Sinden, the Film Fund & Bursaries Administrator, on 020 7713 9888, and he will be able to advise you.
Step 4 - Complete the rest of the application form, following the advice of the Screen Bursaries Guidelines 2009. Once you have reached the last page of the form and are ready to review and submit your application you must press the "review & submit" icon on your screen. This will open a draft copy of your application, for you to review with ease.
Step 5 - Once you are happy with this you can then press "Submit". Until you do this, your application has not been submitted to Skillset to be assessed. You will then receive an automated "receipt of application" email with a tracking number that you should quote from here on in any correspondence about your application.
Step 6 - Reply to the automated email providing the following documentation:
- A copy of your CV demonstrating your professional experience in the film, television and/or audio visual archives industries.
- Confirmation of your place on your chosen training course or qualification, and the cost of the training. (This can be in the form of an email or letter from the training provider).
- A copy of the training programme (this can be a link to the training provider's web page for the training programme or online prospectus).
Please note that Skillset will not start assessing your application until this additional information has been received, and this date will count as the day of submission. You may also provide the additional documents as hard copies on the post for Hal Sinden's attention to Skillset's address.
Accessing incomplete or previous applications
Should you wish to log out once you have started to fill in your form, you will be asked to create a Skillset Application Account. To do this we simply ask for your name and email address. This means you won't need to complete your application in one session; i.e. you save and come back to it when you are ready.
Return to an unfinished application or review previous applications
The Skillset Application Account will also enable you to look at previous online applications you have made, which may come in useful when you apply for a bursary in the future.
What happens next?
Please refer to the final page of the Screen Bursaries Guidelines to find out what to expect during the assesment process.
If your application is successful you will receive an offer letter outlining the terms and conditions of your grant. You must sign the acceptance of this offer and return it to us within two weeks of the date the offer is made to you. Offers not accepted within that two weeks period will be withdrawn.
The payment will be split in two instalments: 80% for the first payment and 20% for the second. The first payment of 80% is paid once we receive your signed offer letter and bank details.
In order to claim the final 20% of your grant you will need to complete and send the evaluation report available for download below. Please save it to your computer before completing it electronically.
If your application is not successful, you will receive a letter informing you of this and the reason(s) why.
If you have any problems downloading any of the above documents or would like more details on the scheme, please contact Hal Sinden at hals@skillset.org
If your computer has the relevant software, click the document icons or document titles to view the relevant document. Right-click (PC) or hold your mouse-button down (Mac) on the document icon/title, you'll be given the option to save the file to disk. If you don't have the necessary software to view the documents, take the above links to download free reader programs.