Film Hub South West (Watershed / BFI NETWORK) · Grant
BFI NETWORK — England Early Development Fund
£3,000–£5,000 for England-based debut feature writers to develop a treatment before first draft.
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About this scheme
The BFI NETWORK Early Development Fund supports writers based in England developing debut long-form fiction (feature, immersive or animation) before a first draft exists. Stage one awards £3,000–£5,000 for a treatment (up to ~10 pages) plus supporting materials.
Successful stage-one projects may apply for stage two (£8,000–£12,500) to complete a first draft. Writers must have at least one produced work with industry recognition (festival, broadcast, award, publication, etc.) but not yet a produced distributed feature.
Managed regionally — Film Hub South West at Watershed supports Bristol, Bath, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire and wider South West postcodes.
Eligibility
- Stages
- Development
- Formats
- Feature, Animation
- Experience
- Emerging
Deadlines
- Next round autumn 2026 November 2025 round closed — Watershed lists reopening autumn 2026