Organisations can apply for support to enrich their collections, better represent the UK’s diverse communities and make screen heritage available to the public.

The BFI ’s National Lottery Funding Plan 2023-2026 allocates £7.9m of National Lottery funding over three years to the BFI National Lottery Screen Heritage Fund to help achieve these aims.

There are three funding strands:

  1. Resilience funding, for eligible applicants based in England
  2. Project funding, for eligible applicants based anywhere in the UK
  3. Skills funding – this strand will open in 2023

We can provide assistance to applicants who have access requirements and need some support in order to make an application. See Access support for BFI funding applicants .

Through investments made by the BFI National Lottery Screen Heritage Fund we want to see:

  • More people, from a wide and diverse range of backgrounds, engaging with their screen heritage.
  • Screen heritage collections becoming more reflective of the diverse communities of modern Britain.
  • An inclusive screen heritage sector workforce that is representative of our population.
  • A move towards reduction in the carbon emissions and broader ecological impacts of care for screen heritage collections.
  • Expanded outreach, and audience engagement including co-curation with local communities.
  • More resilient screen heritage organisations with clearly articulated, long-term plans for organisational sustainability and development.
  • Knowledge sharing and collaboration across archives and with broader cultural partners.
  • Strengthened capacity, resources and skillsets for collecting today’s moving image heritage.
  • Expanded ability to collect new moving image works (“contemporary collecting”).

When you can apply

Resilience Awards

Applications are now closed.

Project Awards

Applications open midday 6 February 2023

Applications close midday 24 April 2023

Read the fund guidelines in full before applying.

We will be holding a Diversity Standards workshop on Wednesday 8 March 10:00 to 11:00am. We strongly advise all eligible applicants submitting an application to attend this meeting. Please register your interest by emailing screenheritagefund@bfi.org.uk .

If you have any questions about the application, or would like to discuss your project in advance of submitting an application, please email: ScreenHeritageFund@bfi.org.uk

About BFI National Lottery Funding

Since the very first National Lottery draw in 1994, public support – raised directly through National Lottery ticket sales – has funded more than 670,000 projects, raising more than £46 billion for good causes.

As a recipient, it is important to publicly acknowledge the source of this funding throughout the lifespan of the project. Effectively communicating it is supported by BFI National Lottery funding ensures that those engaging with the work recognise the value and benefit of this unique Good Cause funding.

Therefore, if your application is successful, you will be responsible for prominently crediting BFI National Lottery funding and thanking National Lottery players.

As such, you are encouraged to ensure that elements of your project/s which have the potential to engage a broad public audience are capitalised on, in order to communicate this message. More details will be supplied once an award has been made.