Indielab opens applications for 2023 TV Accelerator

INDIELAB WELCOMES APPLICATIONS FOR 2023 TV ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME WITH SIX NEW BURSARY PLACES AVAILABLE

Indielab is opening its annual TV Accelerator programme once again to ambitious scripted and non-scripted British indies looking to capitalise on domestic and international opportunities and become the best they can be, both commercially and creatively.

Indielab will start welcoming applications for its 8th annual programme from existing UK early and mid-stage production companies wanting to take the next step from today 31st January until 17th of March. The fifteen successful applicants to the programme will be announced in early April,  ahead of the programme’ launch on 25th April 2023.  This year Indielab is delighted to welcome bursary places supported by Creative Scotland (3), and Sony Pictures TV (3) for regional or diverse indies meeting the relevant criteria.

“The content landscape continues to change, the route to production is increasingly more complex and the burden of navigating this path falls on the indie.” Said Victoria Powell, CEO of Indielab. “It’s an incredibly competitive market out there, and being creatively distinctive on a global stage, as well as commercially incredibly savvy are vital now.  Access to insight, support and connections to capitalise on this environment and build a stable, successful production business has never been more valuable.”

As any indie entrepreneur can tell you, launching a business is easy, the real challenge is growing your indie to profitability and sustaining it. A vital part of Indielab’s TV Accelerator is connecting indies to a network of partners and industry leaders in the screen sector chosen specifically to help bolster and drive forward growth for them.  Alongside the partners we introduce them to we also provide routes to and relationships with professionals who can help them really hone and develop their commercial and business skill sets, enabling them to tackle current sector specific issues, from strategy to sustainability, cashflow to communications, inclusion to investor readiness, deficit funding to distribution and beyond. Connections are provided alongside giving participants the tools to address the changing nature of content production, consumption and the ability to commercialise it effectively – whilst growing a healthy, inclusive creative business.

“Osprey Television was part of the Indielab 2022. For a new company, it was invaluable in providing us with the opportunity to meet commissioners from the broadcasters and streamers, as well as other influential industry leaders. It was a luxury to take time out of our busy schedules to focus solely on our company’s short and long-term growth, which was made easier by having the Indielab experts on hand to facilitate our strategy development. At the end of the programme, we had grown in confidence and had a clearer vision of who we are as a company.

Since the course, Osprey Television has been accepted onto the Channel 4 Emerging Indie fund Scheme and are currently working on a number of un-scripted programmes,

“Indielab put us in the right place, with the right people. We are looking forward to the future with a smile.” Said Chris Wood, Osprey Television, Indielab cohort 2022

The 2023 Indielab programme continues to be funded by our key partners, including the BBC’s Small Indie Fund, Channel4, and Creative Scotland, alongside international distributor Banijay Rights, Sony Pictures TV, Harbottle & Lewis LLP and Nyman Lisbon Paul.

Simon Cox, EVP Content & Acquisitions, Banijay Rights, said: “We are proud to have supported the Indielab TV Accelerator since 2017, and to continue our support into 2023. The ambition and creativity of the businesses selected for the programme always shines through, and our support allows us to invest in the next generation of British content creators, and to connecting with them at a crucial point in their growth. It’s fantastic that so many of the previous cohorts have gone on to build impressive companies that make great commercial content, and that Indielab has played a small part in their success.”

As in previous years, Indielab’s 2023 TV Accelerator cohort will be selected from scripted and non-scripted producers, male and female-owned businesses and will have a minimum of 50% of the participants from the UK’s nations and regions, in line with the programme’s mission to help nurture diversity and sustainable production hubs outside of London.