The Business of Impact Lab is a UK-wide development programme for emerging and established producers, delivered by Impact Together, the non-profit arm of Together Films, supported by BFI Creative Challenge Fund, awarding National Lottery funding.
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The Business of Impact Lab
The Business of Impact Lab is a UK-wide development programme for emerging and established producers, delivered by Impact Together, the non-profit arm of Together Films, supported by BFI Creative Challenge Fund, awarding National Lottery funding. The programme helps producers develop commercially and impact-viable scripted feature projects, equipping them with the tools, strategies, and industry connections to take their work from development to market while maximising social impact.
The Business of Impact Lab is a five-month development programme for 10 projects, and up to 20 UK-based producers (capped at two per project), designed to help emerging and established producers develop and pitch commercial and impactful business cases. The Lab offers a rare opportunity to sharpen commercial strategy while building rigorous, real-world impact framing.
Mia Bays, Director of the BFI Filmmaking Fund, said: “Designed specifically for producers developing scripted feature films, The Business of Impact Lab addresses a vital gap in the industry by deepening expertise in finance, impact strategy, and packaging – core disciplines that determine whether projects thrive or stall. By providing structured, high-level business support, the Lab equips participants not only to build an impact campaign framework aligned with mission-driven and commercial success, but to scale their creative visions with confidence. We look forward to the bold projects and innovative financing and release strategies that will emerge from this collaboration.”
The Lab: 10 bi-weekly online sessions exploring how to build impact into your film and campaign from the very beginning. From financing and contracting, to audience development and designing a robust impact strategy, participants will learn from industry experts how to shape projects for meaningful, measurable change.
The Pitch Day: A dedicated showcase where participants present their project and impact approach to a panel of industry leaders, funders, and potential partners. The Pitch Day offers a unique opportunity to build meaningful connections that can propel your film and its impact campaign forward.
Please see further details about the opportunity and the application process below. We look forward to receiving your application.
Contents of this page:
You can watch a recording of our information webinar below, and if you have any further questions about the application process or require further access assistance, please contact: thea@togetherfilms.org.
So, what do we mean by an impact film?
Think about films that have deeply moved you over the last few years, ones that have opened your eyes to issues you weren’t aware of, or sparked a conversation with your friends. Some examples we are inspired by include:
As you can see, these examples cover many themes, and narrative styles (covering drama, thriller, comedy and satire), with each leaving a lasting impression on the audience. We are open to all genres on this development programme, and any social or environmental issue that you feel is important in these times.
Duration: 5 months
Format: 10 virtual workshops, 2 in-person development days, and a final virtual wrap-up and feedback session
Time commitment: 2–4 hours per week for workshops, mentorship, and project development
The Lab addresses a common gap: many creative projects lack the strategic packaging, financial structuring, and cross-sector partnerships needed to move from development to production in these challenging times. The programme provides a structured, supportive environment to guide producers toward readiness and long-term resilience, especially when producing work that has an impactful intent. A major element of the development programme will be to offer insight and introductions to non-traditional financiers who may be interested in supporting the selected projects (who may come from philanthropic, foundation sources, or new equity partners)
Each project will be presented during a high-profile live pitch day to a curated room of decision-makers who actively support innovative, socially resonant scripted work. This includes industry leaders, financiers, philanthropic supporters, and distribution partners — providing a rare opportunity to advance your project.
Participants will receive one-to-one feedback and strategic guidance throughout the programme. By the end, each producer team will leave with a set of materials tailored to strengthen finance, packaging, distribution, and impact strategies, along with the confidence and connections to take their project to market.
Key outputs include:
The programme is aimed at emerging or established UK-based producers with at least one credited production who are developing a new scripted feature film project that is both commercially viable and socially relevant. Projects should have clear pathways to engage audiences, communities, or partners beyond the screen.
Participants will receive a fee for their time, and travel/accommodation subsidies are available for producers based outside London. We aim to make the programme as accessible as possible — please let us know if you have specific access, travel, or participation needs so we can support your full involvement.
The Business of Impact Lab is delivered by Together Films, supported by experts from sales, distribution, and philanthropy. Details of speakers, advisors, and further programme information will be updated on the website as they are confirmed.
Join us on Wednesday 10th December, 4pm UK for an information session to hear more about the programme contents for The Business of Impact Lab and the application process. Register here and submit any questions you might have ahead of time.
We expect participants to be able to commit in full to these dates.
Lab Schedule
Pitch & Wrap-Up
If you are unable to attend all of the dates of the virtual labs and the in-person pitch days, then, unfortunately, you do not qualify to participate.
The programme is supported by the BFI Creative Challenge Fund, awarding National Lottery funds, so there are no fees for participants. Successful applicants will receive a stipend of £1,425 in total for their time to participate in the programme, which is currently estimated to be 57 hours. In addition, travel and accommodation subsidies (up to a capped amount) will be available for producers not based in London.
The Business of Impact Lab is a UK-wide programme, designed to support producers from across the country through a largely virtual format, with two in-person development days in London. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and provide travel and accommodation subsidies for participants based outside London, a participant stipend for time spent on the Lab, and additional support for access needs such as BSL interpretation, live captioning or alternative-format materials.
We work with facilitators and guest contributors from underrepresented backgrounds and support participants to embed inclusion and equity within their own projects, from storytelling to campaign design. In line with the BFI Creative Challenge Fund, we are particularly keen to receive applications from people based outside London and the South East, those who have not previously received Lottery funding, disabled and neurodivergent people, Black people and people from the Global Majority, LGBTQIA+ people, and those from working-class or low-income backgrounds. The Lab prioritises projects that meaningfully engage with the BFI Diversity Standards and contribute to a more inclusive screen sector.
The deadline for applications is Friday, 2nd January, 2026 at 23:59.
If you have access needs (for example, Easy Read documents), would prefer to submit your proposal in a different format, or have any questions about the process, please email thea@togetherfilms.org.
Please note that Together Films will be closed from 25th December 2025 – 1st January 2026 for the festive break, so if you have questions or require access support, please get in touch before the 23rd December 2025.
Once you have submitted your application, you will be sent an email confirming that it has been received. If you have not received an email confirmation within two working days of your submission, please contact us.
We are unable to progress ineligible or incomplete applications. We aim to let you know the result of your application and if you’ve been invited to interview by Friday, 9th January 2026.
Together Films is an innovative strategy and sales company serving the international film community. We connect filmmakers, brands, and film festivals with audiences so their stories can be heard far and wide.
As leaders in the social impact entertainment space, we believe films can change lives and broaden perspectives. We amplify documentary and narrative films by finding the best audiences to spark conversation and inspire action.
A film does not exist until an audience sees it. We make that happen.
Projects should have a clear social relevance and identifiable pathways to engage audiences, communities, or partners beyond the screen.
Projects need to be in active development to be considered for this programme, but they must not have entered production. At the point of application, you must not have 100% of your film financing, but you may have raised some. If, during the process of the development programme, you secure your full financing, you may use the pitch forum to secure financial and partner commitments towards your impact and P&A costs.
No, but you should have some early-stage development financing (soft money, private investment, or self-funding) and an initial draft finance plan.
Yes, we require a script and a treatment/pitch deck at the application stage, but it’s important to note that due to capacity and potential volume of applications, we cannot guarantee we can read the entirety of the scripts submitted.
No, we are aiming for a mixed cohort to encourage peer-to-peer learning.
The Lab will support 10 projects, with up to 20 producers participating — typically two producers per project. This allows collaborators to work together on a shared project while benefiting from the full cohort experience.
Unfortunately, no. We ask participants to attend all dates so they can get the most out of the programme and to be fair to everyone applying.
No, this is a free opportunity. You will receive a stipend for your time on the programme. Travel and accommodation subsidies are also available for participants based outside London.
No, participation in this programme does not influence or improve the likelihood of a project receiving further funding from other BFI funds for later stages of development or production.
Yes, but we ask that producers own the rights to the project they are applying with.
No. The programme is designed for scripted feature films only.
No. Projects must be capable of qualifying as British at the point of completion. This can be achieved through any of the following routes:
You can read more information on British certification on the BFI website.
You can be a majority or minority co-producer on the title with additional territories as long as you fulfil one of the obligations above.
If you are selected for the programme, you will be paid for the contact hours spent on the development programme, which are currently estimated to be 57 hours. Your personal hours on the project may vary depending on the depth of development required.
This covers 10 virtual sessions as well as the 2 day intensive in London. You will be paid in instalments as set out in a formal agreement, which sets out the terms and conditions attached to the opportunity.
No. You must be based in the UK to apply for The Business of Impact.
If projects seeking to take part in a programme are already receiving development funding from the BFI or partner programme, we may require that they complete delivery of that stage of funding before they can take part in the programme. This will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis between the organisation delivering the programme and the BFI or partner.
If applicants to a programme have a project that has secured development funding from any source, it will need to be clear that the activity supported by participation in this BFI Creative Challenge-funded programme is entirely additional and not already funded through the existing development finance.
If you have any questions about the guidelines or applying
for The Business of Impact, please get in contact with us.
Thea Berry, Impact Strategy & Partnerships Manager