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Â鶹ԼÅÄ Pilot 2024 – Terms and Conditions of Entry

1. To be eligible to enter the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Writersroom Pilot opportunity 2024 you must meet the following criteria:             

a) You must be aged 18 years or over at the date of your submission. 

b) You must be a permanent/full time resident of the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Republic of Ireland. You do not need to have been born here, but you do need to have the right to work in the UK.

c) You must not be employed as part of the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Writersroom or a person connected to this scheme. 

d) You must have a literary agent AND/OR a 30-minute professional writing credit in either theatre, film, radio or tv. 

Proof of age, identity, residency and eligibility may be requested.  The Â鶹ԼÅÄ’s decision as to the eligibility of individual entrants will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. 

Entrants must submit no later than the closing date. 

**If you have specific access requirements then please contact writersroom@bbc.co.uk ahead of the deadline to discuss your application.** 

Please note: Once your script has been submitted you cannot upload a newer version. You will need to withdraw your submission completely and then resubmit it in its entirety if you wish to make any amendments ahead of the deadline.  

We recommend that you make a copy of your answers to the application questions before withdrawing your submission as your original answers will not be saved within the E-Submissions system. 

2. Entrants must submit:

a) A CV detailing your writing experience to date which includes contact details of your literary agent AND/OR your produced credit(s) for your own original writing in either Theatre, Radio, Film or Television (Television in a broadcast slot of at least 30 minutes, either for the Â鶹ԼÅÄ or in a commercial transmission).

b) An original Drama or Comedy/Drama spec script written for television at a minimum of 50 pages (excluding title pages or supporting material).  

• You must submit a complete script, not an extract of a longer project. Scripts will be read anonymously so please remove any personal details (name, address, contacts etc) from the front page of the script or within the document itself.

c) A completed one-page pitch outlining a potential series or serial idea, which is unconnected to your spec script, for a Â鶹ԼÅÄ channel.  

• If the submitted script and pitch have been through a development process with a production company, agent, training scheme etc. then this must be declared on the submission. 

• Writers should note that the logline, medium and genre entered on the E-Submissions system refers to the spec script and NOT the pitch. 

d) A paragraph on why you think taking part in Pilot 2024 would be beneficial for you at this stage of your writing career (250 words maximum).  

Your CV, spec script and one-page pitch must be submitted as separate PDFs each with a maximum file size of 10MB via the E-Submissions System only.    

Your application must be legibly typed and formatted. Entries must be written in English. If you submit any part of a script in another language you must also include your own translation of this into English.  For examples of scripts formatted for television visit the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Writersroom website.  

3. Further Guidance  

a) You may submit either individually or as part of a writing team of up to a maximum of 2 people. We do not accept scripts which are written by 3 or more writers.  If entering as a pair, both entrants must meet the entry requirements.   

b) Only one entry may be submitted by each writer, either as a solo writer or as part of a writing partnership.  

c) The Â鶹ԼÅÄ, as data controller, is responsible for handling personal data provided to the Â鶹ԼÅÄ, including in any contributions, in accordance with data protection law.  The Â鶹ԼÅÄ has a legitimate interest in using the personal data for journalistic, artistic and literary purposes and in the public interest and in using the personal data for the performance of the contract with the Â鶹ԼÅÄ. For more information visit: .  

d) All entries must be the original work of the entrant and must not infringe the rights of any other party. The Â鶹ԼÅÄ accepts no liability if entrants ignore these rules and entrants agree to fully indemnify the Â鶹ԼÅÄ against any claims by any third party arising from any breach of these rules.  

e) Â鶹ԼÅÄ Writersroom receives a high number of submissions, and similarities of subject matter often occur. We cannot undertake to compensate you if material similar to yours, received coincidentally from another source, is subsequently commissioned or produced. 

4. The following are ineligible and will not be considered: 

a) Entrants who have already had an original series or serial in development (beyond treatment stage) with the Â鶹ԼÅÄ or have had a previous original series or serial commission from a Â鶹ԼÅÄ channel.  Writers in development outside the Â鶹ԼÅÄ are eligible to apply. 

b) Spec scripts written for Theatre, Radio, Film or any other medium apart from television. 

c) Multiple submissions from an entrant.   

d) Extracts. Each script submitted must be a complete episode. 

e) DVDs, videos, CDs, audio tapes, or any video/audio material (whether it accompanies a script or otherwise). Any links to video/audio content will not be considered in the reading process. 

f) New scripts written for existing or previously produced shows and/or characters (for example scripts of Doctor Who, EastEnders, Sherlock or using characters from these shows).   

g) Short stories, novels, unpublished prose manuscripts, poetry or work you wish to have adapted into a script. 

h) Adaptations for broadcast of another writer’s idea (including adaptations of other writers’ novels). 

i) Comedy sketch shows and pure narrative comedy series or sitcoms.   

j) Any script which has been developed, created or generated using AI tools.   

5. Selection Process 

Entries will be judged and selected using the following process:  

Stage One – 10 Page Sift 

All eligible entries will be reviewed by a panel of professional experienced script readers, who will read at least the first ten pages of a script and assess and discuss the applications. 

Stage Two – 30 Page Sift 

Scripts which hook our reader’s attention will progress to a 30 page read by a second script reader, who will then consider if the script should proceed to Stage Three to be read in full by a third reader. 

Stage Three – Full Read and Pitch (Longlist) 

Scripts which reach the full read stage will be read by a third reader who will also consider the pitch document as part of the assessment.  Successful writers will then proceed to Stage Four. 

Stage Four (Shortlist) 

Between 25-30 longlisted writers will be invited to interview via video conference with the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Writersroom for a place on the shortlist in early 2024. 

Stage Five (Selection) 

From these interviews, around 15 writers will be selected for interview by the 10-12 participating Independent Production Companies and between 10 and 12 writers will be selected for the scheme. 

Screen Scotland may provide funding for up to 2 places on the scheme for Scotland-based/resident writers to be paired with Scottish-Registered Independent Production Companies. All candidates will remain subject to the Selection Process and criteria outlined above, and the Screen Scotland funding will only be utilised if there are a sufficient number of Scotland-based/registered applicants who meet the broader selection criteria outlined above.

Outcome 

Each of the final 10-12 writers will then be partnered with an Independent Production Company in late spring 2024. 

Writers will be commissioned to write a minimum of two drafts of a treatment and a minimum of three drafts of their original script within a 12 month period.  They will be paid a minimum script fee as agreed by the WGGB/PMA and the Â鶹ԼÅÄ on a favoured nations basis (currently £13,320 for 60 minutes).    

Entrants retain the copyright in their original ideas but on being selected the Â鶹ԼÅÄ will commission a script from the writer on its standard television/online script agreement (the terms are agreed with the Writers Guild and Professional Managers Association and is available on the WGGB website.   

6. Other need to knows 

a) The Â鶹ԼÅÄ reserves the right to disqualify any entry which breaches any of these terms and conditions.   

b) The Â鶹ԼÅÄ reserves the right to disqualify entries that are inconsistent with the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Editorial Policy Guidelines or which may bring the Â鶹ԼÅÄ into disrepute, including any entries which profit from criminal activity. 

c) Writers currently serving a term of imprisonment in the UK are ineligible for entry. Writers with unspent convictions must disclose details of such convictions in accordance with the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Writersroom Privacy Policy. /writersroom/opportunities/privacy-notice/ 

d)  Entrants must agree to take part in any post-scheme publicity if required. 

e) The Â鶹ԼÅÄ reserves the right to cancel or alter the scheme at any stage, including members of the judging panel if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside its control. In this event, a notice will be posted on the following website:   

f)  The Â鶹ԼÅÄ reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at any stage, including changing or substituting the selection process and the development opportunities. In this event, a notice will be posted on the following website:   /writersroom/ 

g) By applying for the scheme, entrants warrant that they have legal capacity to enter the scheme and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. 

h) The Â鶹ԼÅÄ’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 

i) These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales.