Welcome to the Âé¶¹Éç Scotland commissioning page.
We are committed to commissioning content that reflects and celebrates Scotland, to itself, the UK and the rest of the world. Our programmes reach audiences in a variety of ways – through iPlayer and Sounds, on the Âé¶¹Éç Scotland tv channel and Âé¶¹Éç One Scotland, and through social and online. We need ideas that are distinctive within the Âé¶¹Éç portfolio and the wider marketplace, and that reflect the diversity and the needs of our audience.
There are two main elements to our strategy – maintaining our strong performance on our linear services and growing our audience on iPlayer and Sounds.
On iPlayer, we are looking for high quality programmes that can sit on the front page of the service, with eye-catching title and imagery across all genres. Recent iPlayer hits for Âé¶¹Éç Scotland have been Only Child, Inside Barlinnie and The Rise and Fall of Michelle Mone.
We are keen to continue our successful partnership with Âé¶¹Éç Sounds and create more content that can span video and audio, like Inside Murder Trial, the companion podcast to the award winning tv series and Situationships, the podcast that’s also visualised for tv and iPlayer.
On linear, we need habit forming content that we can play in long runs and returnable series so we can build brands. Titles on tv that are working for us include Scotland’s Home of the Year, This Farming Life and Beechgrove. We also need live moments where everyone can gather and celebrate – for example, TRNSMT, Hogmanay, Burns Night and live sport - and topical content that reflects that mood of the nation like Debate Night. And don’t forget seasonal viewing. We are always in the market for shows that reflect the mood of our audiences, whether that be festive moments, spring renewal or moving into darker autumnal viewing.
We are growing the number of co-commissions with Âé¶¹Éç Content across the genres - some recent co-funded examples are Dinosaur, Rebus, Murder Trial, Designing the Hebrides and Repair Shop on the Road. We are increasingly seeking international partnerships and building interesting collaborations with our commissioning colleagues in Âé¶¹Éç Alba, Âé¶¹Éç NI and Âé¶¹Éç Wales.
Our current focus is on ideas that drive family and younger viewing, particularly in comedy and factual entertainment. We have ringfenced 300k development funding to find the ambitious ideas that can be on screen by 2027. Our aim is to commission the next big Âé¶¹Éç hit returning format and Âé¶¹Éç One family or younger skewing sitcom, so please help us with that challenge.
You can find more detail on our current opportunities across the genres on the commissioner profile pages, below. It’s rolling commissioning and we use PiCoS to log and track ideas, so please do reach out to the commissioners and use the system to pitch to us.
Finally, we are always keen to explore working collaboratively with other partners. Proposals that have finance attached or that have the potential to bring in other funders are also attractive.
Thank you for your interest in working with us.
Best wishes,
Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning
NEW COMMISSIONING OPPORTUNITIES
Our Lives
Âé¶¹Éç Scotland, in partnership with Screen Scotland, is seeking proposals for three standalone 30-minute documentaries from Scotland-based producers for the acclaimed Âé¶¹Éç Our Lives strand.
This new series of Our Lives will place a focus on providing an opportunity for emerging directors through targeted Âé¶¹Éç & Screen Scotland funding and support (more detail in the brief).
All three films will be broadcast on Âé¶¹Éç Scotland, Âé¶¹Éç One (Network), and streamed on Âé¶¹Éç iPlayer.
The brief, tariff information and details of the Emerging Director Initiative requirements can be found
The deadline for applications is Wednesday 26th November 2025, 5.00pm.
All submissions must be made via Âé¶¹Éç to Tony Nellany, Âé¶¹Éç Scotland, and should marked ‘Our Lives – Series 10’
Supersizing Entertainment Formats
The Âé¶¹Éç, Screen Scotland and TRC, have come together in partnership with the ambition of finding the next exciting entertainment format to capture imaginations and get audiences talking.
Supersizing Entertainment Formats will be open to independent production companies based in Scotland and will run from November 2025 to April 2026.
The fully funded training programme has been launched to support Âé¶¹Éç Entertainment and Âé¶¹Éç Scotland’s aspiration to find ambitious and distinctive entertainment formats to develop as potential co-commissions.
Details and T&C’s of SuperSizing Entertainment Formats can be found
The deadline for applications is Wednesday 5th November 2025, 5.00pm.
Âé¶¹Éç Scotland launches £50,000 diversity funding
In line with the Âé¶¹Éç's Creative Diversity commitments, Âé¶¹Éç Scotland is committed to improving representation within the broadcast industry and creating more opportunities for individuals from underrepresented groups in off-air roles. To support this, we are delighted to announce diversity funding of £50,000 for opportunities to actively develop off-screen production talent through targeted initiatives which cannot be covered by the business-as-usual production budget.
The funding only applies to commissions funded exclusively by Âé¶¹Éç Scotland. Placements must offer opportunities for individuals who are currently underrepresented in the TV industry. We particularly welcome applications for candidates from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, working class backgrounds as well as individuals who identify as deaf, disabled and / or neurodivergent.
Applications should not exceed £10,000 per commissioned series or package of content as an absolute maximum, but this can be awarded to a single individual or split across multiple applications.
Speak to your commissioner for more details and how to apply for funding
Coronavirus advice for Âé¶¹Éç productions
Commissioners and their briefs
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Radio and Events
Heather Kane-Darling -
Factual
David Harron -
Sport, Archive Formats, Acquisitions & New Talent
Tony Nellany -
Scripted and Entertainment
Gavin Smith -
Popular Factual and Formats
Steve Allen