Channel 4 unveils production companies to join Emerging Indies Fund

Leeds-based Channel 4 has revealed the independent production companies from across the UK which will benefit from its newly created Emerging Indie Fund.

The fund has been specifically designed to help small, new or emerging indies outside London break through key stages of growth.

Run annually, the fund will provide financial assistance to indies for slate development and offer mentoring sessions and expert advice from a variety of departments within Channel 4 including commercial affairs, legal and ad funded programming teams.

Indies which will benefit include York-based Button Down, as well as 10 other production companies elsewhere in the UK. Discretionary awards will also be made to five companies, including North Yorkshire-based Factual Fiction.

Channel 4’s head of commissioning management, Emma Hardy said: “It’s fantastic that such a wide range of indies from across the UK will benefit from our Emerging Indie Fund.

“The fund will provide practical guidance and support so these indies can grow into the next stage of their development and, in turn, boost the creative impact the Nations and Regions has on the broadcast industry.

“It is the element of both time with commissioning and financial support that we feel will make the biggest difference.

“Our ambition was to select an indie from each genre which would benefit from being part of the fund and our commissioning editors have played a vital role in identifying companies where we feel we can make most impact.

“Having chosen the emerging indies, we were so impressed by the quantity and quality of applications and talent, that together with Jo Street (head of daytime & head of hub Glasgow) and Sacha Mirzoeff (commissioning editor, factual & head of hub Bristol) we made five discretionary awards.”