Boris backs London indie fund

Victoria Powell outside London’s City Hall

Former TV producer Victoria Powell has teamed up with London mayor Boris Johnson to launch an accelerator programme for independent production companies.

The Indielab scheme will offer executives from up to 15 indies training and advice in order to scale their businesses. Producers will be invited to pitch for up to £2m (US$3.1m) of private equity per company.

The three-month initiative will run between March and May next year, with the application process opening in January.

As well as funding from the mayor’s London Enterprise Panel, Creative Skillset has backed the project through its Skills Investment Fund.

To be eligible, indies must be based in London with up to £5m turnover and must currently be producing programming for UK broadcasters.

In 2004, Powell co-founded V Good, which produced Channel 4’s drama doc Tony Blair Rock Star.