BBC opens dual-funded commissioning for Ulster-Scots content, YouTube digital series

BBC Northern Ireland is looking to expand its Ulster-Scots TV content portfolio and is opening a funded commissioning process for scripted drama, comedy-drama, single documentaries, factual and factual entertainment series.

Eddie Doyle

The BBC’s Belfast outpost is looking for pitches from indie prodcos with a substantive base in Northern Ireland, with funding jointly provided by BBC Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen’s Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund.

The plans were unveiled at the Belfast Media Festival this week.

BBC Northern Ireland is looking for proposals for 1×30′ docs for its True North strand, telling “bold and contemporary” stories about life in Northern Ireland through an Ulster-Scots lens. The broadcaster is also seeking new factual entertainment and factual series that appeal to linear TV audiences and those watching via iPlayer.

Indie prodcos should consider underserved audiences in their proposals for these genres, including younger people and working-class communities, the BBC said. Ideas for one-offs and series propositions for YouTube will also be considered.

Across both the True North and factual entertainment series commissions, indies should look for opportunities to showcase and develop new and emerging front-of-camera Ulster-Scots voices. BBC Northern Ireland also wants pitches for a one-off 1×30′ scripted drama or comedy-drama, themed around music and song, as part of a new development initiative.

Three projects will be selected for an initial funded development phase, with each receiving £10,000 (US$13,241) to support development, scripting and casting. One project will then be selected to receive a further £90,000 to produce the completed half-hour film in the summer of 2027. The selected film will be scheduled for transmission on BBC Northern Ireland in late 2027 and made available on BBC iPlayer.

BBC Northern Ireland will explore co-funding partnerships for projects that could attract support from other broadcasters with an interest in Ulster-Scots content, including RTÉ, TG4 and Virgin Media Television. The commissioning process is open now and submissions will be accepted until January 15, 2027. Details on how to submit proposals are on the BBC Northern Ireland Commissioning website.

Eddie Doyle, senior head of content commissioning at BBC Northern Ireland, said: “This is an amazing opportunity for indies in Northern Ireland to bring us fresh, creative ideas and new voices for Ulster-Scots content. We’re particularly excited about the new scripted development opportunity and I’m looking forward to seeing the proposals that come through for this.”

The BBC also launched its Digital Hot House development initiative at the Belfast Media Festival. It aims to commission new series from Northern Ireland indies for its new discussion and entertainment YouTube channels. The Digital Hot House hopes to help Northern Ireland-based indie prodcos move beyond one-off YouTube commissions into series commissions, including returnable formats.

The initiative will focus on two genres, with four companies selected to make content for the BBC’s new Showground (w/t) YouTube channel and four companies to make content for the new Perspectives (w/t) YouTube channel. Both channels target audiences aged 16 to 24.

Each of the eight companies will receive £10,000 in development funding from the BBC and Northern Ireland Screen. The deadline for submissions is December 4, with further details available on the BBC Northern Ireland Commissioning website.