Unscripted TV Skills Fund

The Unscripted TV Skills Fund went live on 1 June 2021. It will address skills gaps and shortages in unscripted television across the UK and build a bigger pool of off-screen crew and talent. Every producer making an unscripted TV programme commissioned by Sky will be expected to contribute. Sky will match the producer’s contribution to the fund. 

Production company contributions are deducted from the payment made from Sky and do not form part of the programme budget. Sky will deduct the production company contribution (0.125% of the Sky Licence Fee) from the final tranche of the cashflow schedule. Sky will collect the fund contribution and pay this together with Sky’s matching contribution directly to Screen Skills each quarter. 

So, for example, if the licence fee is £100,000, the payment made will be £99,875 (a deduction of £125). If a programme has multiple funders, the 0.25% contribution is proportionate to the budget share of Sky rather than the total budget. 

Any factual productions accessing tax credits and contributing to the HETV Skills Fund or Children’s TV Skills Fund will not be expected to also contribute to this fund. Any feature documentaries seeking the film tax credit and contributing to the Film Skills Fund are also excluded from the Unscripted TV Skills Fund.