BBC Three is partnering with BBC Scotland and Screen Scotland for a new collaboration that will provide local companies with the opportunity to win a four-part series commission.

For this particular partnership, independent production companies based in Scotland are invited to pitch innovative, factual entertainment format ideas that reflect the life experiences of 16-24 year olds.

Ideas that are lighthearted and will help young audiences to wind down are of particular interest, and narratives centred around positivity, humour and playfulness are key considerations, alongside the inclusion of diverse talent.

The aim of the partnership is to champion Scotland-based companies, strengthen the delivery of more formatted factual programmes from Scottish producers to BBC Three, and to reflect and promote local life experiences of 16-24 year olds on a local and national level via a guaranteed series commission that will be available to watch on both the BBC Three rail on BBC iPlayer and on BBC Scotland.

Fiona Campbell, Controller, BBC Three, says: “We’re really happy that BBC Three is joining forces with BBC Scotland and Screen Scotland for this collaboration. This, alongside our existing partnerships with BBC Northern Ireland and BBC England means we will be able to deliver on our strategy to highlight stories of young people from every corner of the UK and become even more inclusive.”

Steve Carson, Head of Multi-Platform Commissioning, BBC Scotland, says: “BBC Scotland is delighted to be partnering with BBC Three and Screen Scotland on this ambitious drive for new formats. It’s a great opportunity for the creative sector here to reach young audiences across the UK with innovative new ideas.”

David Smith, Director at Screen Scotland, adds: “It is great to see Screen Scotland’s strategic partnership with the BBC continue to drive new opportunities for production companies based here in Scotland. This joint initiative will deliver a new returning series for the BBC from Scotland, generating creative jobs and developing talent.”

Expressions of interest will be accepted from 1 July and 14 August 2020. The BBC teams will then begin a thorough selection process, prior to entering into a period of paid development and project scoping with up to eight indies. During this phase, BBC Three will actively engage with the shortlisted companies, sharing insights and knowledge to help strengthen idea development.

Successful submissions will be notified before 4 September 2020 and invited to pitch in front of a team of BBC commissioners in October 2020. After the pitching session, two indies will be shortlisted to receive further funding to produce a 20-minute to 30-minute broadcast quality pilot of their idea. BBC Three and BBC Scotland will then choose one of the pilots to take through to series (4x30min format) for the network, to be featured on BBC iPlayer and BBC Scotland’s channel.

The full commissioning brief, details on the partnership, how to apply, guidance on pitching, selection criteria and the timeline are available via the BBC Commissioning website.

As previously announced, BBC Three is committed to running at least one creative partnership in each Nation or Region as part of BBC Content’s package of activity to support the sector outside London during the current COVID-19 pandemic.