Pilot 2027/28 - Terms and Conditions of Entry

1. Eligibility

To be eligible to enter the BBC Writers Pilot Programme 2027/28 you must meet the following criteria: 

a) You must identify as deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent. 

b) You must be at least 18 years of age or over at the date of your submission. 

c) You must be a permanent/full time resident of the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Republic of Ireland. You do not need to have been born here, but you do need to have an existing right to work in the UK.

d) You must not be employed as part of BBC Writers or as BBC staff in a Scripted team in BBC Public Service (including Drama and Comedy Commissioning and BBC Film) or a person connected to this scheme. 

e) You must have a literary agent AND/OR a drama or comedy/drama writing credit on one of the following:

• A television credit for a 30-minute broadcast slot.  
• At least 3 short films amounting to a combined total duration of 30 minutes or more. Each short film must have received a TV/Streamer broadcast or have been played at a BAFTA qualifying festival.
• A feature film produced and distributed within the UK.
• A commissioned audio drama of 30 minutes or longer.
• A professional theatre production of 30 minutes or longer with a cast consisting of two actors or more. The production must have been for a commercial theatre and/or company; or a company or venue funded or part-funded by a government or local government body or arts council.

OR You have completed one of the three iterations of the BBC Writers Access Group for deaf, disabled, and/or neurodivergent writers.  

Your writing credit and/or your representation MUST be evidenced by a link to at least one of the following: 

• IMDb page
• Agent’s website
• Theatre website

If you cannot supply any of the above evidence, a pdf document showing confirmation from your venue or production company should be obtained and included as part of your submission via the E-Submissions system.

The onus is on the writer to provide clear evidence to support their eligibility.

Proof of age, identity, residency and eligibility may be requested at a later date. The BBC’s decision as to the eligibility of individual applicants will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. 

2. How to apply

The Application window opens at 12 noon on Tuesday 7 July 2026. Writers must submit their application no later than the closing date of 12 noon on Tuesday 4 August 2026. Submissions received after the closing time will not be considered.

Applicants must submit: 

a) Evidence detailing your writing experience to date which includes contact details of your literary agent AND/OR your produced credit(s) for your own original writing in either Theatre, Radio, Film or Television.

b) An original Drama or Comedy/Drama spec' script written for television at a minimum of 50 full pages of script (excluding title pages or supporting material).  

c) A paragraph on why you think taking part in the Pilot Programme 2027/28 would be beneficial for you at this stage of your writing career (500 words maximum).  

A paragraph about your writing history (maximum 500 words). We just want to understand your passion for writing and your professional development to date.

• You must submit a complete script, not an extract of a longer project. Scripts will be read anonymously so please remove any personal details (name, address, contacts etc) from the front page of the script or within the document itself. 
• If the submitted script has been through a development process with a production company, agent, training scheme etc. then this must be declared on the submission. 
• Your spec script must be submitted as a PDF file with a maximum file size of 10MB via the E-Submissions System only.
• Your application must be legibly typed and formatted. Submissions must be written in English. If you submit any part of a script in another language you must also include your own translation of this into English. For examples of scripts formatted for television visit the BBC Writers website.  

**If you have specific access requirements then please Contact BBC Writers at least 48 hours ahead of the deadline to discuss your application.** 

Download an Easy Read document which explains the Pilot scheme and the application process 

Please note: Once your application has been submitted you cannot upload a newer version. You will need to withdraw your application completely and then resubmit it in its entirety if you wish to make any amendments ahead of the deadline. 

We recommend that you make a copy of your answers to the Application questions before withdrawing your submission as your original answers will not be saved within the E-Submissions system. 

To help writers prepare their Pilot 2027/28 application before submitting, we’ve provided a downloadable document detailing the steps of the process. Click on the link below: 

View and download the Pilot 2027/28: E-Submissions Application Preview

Please note this list is only for reference. You’ll still need to complete your Application via the BBC E-Submissions system (using the link on the Pilot opportunity webpage) which also includes sections on data usage and equality monitoring. 

3. Further Guidance

a) You may submit either individually or as part of a writing team of up to a maximum of two people. We do not accept scripts which are written by three or more writers.  If entering as a pair, both writers must meet the application requirements. However, only one of the writers needs to identify as deaf, disabled and/or neurodiverse.

b) Only one application may be submitted by each writer, either as a solo writer or as part of a writing partnership. 

c) The BBC, as data controller, is responsible for handling personal data provided to the BBC, including in any contributions, in accordance with data protection law. The BBC has a legitimate interest in using the personal data for journalistic, artistic and literary purposes and in the public interest and in using the personal data for the performance of the contract with the BBC. For more information visit: BBC Writers Privacy Notice  

d) All applications must be the original work of the applicant and must not infringe the rights of any other party. The use of generative AI tools to create or develop any part of an application is not permitted and will lead to disqualification. The BBC accepts no liability if applicants ignore these rules and applicants agree to fully indemnify the BBC against any claims by any third party arising from any breach of these rules.  

e) BBC Writers receives a high number of submissions, and similarities of subject matter often occur. We cannot undertake to compensate you if material similar to yours, received coincidentally from another source, is subsequently commissioned or produced. 

f) The BBC, its sub-contractors, subsidiaries and/or agencies cannot accept any responsibility whatsoever for any technical failure or malfunction or any other problem which may result in any nomination not being properly registered. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt.

4. The following are ineligible and will not be considered: 

a) Applicants who have already had their own original drama series or serial greenlit with the BBC or any other broadcaster or streaming service.

b) Any script which has been developed, created or generated using AI tools. However, the use of AI for assistive purposes only is permissible.

c) Spec' scripts written for Theatre, Radio, Film or any other medium apart from television. 

d) Multiple submissions from an applicant.   

e) Extracts. Each script submitted must be a complete episode. 

f) Any video/audio material in physical or digital form (whether it accompanies a script or otherwise). Any video/audio content will not be considered in the reading process.

g) New scripts written for existing or previously produced shows and/or characters (for example, scripts of Doctor Who, EastEnders, Sherlock or using characters from these shows).   

h) Short stories, novels, unpublished prose manuscripts, poetry or work you wish to have adapted into a script. 

i) Adaptations for broadcast of another writer’s idea (including adaptations of other writers’ novels). 

j) Comedy sketch shows and pure narrative comedy series or sitcoms.  

k) Scripts and credits written for documentary, docudrama, news and current affairs or factual programmes. 

5. Selection Process

Applications will be judged and selected using the following process. All applications will be read anonymously until Stage Three:

Stage One – 10 Page Sift 

All eligible applications will be reviewed by a panel of experienced professional script readers, who will read at least the first ten pages of a script and assess and discuss the applications. (Our reader pool includes people who are deaf, disabled and/or neurodiverse.)

Stage Two – Full Read

Scripts which reach the full read stage will be read by a second reader who will consider if the script should proceed to the next stage.

Successful writers will then proceed to Stage Three.

Stage Three – BBC Writers Team Read  

Following the Full Read stage, the BBC Writers team will review the remaining scripts and undertake a third full read to create a final shortlist. At least two producers will read each of the scripts at this stage.

Stage Four – Interview & Selection

Following this, the BBC Writers team will then invite shortlisted writers for an interview via video conference with members of the BBC Writers team. At this stage applicants will be asked to demonstrate their talent for television drama ideas. From these interviews, successful writers will be selected for general meetings with participating independent production companies and up to eight writers will be selected for the scheme.

Screen Scotland may provide funding for up to two places on the scheme for Scotland-based/resident writers to be paired with Scottish-Registered Independent Production Companies. All candidates will remain subject to the selection process and criteria outlined above, and the Screen Scotland funding will only be utilised if there is a sufficient number of Scotland-based/registered applicants who meet the broader selection criteria outlined above. 

Outcome 

Each of the selected writers will then be partnered with an independent production company in early 2027 and will attend a series of masterclasses and workshops delivered by established television writers and production teams. 

Writers will be commissioned to write a minimum of two drafts of a treatment and a minimum of three drafts of their original script within an 18-month period.  They will be paid a minimum script fee as agreed by the WGGB/PMA and the BBC on a favoured nations basis (currently £14,040 for 60 minutes).    

However, if - on final submission from the independent production company - a writer's script is selected by BBC Drama, the BBC will commission a script from the writer on its standard television/online script agreement (the terms are agreed with the Writers Guild and Professional Managers Association and are available on the WGGB website).   

6. Other Need-to-Knows

a) The BBC reserves the right to disqualify any application which breaches any of these terms and conditions.  

b) The BBC reserves the right to disqualify applications that are inconsistent with the BBC Editorial Policy Guidelines, or which may bring the BBC into disrepute, including any applications which profit from criminal activity. 

c) Writers currently serving a term of imprisonment in the UK are not eligible to apply. Writers with unspent convictions must disclose details of such convictions in accordance with the BBC Writers Privacy Policy.

d) If writers don’t meet any of the expectations detailed in this document, including but not limited to the ‘BBC Values’ we reserve the right to take appropriate action which may include withdrawing your place on the scheme. Where it deems appropriate, the BBC may undertake additional checks, the specifics of which will be agreed between you and the BBC if required.

e) Applicants must agree to take part in any post-scheme publicity if required. 

f) The BBC reserves the right to cancel or alter the scheme at any stage, including members of the judging panel if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside its control. In this event, a notice will be posted on the following website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/writers  

g)  The BBC reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at any stage, including changing or substituting the selection process and the development opportunities. In this event, a notice will be posted on the following website:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/writers  

h) By applying for the scheme, applicants warrant that they have legal capacity to enter the scheme and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. 

i) The BBC’s decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into. 

j) These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales.