ITV is putting forward a further ring-fenced £80 million ($100.9 million) in commissioning spend for diverse projects over the next three years and doubling the Diversity Development Fund to £1 million ($1.3 million).
ITV’s inaugural Diversity Commissioning Spend (formerly Diversity Commissioning Fund) in 2022 ring-fenced £80 million over three years for diverse commissions, alongside an additional £500,000 ($630,000) Diversity Development Fund to develop ideas that could qualify for the fund.
This £80 million investment is ring-fenced money in ITV’s existing program budget, driving racial and disability equity across the TV industry. Its data-driven approach means ITV has focused on addressing the areas of greatest underrepresentation: People of Colour (POC) and Deaf, Disabled or Neurodivergent (DDN) people.
It is once again available for qualifying companies that can demonstrate diverse ownership or leadership or two of the remaining three criteria around either diverse creative leadership, diverse stories and portrayal on-screen or diverse salary spend. Ideas should be pitched to ITV’s commissioning teams and must fit existing editorial briefs for specific departments, but, in short, ITV is looking for “the very best popular, inclusive, unmissably entertaining ideas,” to bring in wide audiences to ITV1 and ITVX, with a particular focus on 25- to 54-year-olds.
Alongside the Diversity Commissioning Spend, ITV is doubling investment in the Diversity Development Fund to £1 million over 2025-27 and expanding how it can be used to include making sets more accessible and developing underrepresented trainees. ITV’s Diversity Development Fund is additional spend on top of ITV’s program budget and has to date supported a pipeline of ideas and creatives over the past three years, developing over 30 projects, resulting in several commissions, and empowering upcoming writers and directors through initiatives like Fresh Cuts and Amplify: The Companies.
ITV’s head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Sam Tatlow, said: “We’re proud of the successes the Diversity Commissioning Spend has driven, and we look forward to continuing to work with our brilliant commissioning team to find more great content that is entertaining, inclusive and gives equitable opportunities for talented underrepresented people to develop in our industry. We will continue to collaborate closely with our fellow broadcasters and industry partners to maintain momentum in 2025 to drive change on- and off-screen.”
