Scotland Offers New $2.7 Million Fund for Film & TV Productions

EDINBURGH: The Scottish government has established a new £1.75 million ($2.7 million) Production Growth Fund to lure film and TV producers to base their productions in Scotland.

The fund, announced by Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop, is designed to stimulate growth in film and TV production by providing an additional incentive for major international productions to come to Scotland. It is also increasing funding available for Scottish productions. The Production Growth Fund will run over two years, with the money to be sourced from existing Scottish Government and Creative Scotland budgets. Awards from the Production Growth Fund will be made based on spend in Scotland, opportunities provided to Scottish-based crew and facilities, and co-production opportunities for Scottish-based production companies.

The funding is meant to enhance Scotland’s ability to compete for higher-value production work, support industry growth, generate significant economic benefits and create new, high-quality training and employment opportunities.

“The Scottish Government and its agencies are firmly committed to supporting screen-sector growth and promoting Scotland as a premier and competitive location to produce great films and TV shows," Hyslop said. “We are genuinely working very hard to make this happen—as underlined by the increase in public funding allocated to support screen since 2007, during a period of tough budgets.

“Scotland’s screen sector has the talent and skills to deliver world-class films and attract major productions, as we have seen with World War Z, Skyfall, Under the Skin, Outlander and the much anticipated Macbeth. But we know that if we are to deliver on our ambitions, we need to deliver more for the sector. That is why we are working with our partners to deliver increased incentives for film and TV. The Production Growth Fund I am announcing today will help to attract new inward investment, further support homegrown productions and will boost Scotland’s economy as well as our international reputation.”

Natalie Usher, the director of Screen at Creative Scotland, added: "Today’s important announcement is very welcome. It supports our shared ambition, as set out in our Strategy Creative Scotland On Screen 2014-17, to generate the conditions necessary to enable the screen sector to grow and compete meaningfully at home and on the international stage. We want to ensure that Scotland is recognized as a key destination for U.K. and international productions because of its world-class talent, crews, facilities and locations.

“The Production Growth Fund further adds to the series of steps taken since publication of the Strategy and is a strong indication of our government’s determination to create the best possible environment for the screen sector to thrive, so that we can look ahead with greater confidence and build a stronger future for the sector in Scotland.”