Five companies have been selected to receive business development support through a unique partnership between FOCUS and MG ALBA.
FOCUS announced the partnership with MG ALBA in July this year and BBC ALBA suppliers were invited to apply to receive free business support by submitting an application on the FOCUS website.
Following a competitive process, the five final companies selected to take part are Bees Nees Media, Caledonia TV Productions, Corcadal Productions, MacTV and Mast-Ard Studio.
A total of £10k has been allocated to provide fully-funded access to specialist commercial affairs support and mentoring. This will mean an opportunity for the companies to review their company’s contracts or intellectual property, and may involve setting up effective processes and workflows.
FOCUS is a two-year pilot project that provides expert sector specific business support to screen production companies working in Scotland. By investing in targeted, sector specific business support the project aims to create a stronger, more resilient screen sector, with companies well equipped to take advantage of the evolving opportunities for content creators in a changing market. FOCUS is delivered by Film City Futures in partnership with Scottish Documentary Institute, and supported by Screen Scotland partners Creative Scotland and Scottish Enterprise.
In recent years, MG ALBA has negotiated new content for BBC ALBA through innovative international deals led by its suppliers. A series of agreements created £5.2m worth of high-quality programmes for Scotland’s Gaelic-language television channel.
Broadcast consultancy collective The Televators, run by Kirstie McLure and Nikki Tilley, have been contracted to deliver business affairs support to the participating companies. The Televators will now start work with the five companies to help them take advantage of the evolving opportunities for content creators in an ever-changing market. The result may mean growing international networks and the possibilities of further business in other territories, as well as the domestic market.
Iseabail Mactaggart, MG ALBA’s Director of Strategy and Partnership, said: “Working closely with our suppliers and FOCUS means that we can further strengthen the internationalisation of the BBC ALBA supply sector. This strategy gives BBC ALBA access to great content but also enables our suppliers to build networks in other other markets that could benefit our sector economically. These co-production and co-finance agreements are crucial for stimulating growth and expanding our creative horizons.”
For more information, visit: https://www.filmcityfutures.com/mgalba
