The BBC Comedy Collective

The BBC Comedy Collective is a supercharged bursary scheme supporting 10 emerging writers, producers, directors and editors from across the UK who want to build a career in scripted comedy.

Now opening for 2026, the scheme has a track record of helping new talent break into the industry. Previous bursary winners have gone on to secure script commissions, sign with agents, produce radio shows and create BAFTA‑winning television.

The Comedy Collective is designed to give up‑and‑coming creatives a structured, supported and paid route into the world of comedy production and development.

What the bursary offers

Each of the 10 bursary recipients will receive:

Paid production experience: Up to £10,000 worth of paid shadowing on a BBC comedy production, offering real‑world experience inside the industry.

Development support: A £5,000 development grant to invest in creating new material or further professional growth.

Mentoring and guidance:

• A dedicated production mentor
• A point of contact within the BBC Comedy Commissioning team
• Access to Comedy Collective ambassadors and alumni. Find out who our industry leading ambassadors are.

Event access: Expenses paid to attend up to three BBC Comedy events, including the BBC Comedy Festival.

Who can apply

The Comedy Collective is open to:

• Anyone 18 or over and based in the UK or Republic of Ireland.
• Applicants with at least one professional credit in writing, producing, directing or editing. Note, credits may come from any genre or platform including theatre, radio, podcasts, commercials, stand‑up, music videos and more.
• Individuals who can demonstrate a strong commitment to comedy.

Within the 10 places, at least one will be awarded to an applicant based in:

• Northern Ireland
• Wales
• Scotland
• North West England

We also strongly welcome applications from individuals from underrepresented groups, including deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent creatives, as part of our commitment to improving off‑screen representation in comedy.

How to apply

Applications for the 2026 Comedy Collective must be submitted through the BBC Writers e-Subs system. Information about what to submit is listed below.

Applications open 8 April 2026 and close 6 May 2026 at 11.59pm

What you need to submit

Your online application will include:

1. Personal statement (max 500 words)

Tell us about your background, experience, interest in comedy, and why the bursary would support the next stage of your development.

2. Sample work (depending on your chosen field)

For writers:

• Minimum 20 pages of script
• A logline on the title page
• (We encourage narrative comedy over sketches or multiple extracts)

For directors:

• A showreel (maximum 10 minutes)

For producers:

• A detailed account of work to date

For editors:

• A showreel (maximum 10 minutes)
• (Open to edit assistants/assistant editors seeking to move into scripted comedy)

Please note:

• Please do not use WeTransfer for showreels, as links expire after a week
• All scripts must be in English, with subtitles for any video material where required

Entry rules

• Only one application per person and for one role only
• Writers and directors may apply as a duo and should submit one personal statement of 500 words or less
• Producers and editors must apply individually
• Applicants are welcome to reapply if they have applied before
• Materials that have undergone development (via agent, production company, training scheme etc) must be declared
• Applicants must be available for possible interviews, required events and publicity and the BBC Comedy Festival in May 2027

What we don’t accept

• Novels or unpublished prose
• Adaptations of another writer’s idea
• Poetry
• Submissions from anyone under the age of 18
• Ideas, outlines or treatments without completed material
• Multiple submissions for different roles
• Work that infringes third‑party copyright

Privacy notice

Download the privacy notice (pdf)

Terms and conditions

All entries must be the original work of the entrant and must not infringe the rights of any other party. The BBC accepts no liability if entrants ignore these rules and entrants agree to fully indemnify the BBC against any claims by any third party arising from any breach of these rules.

Copyright

Entrants retain the copyright in all material samples sent to the BBC but by submitting an entry the entrant hereby acknowledges and agrees that in consideration of the Bursary Fee the entrant shall grant to the BBC an exclusive first option in the material samples and any further materials created as a result of the Bursary Fee (collectively ‘the Bursary Materials’), for a period of 18 months from date of selection of an entry (‘the Option Period’), at the BBC’s sole discretion, to undertake further develop work with the entrant across all media subject to a separate agreement between the entrant and the BBC and with reference to the BBC’s appropriate standard terms and conditions for such further development work.

During the Option Period the entrant undertakes not to grant any rights in and relating to the Bursary Materials to any other third party. Further to this, by submitting an entry the entrant confirms there is no restriction in respect of the submission, which would prevent the above. The BBC shall not be bound to exercise the option or be liable in any way to the entrant if it fails to do so.

You do not need to formally copyright work before you send it in to us. People are often anxious that their work may be stolen or plagiarised, however, similarities in ideas, material, and scripts occur surprisingly often. We cannot undertake to compensate you if material similar to yours, received coincidentally from another source, is subsequently commissioned or produced.

Bursary reading process

The process to decide on the bursary winners will consist of three stages.

For the first two stages the BBC will employ professional script readers to assess all the submitted entries externally.

Candidates are then shortlisted for the BBC Comedy Commissioning and Nations commissioning teams.

The BBC Comedy Commissioning team and Nations Commissioning team will then finalise the shortlist and invite those candidates to attend an interview for the third and final stage.

The interviews will be conducted by members of the BBC Comedy team, Nations Commissioning teams and the Creative Diversity team.

Personal Data

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.

By applying for the BBC Comedy Collective, entrants warrant that they have legal capacity to enter the bursary scheme and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.