UK: Almost 20,000 jobs protected by Film & TV Production Restart Scheme

Many film and television productions have been paused during the pandemic due to a lack of insurance against Coronavirus-related losses, such as filming delays when cast or crew members are ill. The £500 million Film and TV Production Restart Scheme, launched in October 2020, means productions are protected against these delays, giving them the confidence to resume filming.

So far, more than 160 productions from across the UK have been approved by the scheme, supporting over £680 million of economic activity and 19,460 direct jobs on productions – from actors and directors, to hairstylists, runners and set designers. New film Boxing Day and Sky’s Breeders are just two of the many projects which have been able to continue filming.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said:

Tens of thousands of jobs in our Film & TV sector have already been protected by the Production Restart Scheme. The sector is not only a national treasure, but also a significant driver of our economy, so it’s only right that we do everything we can to get productions up and running again, and get people back doing what they love.

The scheme fills the insurance gap and gives productions the confidence to keep shooting, delivering the much-loved classics and ground-breaking new art that the UK is known for around the world.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said:

We’re helping to create more than just great films and unmissable programmes with the Film & TV Production Restart Scheme – we are saving and creating tens of thousands of jobs across the country.

Our screen industries have shown incredible resilience, ingenuity and creativity, which together with our Restart Scheme, means studios across the length and breadth of the UK are full. We are a content superpower and this sector continues to go from strength to strength.

Productions can still register for the scheme until April 2021, helping them manage the continued uncertainty and support thousands more jobs.

The funding is available to productions made by companies where at least half of the production budget is spent in the UK.

Further information

• Productions signing up to the scheme are required to pass eligibility checks and supply evidence to show that they cannot return to work without this support, as well as adhere to the scheme rules and industry guidance on safe working:

1) PACT (for high-end TV) 2) BFC (for film)

• The Film and TV Production Restart Scheme is available to compensate productions starting or restarting production and covers losses due to delays or abandonment as a result of Coronavirus.
• This is a temporary measure, supporting productions which commence filming before 30 April 2021 and for coronavirus-related losses through to the end of June 2021. The deadline for claims if registered is 30 June 2021.
• There will be a total cap on claims per production of £5 million, and productions will need to pay an appropriate excess when seeking to claim under the scheme, as well as an appropriate fee when joining the scheme. Productions will also need to purchase insurance to cover non-coronavirus risks to ensure their production is adequately insured.
• Productions will need to provide evidence that they cannot return to work because of a lack of insurance.
• Please see Marsh Commercial’s website for the scheme’s application form and process.