ITV Studios Disabled Writers in Development

Eligibility and project requirements

All four places are ring-fenced for Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent writers. You must be 18 or over at the date of applying and a legal resident of the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, and writers can be based anywhere in the UK and Northern Ireland. You need at least two professional writing credits that you have been paid for, though television experience is preferred; co-writing credits, a single episode and a full series all count. Your sample script may be for television, film, theatre, radio or similar, running 10 to 100 pages as a PDF or Word file, and adaptations are accepted as samples, but the programme idea you develop must be original. Co-written samples are not accepted and AI-generated work is barred.

Formats

TV Pilot

Page limit

100 pages

Eligibility

UK residents18+Disabled writers

Open to

United Kingdom

Deadlines & fees

Dates and fees checked against the official site 9 Aug 2026. That is longer ago than we aim for; confirm on the official site before entering.

Prepare your entry

Prizes

A writer's fee of 21,000 pounds, subject to entering a script agreement, staged as 2,000 on signature for delivery of a series outline or treatment, 8,000 on commencement of writing, 6,000 on first draft delivery and 5,000 on script acceptance. This is the highest published writer fee in the directory. Travel expenses for meetings arranged by the label are covered, inclusive of a carer or support worker where the writer requires one; accommodation is not addressed. RIGHTS: the ITV Drama Commissioning team has first refusal to take the project into further development as part of ITV's drama slate and for the project to form part of the label's development slate. Note that first refusal attaches to the project you develop on the scheme, not to the sample you submit. The terms do carry a broad independent-development waiver, under which you waive claims including breach of contract, copyright infringement and breach of confidentiality arising from ITV's independent development of similar materials, which sits somewhat awkwardly against the FAQ promise to hold submissions in strict confidence and then delete them.

Judging

ITV Broadcasting and ITV Studios review submissions and select the writers, led by DEI Coordinator Natasha Dawkins. The label executives involved are Kenton Allen at Big Talk, Helena Murphy at Hartswood, Nicola Shindler at Quay Street, and Antonia Gordon and Kate Bartlett at Silverprint. Shortlisted applicants were contacted at the end of June with interviews in early to mid July. No individual feedback is offered on applications given the volume, though shortlisted interviewees receive feedback on one of three prepared drama ideas.

Frequently asked questions