Screen Scotland Talent Builder: First Draft

Deadlines & fees

• Application deadlinePassed
  7 Sept 2026Europe/LondonFree

Dates and fees checked against the official site 8 Aug 2026.

Key facts

Formats

Feature

Eligibility

UK residentsEmerging writers18+Scotland only

Open to

United Kingdom

Required materials

Personal statement, maximum 400 words, one per co-writer · Reflecting on Storytelling response, maximum 300 words, one per co-writer · Primary writing sample: a continuous screenplay of at least 30 pages · Second writing sample of at least 10 pages, which may be a stage play · Story outline of 3 to 4 pages in prose, 12 point, 1.15 spacing, no images · Diversity and equality monitoring form, completed after submission

Every screenwriter and co-writer named on the application must live in Scotland and remain based in Scotland for the duration of the programme; proof of a Scottish address is required if selected. Applicants must be 18 or over and not in further education during the programme. You must not have had a feature screenplay theatrically distributed, and must not have previously received development support from Screen Scotland's main development fund. Applicants should ideally have experience developing a feature screenplay, or equivalent long-form television, theatre or radio experience, but are explicitly not required to have had work produced or commissioned. Your story does not have to be set in Scotland. An attached producer or director is optional and does not need to be in Scotland, but must be UK-based. Microdramas, vertical dramas, episodic short-form series and other mobile-first content are excluded.

Prizes

Development fees of up to 15,000 pounds, paid in instalments linked to agreed milestones, plus up to a further 5,000 pounds for identified development support assessed case by case, and a separate access resource. Funding is awarded per project, so co-writers share it. An attached UK-based producer or director may be eligible for a small fee. Not repayable: recoupment is deferred to separate agreements with Screen Scotland if the project ever moves into production. Note the rights condition: The Portal Arts holds a 10 per cent development interest in the project during the programme, transferring to Screen Scotland once agreed development materials are delivered and approved. Writers otherwise retain ownership of the screenplay and all underlying rights.

Judging

Eligible applications are assessed in stages by independent script readers and an internal selection team drawn from First Draft and Screen Scotland. Shortlisted writers are invited to interview in November 2026, with final selections made after that stage. Unsuccessful applicants are notified by the end of November and successful writers announced in early December, with the programme running January to December 2027. No individual feedback is offered to unsuccessful applicants. The organisers state that AI is not used to assess applications. In the first year, six screenwriters were selected from close to 200 applications.

Frequently asked questions