
Applications Now Open for the 2025 Indielab TV Accelerator: Indielab’s 10th Accelerator launches with the theme ‘The Future of Content’.
Jan 14
5 min read
0
15
0
Indielab is thrilled to announce that applications are now open for its 2025 TV Accelerator, focused on the future of content for indies in the UK. As the tenth programme from the acclaimed accelerator specialist, this year’s outing will look at the future of content financing, audience trends and AI and technology, as well as supporting indies to develop their business and commercial skills.
The Indielab TV Accelerator has long been a catalyst for growth and innovation in the television industry, providing high-level briefings, bespoke masterclasses and seminars from top industry leaders. Over the past decade, the programme has helped scripted, non-scripted and digital indies to scale their businesses, achieve significant revenue increases and secure pivotal deals in distribution, finance and investment. Notable indies who have attended the programme and gone on to achieve success include Goalhanger, True North, Merman, Synchronicity Films, Dare Pictures, Mam Tor, Little Gem, Chalkboard TV, Air TV, Spirit Studios, Zandland and Wall of Entertainment.
Victoria Powell, Founder at Indielab, said: “We’ve long been supporting indie-growth in this industry, helping many of our attendees to conceive and deliver bold and ambitious growth and pivot plans. The sector is changing rapidly, and we’re focused on helping indies change fast with it. This year’s programme is all about the future of content funding, production, audience trends, revenue and monetisation. How can indies make it in 2025 and beyond? If they want to figure out a robust game plan then we can help them get there.”
Indielab will start welcoming applications from existing UK early- and mid-stage production companies from today until the application deadline on Friday 7 March. The successful applicants who will make up the 2025 cohort will be announced following the programme launch on Wednesday 23 April 2025.
Key KPIs from the Indielab TV Accelerator Programme include:
· an average revenue increase of £1.7m per company
· 40% of participants closed finance funding or investment deals
The 2025 Indielab TV Accelerator Programme: Running from April 2025, the accelerator will provide three months of support and hands-on masterclasses from Indielab’s dedicated team of experts and industry guest speakers, covering key areas and topics including: USP; audience trends; global and UK commissioning trends; production finance; distribution; co-production; alternative funding models, digital, social, FAST and brand funded; AI & tech; financials; operations; growth planning; leadership; wellbeing; culture and investment readiness.
“Taking part in the Indielab TV Accelerator is the best way to gear your company up for the challenges of today's rapidly evolving indie sector, giving you insight and connections that give you a real advantage.” Jon Sen, Esmerelda Productions (member of 2024 TV Accelerator cohort)
Participants will receive three months of support, and gain the tools and strategies needed to grow their businesses, with opportunities to:
· attend bespoke masterclasses and seminars;
· access exclusive networking events with industry leaders, funders, distributors, digital partners, commissioners and buyers;
· receive tailored one-on-one support, including legal advice through the Indielab legal helpdesk;
· connect with a dynamic, supportive community of like-minded indie founders via the Indielab Connect platform.
The 2025 programme will host expert sessions from key industry figures including Jane Turton (CEO, All3Media), Mike Benson (Managing Director, Chalkboard and Clapperboard Studios), Fozia Khan (Head of Unscripted, UK Originals, Amazon MGM Studios) and Tafara Makopa (Managing Director, Wall of Entertainment), alongside many others.
On the final day of the programme Indielab will host its Showcase event, providing the cohort with the opportunity to meet with multiple distribution companies including Banijay Rights, Off the Fence, Silverlining Rights, Sphere Abacus and DCD Rights.
The programme is open to high-potential independent TV companies from across scripted and non-scripted genres. Indielab is particularly committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within the industry and strongly encourages applications from under-represented groups.
As in previous years, Indielab’s 2025 TV Accelerator cohort will be selected from scripted and non-scripted producers, male and female-owned businesses and will have a minimum of 50% of participants from the UK’s nations and regions, in line with the programme’s mission to help nurture diversity and sustainable production hubs outside of London.
Matt Travers, Head of Business, TV Commissioning and Business Development at the BBC comments: “At the BBC, we’re proud to be long-term funding partners of the Indielab TV Accelerator. This initiative plays a key role in nurturing the next generation of independent producers and driving innovation across the industry. We’re particularly focused on ensuring that the programme helps to increase plurality within the broadcast sector, reflecting our ongoing commitment to a thriving, inclusive production landscape across the UK’s nations and regions. By investing in talent and creativity from all corners of the UK, we’re helping to build a more diverse and resilient production sector for the future.”
Indielab is delighted that North East Screen is joining as a funder of the 2025 Accelerator, alongside our key partners Screen Scotland, the BBC and Channel 4, as well as international distributor Banijay Entertainment; top media and entertainment law firm Harbottle & Lewis LLP - our exclusive legal sponsor for the 2025 TV Accelerator; Helion Partners and Nyman Libson Paul LLP.
Louise Acheson, Head of Business & Market Development at Creative Scotland comments:“Screen Scotland's continued support of the Indielab TV Accelerator reaffirms the commitment laid out in our strategy to enable the development of more independent TV companies of scale and ambition, through support of their entrepreneurial talent. Scotland is rich in creative potential, and through initiatives like Indielab we continue to foster the growth of an outward-looking and sustainable screen industry, creating the conditions for Scotland to thrive as a hub for film and TV production."
Lisa Laws, Development Director at North East Screen comments: “At North East Screen, we are pleased to add our support to the Indielab TV Accelerator in its tenth