Culture Recovery Fund - Round 2 for Independent Cinemas

A second round of Culture Recovery Fund grants, offering an additional £14million of support, is now open to independent cinemas in England whose businesses have been unavoidably interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The deadline for submissions is Monday 1st February 2021.

The Culture Recovery Fund for Independent Cinemas in England, administered by the British Film Institute (BFI) for the Government, as part of the UK Government’s cultural recovery package providing support for world-class cultural, arts and heritage institutions.

This round makes available a further £14m in grants to independent cinemas in England, with support intended to help venues transition back to a viable and sustainable operating model during the period April – June 2021.

Who is eligible?

Round one awardees, some unsuccessful applicants from the first round, and those who are applying for the first time are able to apply for Business Sustainability Grants in round two.  Full eligibility criteria and funding details can be found in the guidelines which are available via the BFI (see below).

The BFI aim to award funds at the end of March, ahead of the start of the funding period starting 1st April to 30th June 2021.

If your cinema is in urgent need of funds before 1 April 2021, as a matter of priority please contact us at audiences@bfi.org.uk.

Application Deadline

The deadline for applications to this second round of funding is midday on Monday 1st February 2021.

Guidelines and information

The following documents are for the Second Round of funding; the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund for Independent Cinemas in England is now closed for new applications.  

Please ensure you have read the most up to date fund guidelines and FAQ before you complete the application form.

BFI Culture Recovery Fund Second Round guidelinesPDF271 KB

BFI Culture Recovery Fund Second Round guidelinesWord Document99 KB

BFI Culture Recovery Fund Second Round FAQPDF753 KB

BFI Culture Recovery Fund Second Round FAQWord Document41 KB

You will be required to complete the template below as part of your application.

BFI Culture Recovery Fund finance packMicrosoft Office - OOXML - Spreadsheet133 KB  

ACCESS the BFI grant information page and further links to SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION.

(Note: You need to log into the BFI portal to apply)