The HETV Skills Fund is increasing the cap on industry contributions effective from April 1 2024. The increases were voted on and approved by the HETV Skills Council, which includes Pact and forms part of the Funds annual process to review Skills Fund contributions.
From April 1 2024, the cap for HETV productions with a budget of less than £5 million per broadcast hour will increase from £73,300 to £76,200 – an increase of CPI only. For productions which have budgets above £5 million per broadcast hour, the cap will increase from £110,500 to £119,800, an increase of CPI plus an additional £5k. The lower cap uplift maintains an increase at the same level as inflation; with the higher cap increase reflecting the significant increase to larger production budgets in comparison to those reaching the lower cap. For productions that have already budgeted at the 2023/2024 cap levels, these will honoured until May 2024.
“For the past ten years, the Fund has invested over £40 million back into training and development determined by the needs of the HETV sector itself,” said Barry Ryan, Chair, HETV Skills Council. “These modest increases to the HETV Skills Fund cap will enable the Fund to remain broadly in line with inflation and continue to develop and deliver training right across the UK to support the careers of people working in high-end television. At a time when workers are feeling vulnerable it is essential to keep supporting them and the producers who contribute to the Fund.”
This year’s increases to the Cap “balances the industries priorities of acknowledging the financial challenges a lot of productions are experiencing with a continued drive to deliver collective skills investment to continue to build and support its UK wide freelance workforce.”
In return for their contribution, production can get training and placement opportunities offered by the HETV Skills Fund and are also eligible to receive up to 60% of the value of their contribution back in direct skills support on each production.
Alongside independent production companies, the five major broadcasters support the Fund along with streamers including Acorn Media, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Netflix, Sony and Warner Media. Since launch over 1,200 productions have contributed to the Fund.
picture: Doctor Who, The Church on Ruby Road © BBC Studios, James Pardon
Jon Creamer
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