Art Sejdiu and Vivienne Molokwu to oversee proof-of-concept investment pot

Channel 4 has devised an unscripted ‘proof-of-concept’ development fund worth between £300,000-£500,000, Broadcast can reveal.

The fund, which was unveiled at the Broadcast Summit on Wednesday (15 April) will award three to five indies up to £100,000 each for substantial development, testing and refining of their idea.

Head of commissioning development Art Sejdiu and senior commissioning editor Vivienne Molokwu will oversee the fund, but pitches should be directed to the relevant unscripted commissioning team. Sejdiu and Molokwu called for bold, broad, returnable formats in the vein of the broadcaster’s latest run of big bets: Virgin Island, Secret Genius and Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing.

The channel is planning to greenlight at least one of the successful projects for a full series.

Sejdiu said: “Big ideas need big development, and Channel 4 wants to support the independent production sector to develop the best ideas.

“This fund is about giving British indies the space and backing to really kick the tyres on ambitious new formats. I hope it’ll help the next wave of original British unscripted IP break through.”

Reality and ents exec and E4 lead Molokwu added: “Well-funded proof of concepts can transform our understanding of an idea and offer invaluable insights. With this new fund, Channel 4 is strengthening its partnership with the UK’s independent production community by investing in and supporting great ideas early on to help create the next generation of standout, returnable formats.”

Ideas can be submitted via C4’s new pitching platform 4ideas and should be directed to the appropriate unscripted genre team – documentaries and factual entertainment, lifestyle, specialist factual or reality and entertainment – who will work alongside Sejdiu and Molokwu to develop the selected projects. Submissions should clearly state that project is intended for the proof-of-concept fund.

Any ideas taken to series will be funded by Motion Entertainment, a WPP Media company. The deadline for initial submissions is the end of July, with proof-of-concepts expected to be greenlit in early autumn.