BBC - Commissioning - Learning

Aims

Learning is at the heart of the BBC’s overall aim to inform, educate and entertain, and it’s our vision to inspire a life full of learning for all our audiences. We create, connect and magnify powerful opportunities for learning across the BBC.

We work across all platforms to enable audiences to acquire new knowledge, develop new skills, and become more confident learners. The department is home to a comprehensive specialist learning offering that includes key brands such as Bitesize and The Learning Zone. We also co-commission programmes across different genres and work with programme-makers to deepen the learning impact in different ways, including additional content on air and online, learning resources for schools and general audiences, and public events.

You can find out more about what we do and our current areas of focus on the Learning website.

BBC Learning commission on a rolling basis throughout the year and any new briefs will published on this page on the first week of the month. To find out about our six monthly commissioning briefings contact Rachel Fraser 

Current Opportunities

Added 7 May 2013 - Poetry (KS4) 

For more information on the brief for Poetry (KS4) please read the relevant download on the top right of this page. The deadline for submissions is May 31st 2013 at midnight.

Added 17 April 2013 - Animated History of Britain up to 1700 (KS2)

For more information on the brief for the Animated History of Britain please read the download on the top right of this page. The deadline for submissions is May 17th 2013 at midnight.  

The Learning Zone is the BBC’s overnight service for schools, and broadcasts between 4 and 6 am on BBC Two.

The aim of the Learning Zone is to provide inspiration for the classroom – and beyond.   We are looking for outstanding television and powerful storytelling; programmes that will ignite children’s imaginations and a passion for learning.

Learning Zone programmes are curriculum related or otherwise relevant to a schools audience.

Commissions include original documentaries, drama and animation, as well as spin offs from landmark series, and programmes which extend the learning value of key BBC brands.

We welcome proposals with new talent, and of course it’s very important that programmes across the Learning Zone reflect the diversity of the UK.

You can read the full brief and how to pitch in the download, top right of this page. T

Learning Fund

Through the new Learning Fund up to £5 million a year is available to enhance significantly the learning content of commissioned programmes and to fund exciting new broadcast content that will meet Learning priorities. We are looking for ambitious and original ideas that will have a powerful impact on audiences and have the potential to become standout moments for the BBC.

Learning outcomes

We assess projects for learning outcomes in three areas:

• Learning to Know: acquiring knowledge and understanding; becoming inspired, discovering and exploring.
• Learning to Do: gaining skills, confidence, competence and practical abilities. Trying something new or different.
• Learning to Develop: developing as individuals and as members of a community; becoming more interested, curious, open-minded, critical or discerning.

We look in particular for projects that will inspire audiences both to learn something new and do something new.

Learning priorities

• Ambitious ideas with the potential to become  landmark initiatives for channels/networks
• Innovation
• Ideas that actively use broadcast talent in the learning experience e.g.  through personal calls to action on air or through their involvement in face to face learning public events
• Ideas are welcome from all fields of learning however current priorities include science (including all STEM subjects and in particular computer science and coding), literacy, history, and media literacy.
• We are interested in reaching all audiences and are looking for some projects with mass appeal but have a particular commitment to under 19s and adults with basic skills needs
• Proposals that support wider BBC and divisional objectives as well as delivering significant learning outcomes

Examples of recently commissioned Learning Fund content

Britain in a Day – A film for BBC Two inspiring people to develop the skills to record their lives and to access a unique archive of films showing what it means to be alive in Britain today

Trade Your Way to the USA – A CBBC series, schools tour and online resources that deliver enterprise skills for 7-11 year olds.

So You Want to be a Scientist? -  A Radio 4 competition, deepening understanding of scientific process and inspiring an interest in the subject for a wider audience.

Process for bids

• Bids will be considered on a rolling basis throughout the year
• You are encouraged to consult The Learning Exchange ahead of application via exec producer Cerys Griffiths
• Submit bids using the Learning Fund application form (available in the downloads section of this page top right) to Abigail Appleton, Head of Commissioning, BBC Learning, cc’ing David Potter, Production Manager
• The fund is open to Independents as well as in-house producers
• Bids must be supported by the relevant channel/network commissioner
• Funding will only be awarded for significant learning enhancements and not to subsidise business as usual or top up budgets for regular activity
• Where the request is to fund fully new radio or TV programming the proposal will also need to be submitted  through the usual commissioning process and have the support of the relevant network or channel commissioner

BBC Three:

We have dedicated funding for programmes that reach BBC Three audiences and create a learning experience. We are interested in drama, factual and entertainment that will inspire learning and content for the whole BBC Three audience but have focus on content relevant to under 19s and  curriculum-related learning.
These programmes are identified in collaboration with channel commissioners and formal proposals must be submitted in the usual way. However producers are welcome to consult us about our subject priorities in advance.

Recent BBC Three commissions

My Murder – drama doc that delivered content for the PSHE and Citizenship areas of the curriculum.

Up for Hire Live – series to inspire young people to improve their employment skills.

Free Speech – live monthly debate show that inspires political engagement and delivers on the Citizenship area of the curriculum.

Daytime:

We are committed to funding programmes that inspire learning in the Daytime audience. We’re particularly interested in great contemporary storytelling and other daytime content that might encourage adults to seek help with basic skills such as literacy and numeracy.

We would like to commission another daytime drama raising awareness of adult literacy issues and are looking in particular for a five part series rather than an anthology.

We would also welcome drama ideas that might inspire an active engagement in other areas of learning in the Daytime audience and are particularly interested in the role of active learning and skills development in later life.

We’d love to find a great new quiz format for Daytime that would inspire audiences to find out more about an area of learning.

These programmes are identified in collaboration with channel commissioners and formal proposals must be submitted in the usual way. However producers are welcome to consult us about our subject priorities in advance.

Recent Daytime commissions

Secrets and Words - 5 dramas that explored issues around adult literacy.

My Life in Books – magazine format that inspired an interest in literature.

Britain’s First Photo Album  - series that delivered social history  and the opportunity to create face to face events focussed on family history, photography skills and media literacy.

Knowledge commissioning:

Learning has funding embedded in TV’s Knowledge slate and we work with Knowledge commissioners to identify programmes with stand out potential to deliver significant learning outcomes.  Examples include Bang Goes the Theory, The Great British Story, and Stargazing Live 2012.

Learning Zone, BBC Two, 4.00am–6.00am

The Learning Zone is BBC TWO’s BAFTA winning overnight service for schools. It broadcasts a range of educational programmes including dramas, documentaries and animations specially produced to inspire children and young people aged 3 to 16. Transmission is between 4 and 6 am during term times, after which the films are available on iPlayer then online at BBC Learning where they can be viewed on demand.

Recent Learning Zone commissions

True Stories – 10 short films about the lives of great men and women from Florence Nightingale to Harriet Tubman

Same But Different – a series of authored documentaries by children with disabilities

Music, Mud and Making Money  - Radio 1’s Greg James finds out all about business and entrepreneurship at a music festival 

Commissioning process

All ideas, unless stated otherwise, are pitched to the Learning team via e-commissioning; please highlight the potential the learning impact of your idea and direct the offer to Katy Jones on the e-commissioning proposal form.

Key contacts

Abigail Appleton, Head of Commissioning for BBC Learning

Chris Sizemore, Executive Editor, Knowledge & Learning

Katy Jones, Executive Producer, Learning Zone

Cerys Griffiths, Executive Producer, Development & Innovations