BBC - Commissioning - How it works

Pitching Ideas

• How it works
• e-Commissioning
• Writing for the BBC
• Ideas from the Public

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How it works

How we accept proposals

All proposals for TV and online content ideas from registered suppliers must be submitted online through e-Commissioning for BBC network content.

Proposals will not be accepted via email.  Find out more information on the e-Commissioning system and if you are eligible to register. If you are a member of the public or an individual without broadcast production experience, please do not register for e-commissioning. You can find out more about your options in the ideas from the public page.

Commissioning Timeline

Our process for responding to proposals is set out in the BBC Code of Practice. In brief:
 

• After submission, all proposals receive an acknowledgement of their proposal within one week of receipt.
• The relevant Commissioning Editor will either reject or progress proposals for further consideration within six weeks of receipt.
• Proposals may be provided with funded development, in which case the timetable to commission will be subject to negotiation between the external supplier and the BBC and determined by the development contract.
• In all other instances, the final decision will be no later than 20 weeks from receipt of the proposal. A successful proposal will be given approval by the relevant Commissioning Editor.
• Projects may be held over in exceptional circumstances but only with the formal agreement of the supplier. For further clarification on exceptions by genre, please read the Code of Practice.

Queries

At any point during this period, an external supplier may write to the Commissioning Editor asking for a progress report and be guaranteed a response within 10 working days of receipt.You can find contact details for the genre commissioners in the Who's Who pages.

Confidentiality

The BBC will treat all proposals as confidential. We have signed up to the updated Alliance for the Protection of Copyright (APC) Code of Practice providing guidance around submission and handling of proposals for all types of broadcast and online content. You can read the APC Code in the downloads section on this page. This code forms part of our e-commissioning terms and conditions (see the downloads section of this page) and you should read this information before registering for the system.

 

What your proposal should include?

Below are some of the areas you proposal should address:
 

• Diversity 

The BBC is committed to embracing diversity and so your proposal should include a paragraph explaining how the programme would fulfil our diversity commitment to reflect fully the licence fee paying public (either on or off-screen.) Find out more information about the BBC's commitment to Diversity.

• Disability Discrimination Act 

If your proposal includes contributors or working before a live audience then it should also include details of how you will meet your obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The production handbook and BBC guide to the disability act 1995 (see downloads section on this page) lays out the BBC's approach to the DDA in programme making terms and can be dowloaded from this page.

• Health and safety  

It is the responsibility of every production team to implement all necessary health and safety measures required during the course of any project. If any health and safety issues or concerns have occurred on previous projects commissioned by the BBC from your company, you will be required to include details of how such issues or concerns have been addressed, as part of any subsequent programme proposal submitted by your company.

Cross-genre ideas

We realise that not all programme ideas fit into one of our genre categories but may straddle two (or more) genre. We positively welcome these genre-busting ideas and fully understand that our structure has to deal with a complex multi-genre multi-media world where programmes don't sit in neat categories. We suggest you select the genre you think is most appropriate. However if you submit the idea to more than one genre then you must indicate this on each submission.

For example, if you've got a Factual Entertainment idea...these programmes by their very nature are a fusion of the two genres - so some overlap between the genres is inevitable. To provide clarity as to whether an idea should be targeted at Factual or Entertainment, try to define it by which of the following criteria are dominant:

• Subject Matter 

Is there clear Factual based content at the heart of the proposal - advice, learning or practical take-away value - and is that the dominant element (regardless of approach)?  If so, the idea should be sent to Factual. 

• Approach  

Is the approach rather than the subject matter dominant? If so and the proposal has core Entertainment values - then the idea should be sent to Entertainment. (e.g. The Apprentice).  However, where the approach is primarily narrative/observation led (even if other components) then the idea should be sent to Factual.

Local Programming

Commissioning for the local services can be found on the separate Commissioning site pages, for more information please take a look at the Nations and Regions page.