The BBC's national radio stations commission programmes from Independent Production companies in accordance with the Statement of Operation (PDF file, 64 Kb). We hope that this website will provide the information you want about commissioning programmes for all the BBC's national radio stations.

If you have any questions about working with us please contact Chris Burns by email at chris.burns@BBC.co.uk.

Pitching Ideas To Us

If you want to pitch a programme idea to us please first review this site, particularly the Audience Information and the Statement of Programme Policy for the network to which you wish to pitch.

Full information on the detailed commissioning process for each of the networks is available by selecting the relevant network or interactive on the menu bar.

Programme proposals must be submitted via Proteus. If this would be your first time producing programmes for us, please apply for a Proteus log-in here.

Writer's Room

The BBC is constantly on the lookout for new and talented writers.

More information is available in the Writer's Room.

Independent Development Fund 2009-10

For the fifth year, BBC Radio is investing in the Independent production sector by making £100,000 available for the Independent Development Fund in the financial year 2009-10. This budget is held centrally by Director of Audio & Music, who will consider bids for funding submitted jointly by Independent companies and the commissioning networks. As in previous years, the bids will be considered in the light of the priorities set by the Director.

Priorities for 2009-10 are investment in:

• Development of new formats, particularly entertainment and comedy
• In-depth research for investigations and documentaries with impact

There will be two main opportunities for bidding for grants from the fund, in Spring and Winter. Deadlines for submissions are 30th June and 30th November 2009. However, bids may be considered at any time if a particular project or proposal requires immediate action.

Key criteria for allocating funds will be as follows:

• How well does the idea fit with the Director of Radio's priorities and objectives for the year?
• Does the idea encourage experimentation and risk-taking?
• To what extent is the proposal likely to raise the quality and/or impact of BBC Radio?

Page last updated 17 March 2010