BFI’s Young Audience Content Fund (YACF) is looking to finance more content about the lives of children and young people in the UK. YACF head Jackie Edwards put out a call for submissions from production companies and producers at the Children’s Media Conference today.

Now in its third year of a three-year pilot, YACF had its funding reduced by US$18 million in May, resulting in fewer shows receiving financial support. Despite the cut, the fund is still set to receive US$14 million this year, and is actively looking for new projects to support.

YACF was initially set up to address a lack of distinctive new children’s content that “inspires and reflects the lives of young people in the UK.” The fund contributes up to 50% of production costs for projects that have secured a broadcast commitment from a free-to-access, Ofcom-regulated platform. It also supports new development projects.

YACF has backed projects, including Milkshake!’s Go Green with the Grimwades and Mimi’s World, CITV’s Don’t Unleash the Beast and Celtic-language series Sol (pictured), which airs on BBC ALBA, S4C and TG4.

While the three-year pilot is coming to an end in 2021, the hope is for the fund to continue well into the future, according to YACF.