North East Screen
North East Screen is the publicly mandated screen industries development agency for North East England, operating as a company limited by guarantee funded by NECA and TVCA. It serves film and TV productions, regional production companies, and crew via its Film Office, Production Fund, Crew Academy, and the BBC Digital Accelerator.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersHartlepool, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What North East Screen does
North East Screen is a company limited by guarantee that operates as the publicly mandated screen industries development agency for North East England, delivering the North East Screen Industries Partnership (NESIP) on behalf of the North East Combined Authority (NECA) and Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA). It serves incoming film and high-end television (HETV) productions seeking to film in the region, regional production companies, supply chain vendors, and crew at all career stages, by acting as a single coordinated front door for crew sourcing, location access, local authority permissions, training, and production finance. Its core product portfolio comprises the Film Office (free production support and database services), the North East Production Fund (investment vehicle for HETV drama and commercial features, reporting a £7 return per £1 invested), the Crew Academy and Skills Team (workforce development including masterclasses, shadowing, and subsidised trainee rates), the Talent and Business Development function, and the BBC Digital Accelerator for digital-first content targeting 16-24 year-old audiences. Underlying infrastructure includes a proprietary crew database, a 357-company local supply chain registry, and a monitoring and evaluation system tracking GVA, jobs, filming days, and production spend across the region.
The agency's commercial model is grant-funded rather than transactional: NESIP jointly invested £11.4m over a five-year period starting 2022, with additional £6.25m committed by Mayor Kim McGuinness and £3.6m jointly for the Production Fund by Mayors McGuinness and Houchen, supplemented by a £2.3m BFI National Lottery grant routed through Screen Alliance North and BBC's £15m regional investment commitment by 2027. Direct service pricing is zero-rated for the Film Office, while Crew Academy subsidises crew rates for productions hiring Academy Members and the Production Fund deploys risk capital into individual productions in exchange for regional commitment. Distribution is direct and event-driven, with Film Office engagement, industry conferences (Content Without Borders), skills workshops (Bridge to Industry, Frame Your Future), and webinars (BBC Audience Insight). Operating geographies are strictly limited to North East England, with 12 local authorities signed to the Filming Friendly Charter and offices in Hartlepool (headquarters) and Sunderland. Impact metrics reported by NES include £88.5m in regional GVA, 1,046 FTE jobs created across the sector over three years, a 131% surge in regional production spend, and 65% of crew on NEPF productions sourced from the region.
North East Screen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- North East Screen
- Legal name
- North East Screen
- Website
- https://northeastscreen.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- North East Screen is the publicly mandated screen industries development agency for North East England, operating as a company limited by guarantee funded by NECA and TVCA. It serves film and TV productions, regional production companies, and crew via its Film Office, Production Fund, Crew Academy, and the BBC Digital Accelerator.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
North East Screen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Screen Industries Development Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Live-Action International/Co-Production & Service Production (MPADABAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scripted Feature Film Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAA), Unscripted/Reality TV Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAC), Production Office Space & Support Facilities (MPADAIAD)
Keywords
Where North East Screen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hartlepool
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
North East Screen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Public Sector Funding: NESIP jointly invested £11.4m over a five-year period to deliver a Screen Industries Development Programme. Funded by North East Combined Authority (NECA) and Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA).
- North East Production Fund: Investment fund managed and delivered by North East Screen with funding from NESIP, investing in HETV drama and commercial feature films. For every £1 spent there's a £7 average return on investment.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
North East Screen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
North East Screen operates as the screen industries development agency for North East England. Its Film Office connects film and TV productions with skilled crew, diverse filming locations, and filming-friendly local authorities. The North East Production Fund invests in high-end TV drama and commercial feature films committed to filming in the region. The Crew Academy and Skills Team develop new entrants and mid-career crew through training, shadowing, and subsidised placement opportunities.
Product overview
North East Screen operates as a screen industries development agency offering a coordinated portfolio of services across the film and TV production lifecycle. The core offering includes the Film Office (production service connecting productions with crew, locations and local authorities), the North East Production Fund (investment vehicle for productions), and the Crew Academy/Skills Team (workforce development for new entrants and mid-career professionals). Additional services include Talent and Business Development, the BBC Digital Accelerator programme (digital-first content initiative), Connected Campus (education partnerships), Going Places (bursary fund for travel costs), Development Initiatives (writer/director support), and Content Without Borders (industry conference). The Filming Friendly Charter coordinates with 12 local authorities, while NESIP represents the overarching strategic partnership with Combined Authorities. Together, these services form an end-to-end ecosystem supporting production, talent development, and industry growth in North East England.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Film Office: Free resource for film and TV productions shooting anywhere in North East England, providing access to skilled crew, diverse filming locations, and filming-friendly local authority partners.
- Crew Academy
- North East Production Fund
- Digital Accelerator
- Talent and Business Development
- Going Places
Products and services
- Film Office A free production service connecting film and TV productions with skilled crew, diverse filming locations, and filming-friendly local authorities across North East England.
- North East Production Fund An investment fund investing in HETV drama and commercial feature films committed to North East production, generating inward investment through production spend, supply chain companies, and regional jobs.
- Crew Academy A programme supporting new entrants to the screen industry through masterclasses, workshops, CV surgeries, on-set open days, shadow placements, and subsidised trainee rates for productions.
- Talent and Business Development Drives growth in the screen sector by nurturing talent and empowering businesses, connecting creatives with opportunities, supporting writers and above-the-line talent with development initiatives, and helping companies build scale and resilience.
- BBC Digital Accelerator A partnership with the BBC supporting North East production companies to develop digital-first content for 16-24 year old audiences through funding, mentoring, and business support.
- Connected Campus Talent development network linking universities and colleges with the screen industry through masterclasses, workshops and networking events.
- Going Places Bursary Fund
Quantifiable outcome
- £7 return for every £1 invested in the North East Production Fund
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use North East Screen
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
North East Screen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
North East Screen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- BBC Digital AcceleratorcoreBold partnership unveiled at Edinburgh TV Festival to turbocharge digital-first content creation through funding, mentoring, and business support for ambitious production companies.
- Screen Alliance North (BFI Skills Cluster North of England)corePartnership between Liverpool Film Office, North East Screen, Screen Manchester, and Screen Yorkshire. Awarded £2.3m BFI National Lottery Funding for another 3 years. Addresses skills gaps and broadens access to opportunities across the North of England.
- BBCcoreMOU signed in September 2021 between NESIP and BBC signifying a long-term partnership. The BBC works with NESIP to support sustainable growth in the regional production economy and highlight cultural and economic contribution to the region. BBC committed £15m additional investment by 2027, taking total Network TV commissioning spend in the North East to at least £40m.
- 12 Local Authorities (Northumberland, North Tyneside, Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, South Tyneside, Durham, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton)coreAll 12 local authorities have signed the Filming Friendly Charter, providing support, knowledge, and contacts to assist productions filming in the region.
- Pact (Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television)majorPact's Content Without Borders conference returning to the North East. Pact is the trade association representing UK independent television and film producers.
- North East University Screen Network (NEUSN)minorEducational partnership for the Connected Campus initiative linking universities and colleges with industry.
- GeoPuraminorSponsor for Content Without Borders 2026 event, providing zero-emission hydrogen power solutions for productions.
- Audio NetworkminorSponsor for Content Without Borders 2025 and 2026 events.
- Visit Northumberland LVEPminorDestination Management Organisation partnering for supply chain events in Northumberland.
- Northumberland Small Business ServiceminorPartner for supply chain events helping businesses join the screen industry supply chain.
- ReelTime MediaminorPartner delivering job sharing and flexible working sessions for the screen industry.
- Destination North East EnglandminorHosting the Power of Film, TV & Screen for the Visitor Economy webinar series.
Scale indicators19 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
North East Screen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ScreenSkills: ScreenSkills is the UK sector skills body for the screen industries, providing training, workforce data, and skills investment including for the BFI Skills Clusters. It is comparable to NES's Crew Academy and Skills Team in mission, though operating nationally rather than regionally, and is an adjacent rather than competing entity.
- Creative England: Creative England is a national creative industries agency with a broader portfolio than North East Screen, having historically absorbed South West Screen and operated regional production funds and skills programmes. It is comparable as a publicly funded UK screen agency, though it is broader in scope and not regionally specific.
- British Film Institute (BFI): The BFI is the UK's lead body for film, providing National Lottery funding (including the £2.3m Skills Cluster grant to Screen Alliance North), policy, and skills investment. It is a higher-level funder and strategic partner that NES interacts with, rather than a direct competitor, but defines the broader public-sector screen funding landscape NES operates within.
Direct peers
- Film London: Film London is London's screen agency, providing a Film Office, production support, and skills programmes through a public-private partnership. It is a structural peer to North East Screen as a regional screen development agency, though it operates in a much larger and more competitive production market.
- Liverpool Film Office: Liverpool Film Office is Liverpool City Region's screen agency providing location services, crew database access, and production liaison. It is a Screen Alliance North partner alongside North East Screen and operates an essentially identical Film Office / development agency model in a different but comparable UK region.
- Creative Scotland: Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creative industries across Scotland, including screen through its screen funding and skills programmes. Comparable to NES as a devolved public-sector screen industry development body, though with a broader creative industries remit.
- Screen Yorkshire: Screen Yorkshire is the most directly comparable UK regional screen agency, operating a Film Office, Production Fund (Yorkshire Content Fund), and skills programmes across Yorkshire. Like North East Screen, it is publicly funded and focused on attracting and developing regional screen industry activity, and the two agencies partner through Screen Alliance North.
- Northern Ireland Screen: Northern Ireland Screen is the screen agency for Northern Ireland, funded by the Department for Communities and offering funding, skills development, and production services. It is a close structural peer to North East Screen in delivering publicly funded screen industry development at a sub-national level.
- Creative Wales: Creative Wales is the Welsh Government body supporting creative industries including screen, offering production funding and skills programmes. It mirrors North East Screen's model of devolved public funding for screen industry development, with comparable Film Office-style production support services.
- Screen Manchester: Screen Manchester operates as Manchester's screen industries development agency, offering a Film Office, production support services, and skills development. It is one of North East Screen's closest peers through the Screen Alliance North partnership, serving a similarly structured regional screen ecosystem with major production infrastructure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
North East Screen social profiles
Digital presenceNorth East Screen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
North East Screen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
North East Screen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
North East Screen M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about North East Screen
What does North East Screen do?
North East Screen operates as the screen industries development agency for North East England. Its Film Office connects film and TV productions with skilled crew, diverse filming locations, and filming-friendly local authorities. The North East Production Fund invests in high-end TV drama and commercial feature films committed to filming in the region. The Crew Academy and Skills Team develop new entrants and mid-career crew through training, shadowing, and subsidised placement opportunities.
Is North East Screen a public or private company?
North East Screen is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was North East Screen founded?
North East Screen was founded in 2022.
Where is North East Screen based?
North East Screen is headquartered in Hartlepool, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does North East Screen make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Public Sector Funding is the primary driver. The others are north East Production Fund.
Who are North East Screen's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ScreenSkills, Creative England and British Film Institute (BFI). Direct peers are Film London, Liverpool Film Office, Creative Scotland, Screen Yorkshire, Northern Ireland Screen, Creative Wales and Screen Manchester.
Does North East Screen have an API?
No public API is recorded for North East Screen.
What industry is North East Screen in?
North East Screen's product category is Screen Industries Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADABAG, Live-Action International/Co-Production & Service Production, with a secondary code of MPADABAA, Scripted Feature Film Production (Live-Action). Its NAICS code is 512110 and its SIC code is 7812.