The BAFTA Rocliffe TV Comedy Writing Competition seeks outstanding new television comedy writing. Three finalists will be showcased at BAFTA in London in November. By entering, all named writers agree to these Terms and Conditions.
All fees include VAT and are non-refundable.
To qualify for the Early Bird rate, entrants must submit by 11.55pm on 5 September. Payment instructions will be provided immediately after submission. Payment must be made immediately and received within 24 hours. An entry is not complete or eligible for consideration until Rocliffe has received and matched the payment. Late payment may result in the entry being withdrawn or charged at the standard rate.
A limited number of free entries are available to writers who could not otherwise afford the fee.
Bursary applications close at 10am on 26 August. Successful applicants will be contacted directly and must accept their bursary within 24 hours and submit their complete entry by 11.55pm on 5 September. Unused places may be offered to another writer. Anyone who has received a Rocliffe bursary within the previous 36 months is ineligible. Places are limited and Rocliffe’s decisions are final.
Entrants must be aged 18 or over by the final closing date. At least one named writer must be a UK tax resident or hold a UK passport. A UK postal address alone does not establish eligibility.
Entrants must be emerging writers who have not created, originated or been commissioned to write a television series for a major broadcaster or streaming platform.
Employees of Rocliffe, BAFTA or any partner directly involved in the competition are ineligible. Rocliffe may request evidence of eligibility, identity, age, UK tax residency or passport status at any stage.
Each entry may contain only one project. Writers may enter more than one project, but each requires a separate application and fee.
Submit one English-language PDF of no more than 10MB and no more than 13 pages, containing the following in this order:
The treatment should explain the series, including its central premise, key characters, story engine and direction. We no longer ask for
Name the PDF:
SCRIPT TITLE_DATE
Example: BEACHES_05.09.2026.pdf
The PDF must not contain the writer’s name or any identifying information.
Do not include additional documents, links, images, artwork, casting suggestions, mood boards, pitch decks or other supporting material.
Entries that are late, incomplete, incorrectly ordered, improperly formatted, over the permitted length or otherwise non-compliant may be disqualified without refund.
The script and all supporting materials must be the entrant’s own original creative work.
Generative AI must not be used to create, generate, summarise, rewrite or substantially edit any submitted material, including its premise, plot, storylines, characters, dialogue, jokes, scenes, synopsis, treatment or extract introduction.
Basic spelling, grammar and formatting tools may be used only where they do not generate creative content or substantially rewrite the entrant’s work. By entering, writers confirm that the submitted work is their own and that any automated tools were limited to permitted spelling, grammar or formatting checks.
Rocliffe may ask entrants to explain how their project was developed. A breach of this policy may result in immediate disqualification without refund.
All submissions will be read and assessed by human readers.
Readers will not upload, copy or paste entrants’ intellectual property into generative AI or third-party AI systems. They will not use AI to read, summarise, assess, score or rank entries, or to write Rocliffe Assessments.
All assessments will be written by the readers themselves to protect writers’ confidentiality and ensure fair human evaluation.
Selection takes place in stages:
Rocliffe may decide not to shortlist, select or award any entry if the required standard is not met.
All decisions are final. Rocliffe cannot enter into correspondence about individual decisions, scores, judging or assessments.
Entries will be assessed on:
Every eligible entry will receive a written Rocliffe Assessment: a structured first-round evaluation against the competition criteria, intended to support the writer’s development rather than provide a definitive assessment of the project’s potential.
Assessments are expected to be issued by November 2026, but Rocliffe may extend this period if necessary.
Assessments will be retained for six months after issue. Writers who have not received theirs by 10 December 2026 should contact Rocliffe.
The three finalists will be invited to a live showcase at BAFTA in London in November. Their work may be performed, presented, discussed or otherwise showcased. Attendance is required. Rocliffe may change the date, venue, format or delivery method if circumstances require.
Each of the three finalists will receive:
Travel arrangements and any available support will be communicated separately. Finalists may be required to attend in person and participate in reasonable publicity. BAFTA may be able to assist with travel. No cash prize is offered unless otherwise stated.
Entrants may say publicly that they have entered the competition but must not reveal their script title or share identifying details about their entry, including on social media, until the winners have been officially announced.
Entrants must not attempt to identify or contact any reader, panellist, juror or other person involved in the selection process about their entry.
Any attempt to compromise the anonymity or integrity of the process, or any abusive or inappropriate communication with staff, readers, judges or participants, may result in immediate disqualification without refund.
Copyright remains with the writer.
Entrants confirm that their submission is original, that they own or control all necessary rights and that it does not infringe any third-party rights. Entrants agree to indemnify Rocliffe against claims, losses or damages arising from a breach of these warranties.
Entrants grant Rocliffe permission to use their name, project title and synopsis for competition administration and publicity. Finalists may also be asked to participate in reasonable publicity relating to the competition and event.
Before submitting, confirm that:
BAFTA ROCLIFFE TV COMEDY WRITING COMPETITION 2026