Climate Spring x Sheffield DocFest Pitch
An annual pitch competition for bold, unscripted formats at Sheffield DocFest.
Applications for the 2026 pitch are now closed.
The Climate Spring x Sheffield DocFest Pitch is an annual pitch competition for bold, unscripted ideas, aiming to offer exposure and creative support for experienced producers, directors and production companies with commercially viable climate stories for TV and streamers.
At the festival, four selected creatives pitch their idea and one winner will receive development funding and support from Climate Spring.
The Prize
£10k development funding, narrative consultation and support from Climate Spring.
The Brief
With a focus on the TV/Streamer market, the pitch competition will discover exciting new content in climate storytelling and demonstrate how compelling narratives inspire and entertain a broad audience. This could be a returnable doc-series, a bingeable box set, a thought-provoking format, or a noisy single. We are not looking for feature docs.
We are looking for ideas that fall into one of two categories:
Justice: Who is responsible for this crisis? How can we demonstrate to the audience that ordinary people can create justice against the odds?
Change: Audiences want to know what responding to the climate crisis means for us all. What will the journey towards a better future look like?
The Pitch
Four shortlisted ideas will be pitched live at an event during the Sheffield Documentary Festival. The competition will be judged by experts in the TV and climate narrative spaces, including commissioners, producers and funders. The winning pitch will be announced on the day. Successfully shortlisted ideas will receive a festival pass and a contribution towards their travel and accommodation.
The Entry Process
Applicants will need to submit an up-to-date CV, and a one-page (A4) text version of the documentary idea. The one-pager will have a strong and compelling topline followed by a bullet point format/narrative/story arc. You can support your idea with an eye-catching image or poster.