USBF — Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund

The Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund (USBF) is the sister fund to ILBF — Irish Language Broadcast Fund within the Northern Ireland Screen Commission family (see NI Screen Fund + sister funds). Funds productions reflecting Ulster-Scots heritage, culture, traditions and language for Northern Ireland audiences.

What USBF funds

• Documentary on Ulster-Scots history + culture
• Drama set within Ulster-Scots communities or themes
• Music-led programming reflecting the tradition
• Some entertainment + factual

Why it exists

Like ILBF — Irish Language Broadcast Fund for Irish, USBF reflects statutory commitments around protected cultural traditions in Northern Ireland under the post-1998 settlement. The fund supports the Ulster-Scots cultural strand alongside the Irish-language strand.

Producer eligibility

Open to Northern Ireland producers and to cross-border productions where the Ulster-Scots strand is central to the project.

State aid

USBF is UK public funding — post-Brexit it is excluded from the Irish 50% state-aid cumulation (the UK is not an EU Member State). It flows alongside an Irish co-production but does not enter the Section 481 — the Irish scripted tax credit / Section 487A — the Irish unscripted tax credit calculation. See State Aid — the EU cumulation cap and its mitigations and Brexit and the Irish screen industry.

In Togra

Tracked under Soft money for cumulation purposes.