Carolyn McCall DBE, CEO, ITV
STUDIO 55 is ITV’s start-up incubator for the next generation of media ventures.
We are looking for small teams – or exceptional individuals – with big solutions to join our latest programme.
If you are an entrepreneur who dreams about starting your own media business: we’ll give you the funding, tools, and network to turn your ambitions into a reality.
We're not looking for the next Love Island, we're looking for media gamechanger ideas. These could be a streaming platform, eSport apps, or even the next TikTok. We want to hear about your innovation and why 16-34-year-old’s need it in their lives.
First of all, you’ve got to get your application in. Then, we'll invite 14-16 of the best teams to join the programme. The programme will have 3 stages designed to test, prove and develop your ideas. Find out more detail about it here.
Six weeks to turn your idea into a business case. You'll then pitch this to investors and successful models will be selected to develop further.
Participants: 14-16
every team will receive a one-off £10K payment
Teams will work full-time for 3 months with us to user-test and develop their idea into an actual prototype. We’ll choose the best to come onboard with us.
Participants: 6-8
Teams will get a stipend and a prototyping budget
Successful teams will be given full backing to turn their prototype into a fully scaled business within ITV.
Participants: 3-6
Full-time senior ITV role, scale-up founder salary + bonus, significant investment backing to grow your business
We’ll give you full support to take you from idea to investable business. If you’re selected, you'll receive:
10K in Phase 1, a stipend and prototype budget in Phase 2, and a full-time senior position at ITV, a competitive salary, and significant financial backing to scale your business in Phase 3. Previous participants received up to £4M
You’ll be working with media and venture building experts, who will give you the tools and expertise to grow your business
You’ll have access to all ITV resources, from talent to IP and data insights, to help you design and test your idea
We’ll connect you with the most influential people in the media and tech space, including the chance to pitch to the CEO of ITV and some of Britain’s biggest investors
You need to prove to us you’ve got what it takes – so it’s only fair that we reveal a bit more about what makes ITV a great partner:
Our channels reach 90% of the UK population every week
ITV Hub has over 31m registered users in the UK, with 80% of 16-34 year olds signed up
We invest £1.1 billion annually in content for our UK family of channels
We have lots of exclusive IP - from independent programming to big drama and entertainment shows
Our ITV talent - think Ant and Dec, Holly & Phil - set us apart from the rest
We are More Than TV, with revenue from our direct to consumer businesses reaching millions each year.
No, not if you already have products in market or you’ve received any type of institutional funding.
That’s okay, you just need to have an idea that is media-related and show why you’d be well suited to build this business. Find the full selection criteria here.
Sounds intriguing, but we’re not looking for new TV show pitches here. Find out more about what we’re looking to invest in.
Yes. All applicants will be asked to give details on the business they want to build and why it's needed when applying to the programme. Unfortunately we will not accept applications from people without a business idea.
We are primarily looking for teams of 2-3 people, however, we will consider solo applicants or teams of more people in exceptional cases
We are primarily looking for applicants who have yet to start their business and have not yet incorporated a company. That being said, if you are running a business that you feel could benefit from becoming part of ITV and utilising ITV's assets, and you have not yet received any institutional funding, we may consider your application.
No. The programme is open to people of all backgrounds, and we do not expect all applicants to have experience as a founder or even working at a start-up. ITV will provide support and coaching to upskill you as a founder and create a successful business. We will, however, be looking for evidence that you are a self-starter and motivated to create a large, impactful business.
Any other questions? Check out our FAQs here
