Linking Independents and Co-producing Stations (LINCS) provides matching funds of up to $100,000 to producer-station partnerships. Projects must have begun production as evidenced by a work-in-progress video. Single documentaries and innovative genre combinations will be considered.
LINCS accepts:
- Single programs of standard broadcast length (half-hour or one-hour). Feature length programs are not eligible through LINCS.
- Works-in-progress (for non-fiction submissions), i.e. projects that have already begun production
- Programs that can be completed within one year of contract
- Programs that will engage national as well as regional audiences, revealing universal themes through the lens of local perspectives and realities
LINCS does not accept:
- Proposals for completed projects seeking distribution
- Series proposals or fictional dramas
- Programs intended solely for theatrical release
There is one funding round per year, and the deadline is typically in mid-June. The entire proposal review process takes up to three months. Around 10 to 12 percent of LINCS applicants will receive funding.
LINCS is not a grant; ITVS provides a co-production investment in the program.
How LINCS matching funding works
LINCS matching funds are based on secured funds and the station’s in-kind contribution that the producer has already been able to confirm as of the date of the application. In-kind contributions that do not come from the partnering stations are not eligible to be matched by LINCS co-production funding. Pending funds (funding neither received nor committed to by the application deadline) are not eligible to be matched by LINCS co-production funding.
If the production has a budget gap at the time the ITVS contract is signed, the producer will have up to 12 months to secure the balance of funding. ITVS production funds will not be released until all funds are fully in place. Programs must be completed within one year of securing the balance of funding. All LINCS funds are paid directly to the producer.
ITVS does not match stations and independent producers for LINCS. Stations and producers must apply to LINCS together, after having created a partnership. A list of public television stations can be found on the PBS website. For more information on creating a partnership, please read Building a LINCS Partnership.
