The Royal Court Theatre and Jerwood Foundation have announced the Jerwood Royal Court Commissioning Scheme. 

Designed to support UK-wide investment and risk in ambitious new playwriting, the Scheme will provide six grants of up to £6,000 each, awarded jointly between a producer and playwright, to underwrite first payments for new play commissions. 

The first round of applications will open from 2 December 2025 to 23 January 2026, and the Scheme will then run annually.

The Scheme is further supported by the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, ensuring fair terms for commissioned writers. 

Launching for the Royal Court’s 70th anniversary, the Jerwood Royal Court Commissioning Scheme marks a new era for the two organisations’ long-standing partnership, and a major expansion in the Court's approach to playwright support – looking beyond its own stages to share resources nationwide. Separate from the Royal Court’s own productions, the supported commissions will be selected from open-access applications, open for joint submissions between writers and producing theatres or companies across the UK.