Screen NSW Development funding supports writers and producers to develop fiction or unscripted (documentary) and online projects with distinctive ideas and ambitious stories.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $50,000
- Application opened: 30 October 2023
- Application closed: 30 June 2024
Program objective
The objectives of the program are to:
- Support the nurturing of new ideas and talent in NSW
- Ensure Key Creatives are given access to opportunities that benefit their careers and reinvest back into the NSW screen industry
- Support connections that will shape the future of our creative landscape and strengthen our position in the global market.
This program is funded and administered by Screen NSW.
Eligibility
Who can apply
All applicants must fulfil the following criteria:
- Meet the requirements of Screen NSW’s Terms of Trade
- The applicant must be either a writer or producer who is an Australian resident or citizen
- The applicant and/or at least one member of the key creative team (i.e. Writer or Producer) must have an appropriate credit on a Qualifying Project, or otherwise meet the credit eligibility exemption requirements (see ‘Credit eligibility’ for details)
- Applicants must hold the rights to the submitted project and be able to demonstrate this if required by providing chain of title documents
- Authenticity of story elements is mandatory and projects must have individuals in significant creative roles representing priority groups that are aligned to the project’s story (see ‘Diversity Commitment’ for details).
Additional eligibility requirements by applicant type:
- Non-NSW Producer applicants must engage a NSW-resident writer
- Writer-only applicants can only receive one round of funding for a project without a producer
- Documentary applicants must have a director attached where the request includes shooting material.
Credit eligibility
The applicant and/or at least one member of the key creative team (i.e. Writer or Producer) must have a credit on a Qualifying Project that is:
- Associated with the type of project that is being submitted for development support (e.g. narrative content; documentary/factual content)
- In the same role as the application to hand.
Qualifying Projects are those that have fulfilled at least one of the following:
- Been commercially distributed or exhibited theatrically
- Been commissioned by a recognised Commissioning Platform with proof the project is, at minimum, already in production and has a release plan in place
- Been screened at a recognised Marquee Film Festival
- Online digital projects with demonstrated audience taking into consideration viewing levels such as Average Audience VPM (Volume per million).
Other eligibility requirements where Credit Eligibility cannot be satisfied
If an application does not meet the definition for a Qualifying Project above, the applicant will need to fulfil one of the following requirements:
- Individual NSW practitioners who have received development funding or successfully participated in a development program from a Screen Agency or market player. Approval of this must be sought prior to applying via a Screen NSW Investment Manager.
- Applicants who can provide evidence of market interest (Letter of Interest is minimum) or have secured co-funding from a recognised distributor or commissioning platform.
Authenticity eligibility requirements and Diversity Commitment
Screen NSW is dedicated to promoting fairness and equality in its programs and interactions with the community. Our main priorities include supporting increased participation in the industry of people from underrepresented groups, including:
- Regional NSW
- Western Sydney
- First Nations people
- People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- People living with disability
- LGBTQIA+ people.
Supporting this participation encourages genuine storytelling and fosters inclusivity.
Screen NSW believes it is crucial for the narrative and characters of projects it funds to reflect the lived experiences of diverse communities. Furthermore, Screen NSW values the cultural expertise of the applicant’s creative team in conveying an authentic story.
To effectively contribute to the cultural and economic well-being of the state of NSW, screen content should resonate with and cater to our audiences. Embracing diverse ideas and fostering a diverse workforce will strengthen our local screen industry, making it more relevant to local audiences and more competitive globally.
If your project contains First Nations Content, it will be ineligible if it cannot demonstrate appropriate Indigenous consultation and/or participation. Screen NSW does not currently support projects with significant First Nation’s content without a member of the key creative team coming from an appropriate background. Please refer to Screen Australia’s guidelines Pathways & Protocols: a filmmaker’s guide to working with Indigenous people, culture and concepts.
Eligible project formats
The following projects are eligible for funding:
- Narrative fiction including children’s feature films and series for any release platform including cinema, video on demand, broadcast television and online
- Documentary and factual including children’s feature films and series (as defined by ACMA) for any release platform including cinema, video on demand, broadcast television and online
- Extended Reality for narrative driven audience interaction and engagement across online, mobile applications, public screens and interactive displays.
Non-eligible projects
The following projects are not eligible for funding:
- Short films under 60 minutes
- Lifestyle, Infotainment, Magazine, Sports, Game Shows and Current Affairs concepts.
- Community television
- Reality television series
- Projects being developed as part of a course of study
- Video or screen content that are for art installations.
Resubmission eligibility
- If your project has been declined, you may submit a second time but there must be significant changes to the project (for example, changes to story, writing, budget or cultural authenticity) and you must provide a statement outlining those changes.
- If your project has been declined twice you cannot submit another application for the same project.
- You can submit a maximum of two applications per project through this program in any one financial year without market interest.
Most recent recipients
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
Support material plays a vital role in how we understand and assess your application. Choose high-quality support material that is concise, current and directly relevant to your application. Details of support material are specified in the application form and on our website here, for example, series bibles, treatments, etc.
Support material for proposals involving the First Nations arts and cultural sector and/or First Nations people, organisations and cultural material must include letters of support and confirmation of involvement from the relevant communities and/or organisations (see NSW Aboriginal Arts and Cultural Protocols).
Address the selection criteria
Your application will be competitively assessed against the following criteria listed below in order of our priorities:
Story (50%)
- The underlying idea’s strength, distinctiveness, originality and dramatic potential
- Does the story feel timely or particularly resonant?
- The quality of the submitted materials: what work needs to be done on story, structure, character, dialogue, tone, etc.
- Is there clarity about genre and does the script deliver on it?
Audience (15%)
- The applicant’s demonstration of pathway to audience appropriate to the project’s budget size and financing strategy
- Potential of the project to reach and resonate with its target audience.
Creative Team & Development Plan (15%)
- Does the team have the skills and relevant experience to advance the project towards production and deliver on its creative vision?
- The appropriateness of the development plan for this stage of funding.
Participation and Diversity (10%)
How robustly does the project advance diversity and generate cultural value in terms of local storytelling i.e., content and/or authorship across the following:
- On-screen representation of diversity in protagonist/s, themes, narrative
- Key Creatives and project leadership
- Industry access and opportunities for training/career progression/mentoring.
Screen NSW does not currently support projects with significant First Nations’ content without a member of the key creative team coming from an appropriate background.
Cultural and NSW Economic Benefit (10%)
- How the project generates cultural value in terms of local storytelling i.e., content and/or authorship
- How the project generates NSW economic value in terms of local storytelling i.e., content and/or authorship
- How the project contributes to industry growth through the use of NSW facilities, service providers and businesses.
Other relevant factors and risks may also be considered
Other relevant factors and risks may also be considered, as determined by Screen NSW, in its sole discretion, including:
- The geographical distribution of funding, the composition of the team and the location of shooting/post-production
- Assessment of the applicant’s management, its directors and officers and entities or individuals that exercise control over an applicant against the eligibility criteria
- Assessment of accurate and appropriate representation of key priority areas in key creative roles and content
- Assessment of other factors that may cause applicants to be unsuitable for support, such as any personnel or business activities that could cause reputational or other risk to the NSW Government.
After the application is submitted
Assessment process
Applications are received on a rolling basis and are assessed on the eligibility and selection criteria. Sector Investment team members assess projects across our entire suite of development and production programs.
Once your application has been submitted, you will receive an email confirmation from our secure online grants system, SmartyGrants.
Applications will be initially reviewed by Screen NSW staff to ensure they meet eligibility requirements, and all application materials are acceptable. Where projects are deemed ineligible, the applicant will be advised within 4 weeks.
After eligibility is confirmed, the application will be assessed by a minimum of one Screen NSW staff member or an external assessor with industry experience. The application will be then reviewed by an assessment panel including a minimum of three Screen NSW staff members, chaired by the Senior Investment Manager (or delegate), which is convened on a monthly basis. The assessment meeting may also be attended by a probity representative.
Please note that funding allocation follows a competitive process. Evaluations will consider the assessment criteria outlined above, the availability of funds at Screen NSW, the quality of the application against other applications received during the same assessment period, and the applicant's need for Screen NSW funds.
Final recommendations will be made in writing for approval by the Head of Screen NSW.
We shall endeavour to notify you on the outcome of your application between eight to ten weeks from the date that Screen NSW acknowledges receipt of a completed application.
Award process
If successful, the applicant must enter into and abide by the terms of a standard non-negotiable Development Agreement with Screen NSW, setting out the terms and conditions of the funding.
Support and contact
We encourage you to discuss your funding expectation with us prior to making your application.
Screen NSW staff are available to provide technical advice and general information to potential applicants on the interpretation of these guidelines, including the types of activity eligible for funding and support with the online application process.
Screen NSW staff cannot help directly with your application. To maintain a fair and equitable process, staff cannot edit or correct any applications or provide advice on the content or choices required against the Assessment Criteria.
For further information or clarification, please contact the Screen Investment team at investment@screen.nsw.gov.au.