Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Opportunity: Intensive training and paid placements. Grant Value: $0 - $500.
- Application opened: 4 February 2026
- Application closed: 16 March 2026, 5:00 pm
Program objective
- Provide ‘set ready’ training and opportunities for entry-level and mid-career NSW-based ‘below the line’ practitioners from under-represented communities to support sustainable career pathways
- Partner with key training institutions (AFTRS, TAFE NSW and NIDA) to cohesively address the current skilled-crew shortage in NSW
- Develop ‘on the job’ skills through NSW production placements and meaningful industry mentorship for selected candidates to launch enduring careers
- Contribute to the growth and sustainability of a vibrant and accessible screen industry.
This program is administered by Screen NSW.
Eligibility
Who can apply
For full eligibility and program details, please see the Program Guidelines on the Screen NSW website.
Stage 1
We encourage First Nations people and people from low socio-economic backgrounds to apply.
Applicants must be:
- 18 years of age or older
- A NSW resident (i.e., lived in NSW for at least 6 months immediately before the date of application)
- An Australian citizen or permanent resident
- Available to attend intensive training for their applied department (see dates in Department streams)
- Part of at least one of the following under-represented areas:
- Regional NSW
- Western Sydney
- First Nations people
- People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- People living with disability
- LGBTQIA+ people
- People from low socio-economic backgrounds.
- Not in breach of any obligation under any funding agreement they may have with the NSW Government
- Not an employee of a Federal or state or territory government screen agency.
Bursary for accessibility or travel costs
Applicants may additionally apply for a bursary of up to $500 to go towards accessibility and/or travel costs for the training component if they fulfil one or more of the following:
- Live in regional NSW or western Sydney, and are unable to cover travel costs
- Are living with disability and require accessibility measures.
Stage 2
In their application form, applicants will be asked if they want to also be considered for Stage 2.
Stage 2 applicants must fulfil the Stage 1 eligibility criteria above, as well as:
- Have a current drivers licence (provisional or full)*
- Have an Australian tax file number (TFN)
- Have an Australian bank account
- Be available and commit to a trainee placement on a NSW production for up to 20 weeks
- Commit to regular meetings with an industry mentor following placement for up to 2 years
- Have satisfactorily completed the Stage 1 training for the department relevant to the placement.
*Applicants to the Location, Art and Costume department stream will require a full current drivers licence.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Not applicable
What costs you can apply for
Stage 1: Training
Stage 1 successful applicants will receive:
- 8-day intensive training at no cost to the participant, by one or more of the following institutions: AFTRS, NIDA and TAFE NSW, depending on the department stream
- Access to select networking opportunities such as events run by Screen NSW and/or partner institutions.
Applicants with accessibility needs or regionally/western Sydney based applicants with travel needs may also receive a bursary of up to $500 to attend the training component.
Stage 2: Production placement and mentorship
In addition to Stage 1 support, Stage 2 successful applicants will receive:
- A paid placement on a NSW film, television and/or online production for up to 20-weeks
- Industry mentorship for up to two years, commencing during or following the placement
- 6-month MEAA membership (optional).
Please see department stream details in the Program Guidelines on the Screen NSW website.
Who can’t apply
Applicants will be ineligible to apply if they have more 5 years of paid experience in the department for which they are applying.
Applicants may apply for multiple departments but can be only awarded for one department.
Successful applicants may not apply for future streams of the program, however unsuccessful applicants are welcome to reapply.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
With regard to the assessment criteria, applicants must prepare responses to all questions and submit all core materials listed on the application form, including:
- An up-to-date CV, outlining any related experience or transferable skills, including 2-3 referees (maximum two A4 pages)
- A personal statement outlining how you best address the assessment criteria (maximum one A4 page or 2-minute self-tape video).
Please note that if you submit over the maximum allowed page or time requirements, those additional pages or minutes will not be assessed.
Applicants requesting the bursary to go towards accessibility or travel costs will be prompted to answer a question within the application form on how the applicant fulfils the bursary eligibility and assessment criteria.
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
Address the assessment criteria
Stage 1
Applications will be competitively assessed against the following weighted criteria:
- Potential for a long-lasting career as a crew member in the applied for department (60% weighting) This includes: Enthusiasm for the screen industry, ability to effectively work in a team, and reliability.
- Suitability to the applied department including demonstrable transferable skills and/or experience (40% weighting).
Accessibility and Travel Bursary
Applicants requesting a bursary of up to $500 to contribute to costs related to attending the training component will be assessed on their demonstrated need for the bursary funds.
In instances where there are not sufficient funds to support all qualifiable bursary requests, the applicants will be ranked in order based on the Stage 1 criteria above.
Stage 2
Applications will be competitively assessed against the following weighted criteria:
- Demonstrable aptitude in the Stage 1 training component (60% weighting)
- Ability to fulfil the required skill needs and technical competencies for the department-specific paid placement on a NSW production (40% weighting).
Start the application
Screen NSW uses the SmartyGrants platform for submission of all applications. Applications made using any other format will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted by the advertised closing date and time.
Late applications due to technical difficulties will be reviewed and eligibility determined with absolute discretion by Screen NSW. A request for late submission due to technical difficulties must be submitted by email to crewdevelopment@screen.nsw.gov.au within 60 minutes of the application close time, setting out the reasons for the request, along with any evidence.
A preview of the application form can be viewed on the SmartyGrants portal.
Please see details on the process in the Program Guidelines on the Screen NSW website.
Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.
Apply now
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Head of Screen NSW (or their financial delegate)
Eligibility
Applications will be initially assessed by Screen NSW staff to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria, and that all application materials are acceptable. Applications deemed ineligible will not proceed to the formal assessment process.
Screen NSW will inform all ineligible applicants via email within 14 days of this outcome.
Assessment and Recommendations
Stage 1
Eligible applications will proceed to formal assessment by an assessment team, comprising two Screen NSW staff and one external industry subject matter expert.
The assessment team will individually assess each application before meeting to deliberate and agree on final consensus scores for each applicant and each criterion. This will determine a ranking for each application.
The highest ranked applications will be recommended to the designated decision-maker in writing for approval.
Stage 2
Stage 1 training participants will be given a Certificate of Attendance if they satisfactorily attend the whole course. Training staff will prepare a report for Screen NSW on the suitability of the course participants to move into the ‘Placement’ stage of the Program.
An assessment team, comprising of a Screen NSW staff and one external industry subject matter expert, will individually assess each training participant who has completed the course and opted into stage 2, before meeting to deliberate and agree on final consensus scores for each participant and each criterion. This will determine a ranking for each participant.
The highest ranked participants will be interviewed before being recommended in writing to the designated decision-maker to receive the trainee paid placement for up to 20 weeks on a NSW production and industry mentorship.
In the instance that there are not sufficient participants awardable in one department stream for the (2) allocated production placements, Screen NSW has the discretion to reallocate placement(s) to another department stream.
Support and contact
Screen NSW Crew Development Program team via email at crewdevelopment@screen.nsw.gov.au.