Screen NSW's Production Finance program provides funding for projects produced or post-produced in NSW.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Funding relative to NSW spend
- Application opened: 15 December 2023
- Application closed: 22 January 2024, 5:00 pm
Program objective
The objectives of the program are to:
- Encourage a high level of quality productions in NSW
- Ensure employment for NSW creative teams and crews
- Ensure NSW benefits from the economic and cultural impact of a vibrant screen sector.
This program is administered by Screen NSW.
Eligibility
Who can apply
Screen NSW general eligibility requirements can be found in the Screen NSW Terms of Trade, which should be read in conjunction with the full guidelines available on the Screen NSW website. .
At least one of the Key Creatives must be NSW-based.
Screen NSW is committed to supporting increased participation in the industry of people from under-represented groups, as well as the diversity of screen stories. Priority will be given to teams including people from the following priority areas:
- Regional NSW
- Western Sydney
- First Nations people
- People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- People living with disability
- LGBTQIA+ people.
Types of projects funded under this grant
We fund production and/or post-production of Australian projects in the following categories:
- Feature films
- Adult and children’s television drama and narrative comedy including series, miniseries, web series and telemovies
- Content-rich factual and documentary television or web programs and series
- Animation series
- Creative interactive screen entertainment.
What costs you can apply for
Please see the full guidelines including production requirements on the Screen NSW website.
Types of projects not funded under this grant
We do not fund the production of:
- Infotainment, lifestyle, travel, magazine, sports, education, game shows and other magazine-style productions*
- Current affairs and news
- Community television
- Shorts and short features (under 60 minutes duration)
- Projects that are being produced as part of a course of study.
*For further guidance on the distinction between infotainment, lifestyle, magazine programs and documentary/factual programs refer to the advice on Screen Australia’s website.
Most recent recipients
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
Required submission materials are listed in the application form.
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
Your application will be competitively assessed against the project’s economic contribution to a robust and continuously developing NSW screen industry, with regard to the following considerations:
- The qualities of the creative materials, relative to the team’s creative vision and market intentions, and their readiness for production
- Potential for innovation in content, form, distribution/delivery or production practices
- The track record and level of experience of the key creative team and crew relative to the ambitions of the project, creative
- The distribution and marketing
- The viability of the budget and schedule in terms of realizing the project’s stated ambitions
- The perceived cultural merits of the project
- The available screen NSW funds in a particular round, and each project’s assessed real need for the funds
- The diversity of the Screen NSW slate.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Create NSW CEO
Development and Production team members assess projects across our entire suite of development and production programs.
For shortlisted Production Finance applications, we may commission an external budget assessment and/or other assessments.
External reports inform our decision-making, but they don’t determine the outcome. External assessors have substantial experience in producing, developing or commissioning in the genres in which we invest and they all sign confidentiality agreements.
Applications for Production Finance that are declined cannot be resubmitted to future funding rounds unless there is a significant change to the proposal.
Shortlisted applications are presented to the Film and Television Industry Advisory Committee for decision.
The timeline for funding decisions for Production Finance applications is currently expected to take 3-6 months from the funding round deadline.
Support and contact
Screen NSW Investment team (screeninvestment@create.nsw.gov.au)