Screen Industry External Assessor Pool - Expression of Interest

The Screen Industry External Assessor Pool is a group of industry assessors with a broad mix of skills and experience from across the screen sector who may be called upon to undertake assessments for Screen NSW funding programs.  

Members may be selected for relevant assessment panels throughout the year based on their expertise. External assessors will review and score applications against specific assessment criteria, agree on final rankings and submit recommendations to the final decision-maker.  

For further information, please read the Screen Industry External Assessor Terms of Reference.

Expressions of Interest are invited from screen industry professionals, including (but not limited to) producers, writers, directors, content creators, managers and senior staff in screen businesses and organisations.  

 In forming the External Assessor Pool, Screen NSW considers that members need to reflect the:  

• Diversity of the screen industry in NSW, including First Nations, culturally and linguistically diverse, LGBTQIA+, people living with disability, people living in Western Sydney and people living in regional NSW. 
• Different stages of screen industry career development, including emerging, mid-career and established.   

 Members must have: 

• An excellent understanding of the NSW screen sector and/or the regulatory environment within which the NSW screen sector operates. 
• Strong communication skills and the ability to represent a range of industry views. 
• Willingness to engage in constructive discussion with other industry assessors. 
• An inclusive approach to group discussion.  

Approved external assessors will be part of the External Assessor Pool for 12 months, with the option to extend for an additional 12 months.   

All members will be required to declare their conflicts of interests annually and again prior to the assessment of every application to ensure appropriate ethical management of any conflicts.  

Most assessment meetings will be conducted online. On occasion, it may be necessary to attend an in-person meeting, depending on the program or volume of applications.  

 Screen NSW will confirm the format and location of the assessment meeting as assessors are engaged for assessment panels.  

Screen NSW will coordinate the assessment process, support assessors, facilitate the online assessment meetings and conduct assessments in collaboration with Screen Industry External Assessors. 

 Other roles include: 

• Informing eligibility. 
• Providing sector knowledge. 
• Contributing to assessment decisions and outcomes. 

Screen Industry External Assessors will be paid a fee for reviewing assigned applications and for attending an assessment meeting (if required).  There is no fee paid or charged for being a member of the External Assessor Pool. 

No, you do not need to be an experienced grant assessor to apply. However, your application should outline your screen industry skills and experience, and how this would benefit the External Assessor Pool.   

Appointment to the External Assessor Pool will not prohibit you, or any organisations with which you are associated, from applying for Screen NSW grants. 

To ensure fair assessment processes, all External Assessor Pool members will be required to declare any conflicts of interest. These will then be managed internally to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest in assessment. 

Screen NSW will deliver multiple funding programs and rounds each year. Members of External Assessor Pool will be invited to participate in relevant assessment panels based on their expertise and availability. 

 This will involve completing an individual assessment of each assigned application, followed by attendance at an assessment meeting (if required). 

Time taken to complete assessments will vary based on the number of applications received. Screen NSW will manage workloads to ensure an equitable and reasonable time commitment across funding programs.  

External Assessor Pool members will be notified in advance of assessment time frames and assessment meeting dates.  

Yes, a list of appointed members of the External Assessor Pool will be published on the Screen NSW website. 

If you have any further questions about the Screen NSW Screen Industry External Assessor Pool or the Expression of Interest process, please email [email protected]. 

 Applications open on 6th November 2025 and close on 4th December 2025. Apply here.