Development Program

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.
  
  

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.
  
  

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.

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.
  
  

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.
  
  

• 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.

• Up to $50,000 depending on the project type and level of market interest.
• Requested amounts should be reasonable and relative to the development stage and proposed activity, the scope of the final project being developed and align with our Budget Guide.
• Applicants are expected to supplement this funding with their own or third-party contributions and Screen NSW funding is generally a partial contribution to the next stage of development.
• Screen NSW funding is provided as a development investment which must be repaid from the production budget unless we elect to rollover into the production. Development funding automatically rolls over into production and is treated as Screen NSW Equity or producer equity in accordance with our Terms of Trade.
• If the project goes into production and it is not funded by Screen NSW, the development funding will be treated as Screen NSW equity and is repayable.
• When conversion to production does not occur, the funding is treated as equity and is not repayable.
  
  

Please see our Budget Guide.

Funding is for the development of a project and/or to secure market attachment for production finance.

As per the Terms of Trade, Screen NSW only funds the NSW Spend. 

For example, while a NSW-based Producer applicant may engage a non-NSW resident writer, fees for a non-NSW based writer cannot form your request to Screen NSW.

Funding requests can include:

• Fees for writers’ rooms
• Writer fees for creative material such as series bibles, treatments, pitch documents and scripts including draft to draft
• Fees associated with research and consultation
• Strategic shooting for documentary projects
• Proof of concepts (capped at $25,000), prototypes, concept art, test shooting (360-degree projects only)
• Budgeting, scheduling, casting and travel to finalise production finance for advanced stage projects with significant market interest
• Producer fees.
  
  

Development budgets cannot include funding for:

• Office overheads
• Legal fees
• Option fees
• Fringes
• Items already expended prior to applying for development funds
• Graphic design or printing costs associated with a pitch deck
• Catering costs for writers’ rooms over $200 per day.
  
  

The total requested contribution from Screen NSW should not normally exceed:

• 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? 
  
  

• 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.
  
  

• 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.
  
  

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. 

• 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, 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.

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).

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.

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.

Any variations to the Funding Grant Agreement, including project scope or activities, location or timeframes outlined in the application form and Grant Guidelines must be submitted in writing for approval from Screen NSW. Failure to do so may result in the withdrawal of the grant offer.

Screen NSW has the discretion to approve or reject any variation request from a grantee where the grant agreement has already been executed.

To submit a variation request please contact the investment manager assigned to your project.

If you are unsure if your enquiry qualifies as a variation, contact the Screen Investment team at [email protected]. 

The Grants Administration Guide (Guide) requires that certain information is published in relation to grants awarded no later than 45 calendar days after the funding agreement takes effect (see section 6.5 of the Guide and Appendix A to the Guide). 

This information is also open access information under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (NSW) (GIPA Act), which must be made publicly available unless there is an overriding public interest against disclosure of the information.  

In accordance with these requirements, relevant information about the funding awarded will be made available on the NSW Government Grants and Funding Finder as soon as possible after the funding agreement is executed.  

All records in relation to this decision will be managed in accordance with the requirements of the State Records Act 1998 (NSW). 

What types of activities can I request funding for? Funding can be used for various purposes, such as developing a project to secure market attachment or production finance. Examples include writers room costs, creating pitch bibles, drafting scripts, producing teasers, conducting research, or engaging in strategic shooting.

Funding refers to the amount of money that Screen NSW may contribute to a specific development stage, while the budget represents the total cost of the development stage, including the funds needed for the next stage.

Please refer to the Budget Guide for detailed information, including maximum amounts allowed for the overall budget and individual line items.

What is considered a third-party contribution? A third-party contributor is someone other than yourself or Screen NSW who can provide financial support. This may include members of the creative team, Screen Australia, private investors, or broadcasters.

 We do not provide funding for office overheads, option fees, teasers, or trailers in Fiction Development.

What does "total estimated production spend" mean? It refers to your estimated cost for the final project, such as a film or series. Please note that this is only an approximate figure. If you're unsure, we recommend researching similar projects and using their production budgets as a reference.

Yes, individual writers or producers are eligible to apply.

• Development Guidelines - 3 June 2024
• Development Guidelines - 27 Nov 2023