Advanced Development

Click on the items below for the Advanced Development guidelines

We fund the development of:

• feature films
• adult and children’s television drama and narrative comedy including series, miniseries, web series and telemovies
• factual and documentary television or web programs and series
• animation series
• creative interactive screen entertainment

 We do not fund the development of:

• *infotainment, lifestyle, travel, magazine, sports, education, game shows and other magazine-style productions
• current affairs and news programs
• community television
• shorts, short features (under 60 minutes)
• projects being developed 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.

You can request any amount up to $50,000 but only outstanding market-ready projects with a highly credentialed team will be considered at the upper level. We anticipate most requests will be about $20,000.

Recently funded projects and the amounts provided can be found under Funding Approvals.

We contribute to the following:

• draft funding, if there is demonstrated marketplace support
• the development of pitch materials related to financing budget and schedule preparation
• preliminary casting costs
• script readings
• for interactive projects: scripts, advanced graphics or game design

Screen NSW general eligibility requirements can be found in the Screen NSW Terms of Trade, which should be read in conjunction with these guidelines.

Applicants will generally be a NSW-based Key Creative, individual or company.  If you are not based in NSW you must:

• provide evidence of a genuine co-production partnership with a NSW-based company or producer OR
• have at least one NSW based Key Creative (writer, producer or director) attached OR
• satisfy Screen NSW that the project offers outstanding benefits to the NSW screen industry

You must intend to produce or post produce your project in NSW.
You must hold the rights in your project.

Teams generally need to include a Key Creative with credits in a relevant genre. If your team does not have these credits, please provide other information demonstrating that you have the relevant market knowledge and relationships. 

Screen NSW is committed to supporting increased participation in the industry of people from under-represented groups including women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from CaLD backgrounds, people with disability, LGBTQI people, people from western Sydney and people from regional NSW. Priority will be given to teams including people from under-represented groups.

The Advanced Development Portal is currently OPEN.

Development is open all year round.  

However we close & refresh these rounds at the end of every financial year (11.59pm June 30th) and open the next day (July 1st). Any unsubmitted applications will need to be re-entered into the new form. 

All applications must be received through the Screen NSW online grants administration system, SmartyGrants. 

The application form can be found here.

You must submit all core materials listed on the form.

The creative materials required vary according to the project type:

FEATURES

A script or one-page synopsis

DOCUMENTARY AND FACTUAL PROGRAMS

A script or detailed treatment

TV AND WEB DRAMA, NARRATIVE COMEDY AND CHILDREN’S TV 

The series bible, scripts and/or episode outlines

INTERACTIVE PROJECTS

• a description of the story, journey or user experience
• any visual designs or playable demos
• information on intended audience and distribution strategy
• any web metrics or sales figures for previous interactive projects

You should also provide evidence of plans to maximise the potential of your content to be exploited across different formats and platforms – i.e. serious games, mobisodes, and stage adaptations.

Assessment materials should include CVs from all key project members.

Your application will be competitively assessed against the following criteria:

• The strength and distinctiveness of the concept 
• The strength of the story and the quality of the submitted materials 
• The plans for use of the funding 
• The potential of the project to reach its target audience and its viability in terms of likely budget relative to market
• The track record of the Key Creative(s), including the financial track record and experience of the applicant and any Key Creatives 
• The potential of the project to contribute to a robust screen industry in NSW

If we commission an indigenous assessment, the project will be assessed with reference to Screen Australia’s guidelines Pathways & Protocols: a filmmaker’s guide to working with Indigenous people, culture and concepts.

If your application is not successful the project may be resubmitted if substantially reworked. A project that has been declined for Early Development can be considered for Advanced Development or Market Travel if it has advanced sufficiently.

Between six to eight weeks from the date that Screen NSW acknowledges receipt of a completed application.

Please note you will recieve a SmartyGrants acknowledgement of submission. We will send a separate acknowlegdement.

Please refer to the Screen NSW Terms of Trade.

If you would like to provide us with feedback, or believe you have cause for complaint, please consult our Feedback, Review and Formal Complaints Procedures.