Production Fund

To be eligible, projects must have a total production budget of less than AU$20,000,000 and fall into one of the following formats: 

• Features – fiction
• Features – documentary (that meets the definition of a ‘documentary’ under the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) Documentary guidelines) 
• Series – television drama, narrative comedy and children’s, including miniseries  
• Series - documentary (that meets the ACMA definition, above), with a total minimum duration of a commercial half hour  
• Series – adult and children’s animation 
• Commissioned online series 
• Direct-to-audience series – narrative 
• Direct-to-audience series – adult and children’s animation 
• Direct-to-audience series – documentary (that meets the ACMA definition, above), with a total minimum duration of a commercial half hour 
• Interactive online screen content - interactive, AR, VR or XR intended for public access on a screen-based device (excluding Digital Games)

The applicant must meet one of the following: 

• Be an Australian company based in NSW and actively operating in NSW for at least six months prior to the funding application, meeting at least a minimum level of QNSWPE of 50% of the total Production Budget; or 
• Be an Australian company based outside NSW in a genuine co-production arrangement with a NSW production company and/or the project is created by a NSW-based creative or is substantially driven by NSW-based key creatives, meeting at least a minimum level of QNSWPE of 50% of the total Production Budget (please see definition of NSW Resident in the Screen NSW Glossary); or  
• Be an Australian Company not based in NSW, where the project is not created by a NSW-based creative or is not substantially driven by NSW-based key creatives, meeting at least a minimum level of QNSWPE of 80% of the total Production Budget. Please note, if you are a non-NSW based company, strong consideration will be given to the level of QNSWPE. Where rounds are competitive, preference will usually be given to NSW-based applicants or projects led by NSW-based creatives. Please speak to an Investment Manager before applying; or 
• Be a producer based in NSW producing an official international co-production for which more than 50% of the total Australian Production Budget is QNSWPE. 

The applicant must also: 

• Comply with Screen NSW’s Terms of Trade 
• Own or control the rights necessary to undertake the project (or share ownership/control in a co-production arrangement), including all relevant copyright and participant clearances 

The 50% and 80% QNSWPE requirements described above will not apply if any of the following circumstances are met:  

• Where the relevant QNSWPE is at least $5,000,000 
• Where the below-the-line eligible NSW post-production spend is at least $3,000,000 
• Where a producer intends to conduct 100% of the project’s post-production in NSW with all post-production personnel being NSW-based (Please see definition of 100% Post Production requirements and Allowable Post Exclusions in the Screen NSW Glossary to confirm your eligibility) 

The project must: 

• Have Significant Australian Content (SAC) or be an official co-production (more information on the SAC test is available here) 
• Have at least one NSW based Key Creative (writer, director or producer) attached 
• Be fully financed at the time of application (other than the contribution from Screen NSW, or contributions that are being considered concurrently by other similar State or Commonwealth screen agencies) and submit a Finance Plan prepared using the current Screen Australia Finance Plan template
• Be substantially ready to go into production and (except for direct-to-audience and interactive online screen content) have marketplace commitments (see Market Attachments below) and accord with Screen Australia’s appropriate presales or licence fee minimums (see narrative content here; documentary here) 
• Have not commenced official pre-production before the date of application. Screen NSW does not fund retrospectively. Documentary projects with time critical filming issues may still be considered – applicants must contact the Screen Investment Team before applying to confirm this exception.
  • With the exception of development expenditure and, where agreed by Screen NSW, expenditure on documentary projects with legitimate time critical aspects, only expenditure incurred after the application has been submitted will be recognised as eligible for funding
• If the application is for post-production funding only, have completed principal photography and be able to demonstrate a post-production path to delivery and audience
  • If the application is for post-production funding only, applicants must submit, at a minimum, a completed assembly edit with their funding application
• Reflect diversity in the creative team, relevant to the content genre, format, platform, storylines, characters, and target audience. More details on Screen NSW’s expectations on diversity and inclusion can be found in our Diversity Commitment section below.
• Have a minimum contingency of 10% included in the project’s budget. In exceptional circumstances – where all co-investors/co-financiers or broadcasters/streamers agree – Screen NSW may approve a slightly lower contingency. If this occurs, Screen NSW may: require the producer to withhold payment of producer overheads until commencement of post-production; withhold of all or a part of the producer's fees; and/or set other conditions. Instead of, or in addition to, these requirements, Screen NSW may align with other financiers’ withholding requirements. Any completion guarantor and offset or other lender would also need to approve these financiers’ withholding requirements.
• Fulfil necessary requirements for Authenticity (See Creating Authentic Screen Content on the Screen NSW website) 

Ineligible Projects

Screen NSW does not support the following projects under the Program:

• Projects that are part of assessable materials for a course of study or that will contribute to credits for a course of study 
• Infotainment, infomercials, lifestyle, light entertainment, travel, ‘how-to’; magazine, sports, education, game shows, serials/soaps, music videos, and other programs primarily intended for corporate, educational, training or promotional purposes, or magazine style projects or advertisements; reality television; non-narrative experimental, performance programs (for further clarification see ACMA Documentary guidelines: Interpretation of ‘documentary’ for the Australian Content and Children’s Television Standards) 
• Current affairs and news, community television 
• Shorts, short features (under 60 minutes duration) and interstitials 
• Digital games (refer to relevant Digital Games programs on the Screen NSW website) 
• Art installation projects 
• Projects that attract an R (X18+) or RC (Refused Classification) as described on the Australian Classification website. 

Re-submitted projects must demonstrate that substantial changes have been made since the previous submission and projects that have been declined twice previously are not eligible for further consideration. 

Market Attachments

• Projects must have a market attachment from a recognised distributor or exhibition platform (e.g., a broadcaster, exhibitor or major online content provider) that includes key financial commitments and payment milestones or, where possible, dates of funds drawdown and licence term 
• Market attachments must meet the minimum thresholds published by Screen Australia (see narrative content here; documentary here) 
• Documentation demonstrating market attachments must show a clear commitment to distribute or exhibit the project 
• Market attachments must include evidence of the intention to screen the project domestically and in territories outside Australia. Without that evidence, the applicant must demonstrate their strategy or pathway to achieving this. 
• Direct-to-audience and interactive online screen content applications unable to meet the above requirements must demonstrate a persuasive business case for an alternate distribution strategy or pathway to audience.

Screen NSW is dedicated to promoting fairness and equality in its programs and its interactions with the community. Our priority is to support increased industry participation by 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.

Diversity encourages authentic storytelling and fosters inclusivity. 

Screen NSW believes it is crucial for the narratives and characters in projects it funds to reflect the authentic, lived experiences of diverse communities. When evaluating applications, we consider the cultural authorship of the creative team to be a significant factor. 

To strengthen 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 enhance our local screen industry and make it more competitive locally and globally. 

For further information, please see Screen NSW’s Guide to Understanding Diversity and Creating Authentic Screen Content. 

Please note that where a project has elements that may involve the consideration of diversity, Screen NSW may elect to seek the advice of an independent consultant with expertise in the relevant area.   

That advice will be used to evaluate the project.

Applications will be competitively assessed against the following criteria. Screen NSW will apply weightings to each assessment criterion, which will apply to all eligible applications.

Production Finance Fund

Regional Filming Fund

Other relevant factors and risks may also be considered, as determined by Screen NSW, in its sole discretion, including:

• The availability of funding for the program and the perceived funding requirements of an applicant’s project 
• The diversity of slate of applications Screen NSW receives in a financial year  
• The geographical distribution of funding, the composition of the team and alignment to the Screen NSW Priority Areas 
• 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 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 

Familiarise yourself with the requirements set out in these guidelines and determine if you are eligible.  

If you consider your production to be eligible, or require further clarification on eligibility, contact Screen NSW at investment@screen.nsw.gov.au to discuss your application in further detail. 

Please see here for dates of upcoming rounds. 

Complete and submit your application via the SmartyGrants portal. 

As part of your application, you will need to provide the following documents:

1. Completed SmartyGrants application 
2. A copy of the project finance plan: 
   • If the finance plan for a project includes Screen Australia finance, evidence that Screen Australia is concurrently considering the project for finance, or Screen Australia’s finance has already been confirmed 
   • Written evidence that reflects the proposed finance plan by way of signed Deal Memos/Letters of Offer/Short or Long Form Agreements that specify the commercial terms and the level of financial commitment to the project 
   • If the finance plan includes finance from overseas, then the producer must provide Screen NSW with written assurances about how they will deal with any currency fluctuations 
3. For projects accessing the Producer Offset
   • A copy of the Provisional Certificate for the Producer Offset or a copy of the completed application form, if available, or written assurances that the producer will provide a copy of the Provisional Certificate for the Producer Offset as a Transaction Document for the first drawdown, should the Production Fund application be approved
   • Distribution and broadcast agreements that meet the criteria for public exhibition in relation to the Producer Offset
4. If the application is based on an underlying work, evidence that an appropriate option agreement is in place and that the option period is current or the option has been exercised 
5. Evidence that allowances for production attachments have been made within the Production Budget
6. Other documents as outlined in Annexure A

Please note these guidelines should be read in conjunction with the application form which provides details of requested supporting documentation.  

Acknowledgement of receipt of application will be via return email. 

Note: If you intend to apply to both the Production Finance Fund and the Regional Filming Fund for your project, applications must be submitted concurrently within the one form. 

Note also: Applicants should check the contracting timeframes of all funding agencies whose contributions appear in their finance plan and build these timeframes into their schedule for closing and cashflow. 

Applications can be received any time during funding round cycle dates published on the Screen NSW website and must clearly address all the assessment criteria.

Screen NSW staff are available to provide technical advice and general information to potential applicants on the interpretation of these guidelines, including the types of activity eligible for funding and support with the online application process.  

For further information or clarification, please contact Screen NSW staff on: investment@screen.nsw.gov.au 

Screen NSW staff cannot help directly with your application. To maintain a fair and equitable process, staff cannot edit or correct any applications or provide advice on the content or choices required against the Assessment Criteria.

Your application will be checked by Screen NSW for eligibility against the published Eligibility Criteria. If eligible, your application will proceed to the next assessment stage in accordance with the Assessment Criteria. If ineligible, you will be advised via email within 10 business days from the closing date of the round you have applied for and your application will not proceed to assessment.  

Screen NSW reserves the right to provide applicants with an opportunity to provide clarification or additional information regarding the Eligibility Criteria provided the principles of probity are not breached.  

Incomplete applications will be deemed ineligible unless otherwise determined by Screen NSW.

Stage 1

Eligible applications will be assigned to a Screen Investment Manager to undertake an assessment against the Assessment Criteria and present the project to the Screen Investment Committee. The Screen Investment Committee is comprised of the Screen Investment Team and the Senior Manager Content Investment. A probity advisor who is not a Screen NSW staff member may also be engaged to attend meetings as appropriate. 

Where considered appropriate, the Screen Investment Team may seek external industry specialists to undertake assessments or provide external reports to help inform decision-making. For example, where a project has elements that require the consideration of diversity, Screen NSW may seek advice from an independent expert. 

Projects requiring a First Nations assessment will be assessed with reference to Screen Australia’s Pathways & Protocols: A filmmaker’s Guide to Working with Indigenous People, Culture and Concepts by a First Nations consultant to help inform decision making. 

The Screen Investment Committee will shortlist projects for progression to Stage 2 of the assessment process based on outcomes of this Stage 1 assessment.

Stage 2

Shortlisted applications will be considered by the Screen and Digital Games Industries Advisory Sub-Committee (SDGIASC) at the next available meeting. Details on the membership of the SDGIAC are available here and meetings dates are published here. 

The SDGIASC will consider all applications shortlisted by the Screen Investment Committee, including any external reports prepared, and the available budget. 

They will consider the assessment criteria, distribution, range and scale of the applications. This may include prioritising applications and activities with outcomes that better meet the Program objectives or address and ensure equity and the best outcomes for NSW Government investment. 

The SDGIASC may also recommend a funding amount that is less than that requested in the application.

Decision-Making

Screen NSW will provide the advice and recommendations of the SDGIASC to the Secretary of the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport (DCITHS) or their financial delegate for final consideration and approval.

You can expect a decision within 4 weeks of the SDGIAC meeting date published on the Screen NSW website. A Screen Investment Manager will contact you to advise the outcome of your application.

Applicants can seek feedback on their application from Screen NSW by emailing investment@screen.nsw.gov.au or the Investment Manager assigned to the application (of which you will be notified shortly after the closing date of the round).

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), 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).

Successful applicants will be required to enter into a funding agreement with Screen NSW. The funding agreement will set out the obligations of the recipient of the funding, including but not limited to copyright, monitoring and reporting, project completion and payment.  

The NSW Government makes no binding funding commitment to an applicant unless and until both parties sign a funding agreement and any funding conditions set out in the agreement are satisfied.  

Contracting can take up to 12 weeks; however, this period is contingent upon receipt of valid transaction documents identified in the funding agreement Screen NSW provides to successful applicants and the review timeframe(s) of any third-party project financier(s), as applicable. Screen NSW does not guarantee that contracting for the project will close within 12 weeks, although Screen NSW will use reasonable endeavours to finalise the Screen NSW funding agreement within this period. 

The following will apply to successful funding applications:

• Funding is provided as a grant. Funding agreements will specify how the grant will be cashflowed and the deliverables required by Screen NSW. 
• Commitments made in the application regarding minimum QNSWPE and employment will be a contractual obligation. Screen NSW reserves the right to require repayment of funds in certain circumstances where the Applicant has not met the NSW contractual obligations. 
• The Applicant must demonstrate they have made best endeavours to employ all heads of department and key creative from NSW unless this has been discussed and agreed with a Screen NSW Screen Investment Manager 
• Attachments – all projects receiving production finance must comply with the Production Attachment requirements in the Screen NSW Terms of Trade and in the approved budget. Attachments must be paid at least industry award minimum rates and be employed for a specified duration. The attachment should reflect the theme or content of the project: for example, Screen NSW’s Key Priority Areas (e.g. First Nations, People Living with Disability, LGBTQIA+, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse, Regional NSW, Western Sydney) OR be targeted at providing experience to emerging practitioners. Please discuss potential attachments with your Screen Investment Manager.  

The funding agreement will outline the process for the recipient to receive milestone payments during production.  

Screen NSW will generally cashflow the Production Finance Fund grant as follows: 

(i)   60% on signature of the funding agreement; 

(ii)  30% on Screen NSW’s receipt and approval of the rough cut (for a series, rough cut approval applies to all episodes); and   

(iii) 10% on delivery of all contracted delivery materials, 

subject to the further payment conditions set out in the funding agreement.

Screen NSW will generally cashflow the Regional Filming Fund grant as follows:  

(i)   90% on signature of the funding agreement; and 

(ii) 10% on delivery of all contracted delivery materials, 

subject to the further payment conditions set out in the funding agreement.

Underspend (or unspent funds) must be returned to Screen NSW in accordance with the funding agreement. Screen NSW is entitled to an underspend share calculated on a pro rata pari passu basis with equity investors.

Successful applicants will be required to submit project progress reports to Screen NSW as outlined in the funding agreement.  

Recipients will be required to:  

• Provide the acquittal documentation as outlined in the funding agreement 
• Provide a final project completion report including final cost report or audit via SmartyGrants at the completion of production. 

The Program will be evaluated to measure how well the outcomes and objectives have been achieved. We may collect and use information from your application and reports for this purpose. We may also interview you or ask you for more information to help us understand how the Program impacted your organisation and to evaluate how effective the Program was in achieving its outcomes.  

We may contact your organisation up to three years after you receive the final payment associated with the Program for more information to assist with this evaluation. Screen NSW and the Audit Office of New South Wales reserve the right to undertake an audit of Program funding and support within seven years.

Any variations to the information in the application or provided to Screen NSW for any assessment, or in the funding agreement, including project scope or activities, location or timeframes, must be submitted in writing for approval from Screen NSW. Failure to do so may result in contracting being delayed or not proceeding, or a breach of the funding agreement. 

Screen NSW has the discretion to approve or reject any variation request from an applicant. 

To submit a variation request please contact the Screen Investment Manager assigned to your application or funding agreement.

If you are unsure if your enquiry qualifies as a variation, contact the Screen Investment Team at investment@screen.nsw.gov.au.

Any conflicts of interest will be managed in accordance with NSW Government Grants Administration Guide.  

A conflict of interest, or perceived conflict of interest, may be identified if staff, any member of a committee or advisor and/or you or any of your personnel has one or more the below: 

• A professional, commercial, or personal relationship with a party who can influence the application selection process 
• A relationship with or interest in, an organisation, which is likely to interfere with or restrict the applicants from carrying out the proposed activities fairly and independently 
• A relationship with, or interest in, an organisation from which they will receive personal gain because the organisation received funding under the Program 
• If you identify an actual, apparent, or perceived conflict of interest at any time, you must inform Screen NSW immediately. Screen NSW staff can be contacted by email: investment@screen.nsw.gov.au.

NSW Government staff, committee members and other officials including the decision maker must declare any conflicts of interest and ensure they are managed as per the DCITHS Code of Ethics and Conduct and the Grants Administration Guide. 

Details on how Screen NSW handles complaints, access to information and your private information is available here.

Direct-to-Audience (inclusive of Children’s and Documentary)  

For those projects for which Online/Direct-to-Audience (inclusive of VR, XR, AR and social media platforms) is the first and primary release window.

The creators of the work are in control of self-distributing the work and taking it to audience.

Direct-to-Audience projects are those that have not been commissioned by any third party anywhere and for which the first and primary window is a social or direct-to-audience platform.

Commissioned Online Series 

For short-form episodic series for which Television (specifically SVOD or BVOD) is the first and primary release window and a local commissioning platform has been secured. 

Qualifying NSW Production Expenditure (QNSWPE) includes:  

• Payroll subject to NSW Payroll Tax excluding payroll to non-NSW residents
• NSW workers’ compensation payments 
• Payments to a supplier of goods and services whose principal place of business is in NSW. Suppliers include independent contractors who are not subject to NSW Payroll Tax. 
• Payments to a supplier of goods and services which, although its principal place of business is outside NSW, has an office or branch in NSW which is supplying the goods or services, including fees and charges relating to the use of land within NSW 
• For NSW residents employed on a project and undertaking international or interstate travel: fifty percent (50%) of the fare where a return fare is purchased from a supplier in accordance with the above provisions 
• For inbound international or interstate travel to a NSW destination: fifty percent (50%) of the fare where a return fare is purchased from a supplier in accordance with the above provisions 
• Costs associated with a non-NSW resident coming to NSW to work on a production after they have been in the state for two continuous weeks (travel, accommodation, etc) 
• Inbound freight to a NSW destination  
• Fringe Benefits Tax relating to benefits provided in NSW 
• Lender legal fees where the lender’s principal place of business is in NSW 

but excludes: 

• Goods or services which are sourced from outside NSW from a non-NSW supplier, even though they are used in the production in NSW 
• Remuneration for non-NSW residents 
• Financing Costs (administration and interest). 

If there is expenditure on goods or services provided by suppliers outside NSW, only part of the contingency is considered NSW Spend. That part is the percentage that the cost of goods and services provided by NSW-based suppliers bears to the total budgeted cost. For example, if 75% of the budget, excluding contingency, is QNSWPE, then 75% of the contingency can also be claimed as QNSWPE. 

Refer to the Terms of Trade for more detail on QNSWPE. 

Currency exchange – Where production expenditure is incurred in foreign currencies, the exchange rate will be the RBA rate averaged across the period in which QNSWPE is incurred. 

Goods that are resold – For goods with ongoing value that are sold at the end of the project’s production, QNSWPE is the purchase price less the sale price. 

Also see the Glossary published on the Screen NSW website for non-program specific definitions. 

Regional NSW definition 

Regional NSW means all of New South Wales except for the local government areas of Bayside, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Burwood, Canada Bay, Canterbury-Bankstown, Camden, Campbelltown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Hunters Hill, Inner West, Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove, Liverpool, Mosman, North Sydney, Northern Beaches, City of Parramatta, Penrith, Randwick, Ryde, Strathfield, Sydney City, Sutherland, The Hills, Waverley, Willoughby, Wollondilly and Woollahra. More information is available here.  

Qualifying Regional Production Expenditure (QRPE) is the total of the below the line shooting expenses directly associated with filming and undertaking post in Regional NSW.  

Eligible QRPE does not include any above-the-line expenses (including development expenses), indirect costs, company overheads and contingency. 

Eligible Qualifying Regional Production Expenditure expenses are limited to: 

• Location fees 
• For required cast and crew travelling from other parts of NSW 
  • Travels costs
  • Accommodation
  • Per diems
• Local suppliers and services (e.g. construction contractors, security, traffic control etc)  
• Catering 
• Salaries for Regional NSW-based below-the-line cast and crew. 

1. Story Materials
   • One page synopsis
   • Features: Script; TV: At least 2 scripts and the outline or series bible; Documentary: Treatment
   • Post-production applications: AV Material (at a minimum, completed assembly edit) 
2. Legal
   • Certificate of Incorporation for company
   • Key Chain of Title documents 
3. Completion Guarantor
   • Letter of Interest from Completion Guarantor or letter from applicant requesting waiver of the requirement for a Completion Guarantor
4. Cast Agreements (where finance is cast dependent)
5. Finance
   • Finance Plan
   • Sales projections
   • Recoupment waterfall and narrative
   • All documents/contracts evidencing different sources of finance as per finance plan
   • Terms of cashflow providers and/or accountants letter verifying solvency of company to cover cashflow in Finance Plan 
6. Marketing & Distribution Agreements
   • All deal memos, agreements and draft agreements re. marketing, distribution, license agreements and presales, aligning to finance plan
7. Investment, Loans and Gap funding
   • All deal memos, agreements and draft agreements
8. Budget
   • Detailed budget and summary – must include clearly identified QNSWPE, QRPE and Qualifying Australian Production Expenditure (QAPE)
     • as separate columns if using spreadsheet software
     • tagged if using budgeting software, and provided as an additional separate report
   • If applying for NSW Post, Digital & Visual Effects rebate (PDV), a separate budget column or tagged report must be included Co-Production
   • Australian Budget with QAPE
   • NSW Budget with QNSWPE and, if relevant, QRPE
   • Screen Australia Report or notes on official co-production status
9. Offset Projects
   • For approved Production Fund projects, the provisional certificate will be a required Transaction Document for the first Screen NSW drawdown
10. Creative Statement 
11. Key production personnel – CVs  
12. First Nations Content
    • Statement regarding First Nations consultation and consent  
    • Written confirmation of the willingness of subject(s) and the community
    • First Nations consultant’s CV.