Guidelines
Application Process

Letter of preliminary compliance

Provisional approval cannot be given until finance is committed. However, Screen Australia appreciates that in order for finance to be committed, co-producers may need to be able to demonstrate to potential financiers that the project would qualify as an official co-production.

Therefore, at a point at which the co-producers are committed and there is a broad indication of:

• the budget or at least a budget ‘topsheet’,
  
• the proportion of the budget which will be expended by each co-producer,
  
• which creative roles will be filled by nationals of each country, and
  
• the proportion of finance that will be raised by each co-producer,
  

the Australian co-producer may seek a preliminary indication from Screen Australia that the project would qualify as an official co-production. This indication will take the form of a ‘letter of preliminary compliance’.

This letter will be based solely on the statements of the Australian co-producer outlined in the application and any supporting materials.

The letter of preliminary compliance will not bind Screen Australia to any decision in relation to a provisional or final application and will not entitle the co-producers to any of the benefits accorded to an official co-production (such as eligibility for the Producer Offset).

A letter of preliminary compliance is an optional process and co-producers who have finance committed should apply for provisional approval rather than seeking a letter of preliminary compliance first.

A fee of A$275 (GST inclusive) is payable when an application for a letter of preliminary compliance is made. For further information, see the application form at right.