All Official Co-production projects must obtain Provisional Approval. Provisional Approval is not an optional stage for a Co-production, as it is for the Producer Offset.

An application is lodged by each co-producer with their Competent Authority and when all Competent Authorities are satisfied that the project is eligible, the Competent Authorities grant approval.

You should lodge a Provisional Co-production Application Form once you are in a position to provide:

• a detailed budget including a breakdown of Australian spend;
• a detailed schedule;
• a breakdown of the nationality of participants;
• documentation (of at least Letter of Interest level) for each aspect of the finance plan and the co-production split;
• a draft Co-producers’ Agreement; and
• any agreements related to the project’s development you have in place.

You will also need to provide a Statutory Declaration to certify the accuracy of all the details contained within the application, a completed Co-production Eligibility Tool and an ‘undertaking’ which is attached to the Application Form.

How long does it take?

Screen Australia aims to assess Provisional Co-production Applications within 8-10 weeks of receipt of a complete application. However, it is important to remember that Co-production approval can only be granted once all the relevant Competent Authorities have approved the project so you should ensure your co-producer is lodging an application to its Competent Authority at the same time.

Applying for Provisional Certification for the Producer Offset

You may also submit an application for a Producer Offset Provisional Certificate at the same time – particularly, if you wish to confirm eligibility for the 40% Offset as a feature and if the Offset forms part of your finance plan.

Please visit the Producer Offset Online Application Portal to submit your Provisional Producer Offset application.

Note: We cannot issue a Producer Offset Provisional Certificate until the project’s Provisional Co-production status has been approved. If you don’t need Provisional Offset certification, only the Provisional Co-production Application Form need be lodged.

Reassessment of Provisional Approval

Your project may continue to evolve after you have received Provisional Approval. You can use the Co-production Eligibility Tool to monitor the likely effect of any changes on your co-production status, but keep in mind that it is not determinative.

If you feel the changes will affect your Provisional Approval, please contact Screen Australia for a reassessment. If the project’s eligibility is confirmed, we will issue a letter to that effect.