Documentary Development

Applicants and projects must meet Screen Australia’s Terms of Trade, any general eligibility or other requirements set out on Screen Australia’s website (see Information for Applicants and Information for Recipients), as well as the specific eligibility criteria set out in the guidelines.

This program is open to individuals (either alone or as part of a team of co-applicants) and Australian companies:

• An individual applicant must be an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident (holding a permanent visa).
• An applicant company must be an incorporated company conducting business in Australia, with its central management and control in Australia.
• For international co-productions, applications must be made by the Australian applicant.

Applicants must also:

• have an Australian Business Number (ABN); and
• be registered for GST if required by law
• demonstrate, with the exception of anticipated Official Co-Productions, that the project is written and directed by Australian citizens or permanent residents and that any non-Australian producers do not prevent the project from meeting the requirements of Screen Australia’s other eligibility requirements.
• control the rights to the project that is the subject of the application (including any relevant copyright and appropriate clearances from all significant participants).

The following types of entities are not eligible to apply to this program:

• commonwealth, state, territory or local government agencies or bodies
• organisations or individuals that are otherwise excluded pursuant to the Information for Applicants.

For full eligibility information, please refer to the attached guidelines.

Complete and submit the online application form through Screen Australia’s Application Portal on SmartyGrants.

Before applying, applicants must read and understand the guidelines, Screen Australia’s Terms of Trade, Information for Applicants, Information for Recipients, Documentary Development FAQs (below) and preview the application form on SmartyGrants.

Through the application form, applicants must:

• meet all eligibility and assessment criteria
• provide all the information requested and answer the application questions; and
• include all required supporting materials.

For full details on the application process, including required materials, please refer to the attached guidelines.

Applications will be assessed against the following equally weighted criteria:

• Story
  • Is the story strong, distinctive and entertaining and does it demonstrate storytelling craft?
  • Is the story suited to its platform and proposed audience?
  • Does the story contribute to the depth and diversity of Australian stories?
• Strength of the team
  • Does the previous experience of the team position them to execute the vision?
  • Does the team have authentic connection to the content of the story, contributors and the subject that they are exploring?
• Audience & Budget
  • Has the audience been clearly and appropriately identified?
  • Does the story have potential to resonate with Australian and/or global audiences?
  • Will the story have impact for audiences and/or reflect the diversity of people and experiences from around Australia?
  • Does the project have the potential to reach the intended audience on its platform/s?
  • Are the level of funds requested appropriate in relation to the proposed development strategy and budget?

Other factors that may be considered during the decision-making process include:

• availability of funds
• range of projects in receipt of development funding from Screen Australia inclusive of scale, budget, intended audience, genre and themes;
• range of applicants in receipt of development funding from Screen Australia inclusive of applicant, applicant company and geographic diversity; and
• extent to which a project is likely to effectively amplify equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

For full details on the assessment criteria, please refer to the attached guidelines.