FIRST NATIONS
TV Drama Production

Limited funds are available through this program to invest in outstanding drama television projects which are based on strong and original ideas, and can demonstrate the potential to reach an audience.

Production investment is intended primarily to assist in the professional development of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander key creatives, as well as to provide opportunities for First Nations Australian screen content makers who have demonstrated extraordinary talent to extend their vision and their skills.

What funding is available?

Limited funding is available through this program.

There are no limits on the proportion of the budget Screen Australia can contribute under this program. However, other sources of finance are encouraged, and the assessment process will take into account the level of Screen Australia funding requested as a proportion of overall budget.

Contributions might come from marketplace entities (eg Commissioning Platforms), as well as from state agencies, other government organisations, cultural institutions, international sources, private investors or other partners.

Who can apply?

Applicants and their projects must meet the general eligibility requirements set out in Screen Australia’s Terms of Trade in addition to the following:

The project

• must be a Drama of any broadcast format to be eligible for this program, including telemovies, telemovie packages, series (no distinction is drawn between series and mini- series) and online drama projects.
• must not be more than 26 broadcast hours of any one project, which may include multiple series.
• must be intended for distribution via a Commissioning Platform with the required presale confirmed (noting that minimum licence fees apply). See below.
• have been developed by Australian production companies/producers and creatives, not sub-contracted from a Commissioning Platform;
• if applicable, must be independent of the nominated local Commissioning Platform for the first release of a program in Australia. In addition, Screen Australia expects key creatives (producer, writer, director, cinematographer, editor) to be sourced from the freelance market and not from the staff of the Commissioning Platform; 
• Other than in exceptional circumstances, preference will be given to projects that, at the time of application, are no further than six months from the start of pre-production.

The Applicant

• The writer, director and any co-directors must be Australian Aboriginal or a Torres Strait Islander practitioner.

• The application must come from a producer, on behalf of team including a First Nations Australian writer, director, and any co-directors, or a First Nations Australian writer/director

• The writer and director must be First Nations Australian and must have at least three ‘eligible drama credits’ in their respective roles.

• In the case of co-writing teams, made up of Indigenous and non- Indigenous writers, the original concept must come from the First Nations writer. This must be shown in the application.

• The producer (where attached) must be either:

• an ‘experienced producer’, or

• a producer who has at least three ‘eligible drama credits’, or

• an emerging producer applying in conjunction with an ‘experienced producer’.

Outstanding applicants or projects that emerge through the Indigenous Department’s Sector Development programs may be invited to apply to this program. This provides the opportunity for Indigenous practitioners to access production funds even where minimum credit requirements are not satisfied.

Presale requirements

A domestic presale for an Australian Commissioning Platform must be secured on terms acceptable to Screen Australia for all episodic or feature length projects for which Television (including SVOD or BVOD) is the first and primary window (including Children’s television). Such presale must meet the minimum licence fee requirements set out below, and must otherwise be in accordance with all relevant industry agreements and having regard to issues of overall commerciality:

• a confirmed minimum licence fee of $550,000 per broadcast hour allocated toward the initial licence period (3 years) against the primary right for the program being on the platform on which the program premieres in Australia; or
• for Children’s content, a confirmed minimum of:

• $125,000 per broadcast half hour for one commissioning platform with limited exclusivity holdbacks; or

• $144,000 per broadcast half hour for (i) combination of commissioning platforms; or (ii) one commissioning platform with full exclusivity during the initial licence period,

allocated toward the initial licence period (3 years) against the primary right for the program being on the platform on which the program premieres in Australia.

• to the extent that the local commissioning platform acquires secondary rights during the initial licence period, please refer to the table below for minimum requirements, and terms must generally be in accordance with relevant industry agreements.

Note that:

• minimum licence fees cannot include:

• equity investment;

• broadcast rights for New Zealand or any Rest of World territory (ROW);

• secondary rights (except as permitted above);

• distribution rights; or

• ancillary rights.

• the minimum licence fees are minimum requirements, and Screen Australia recognises that producers may be in a position to negotiate for more favourable rates with respect to certain rights, depending on the unique circumstances of the relevant project;

• the minimum licence fees set out above will be valid until a review takes place prior to 1 July 2028;

• the producer needs to be able to demonstrate that they are able to engage cast to match the requirements of the Commissioning Platform; and

• no international marketplace attachments are required but producers are encouraged to develop a marketing strategy for international sales.

Please refer to the Summary of Minimum Licence Fee requirements for TV Drama Productions table at the bottom of this page for more information.

What is the assessment process?

Applications are by invitation only. Contact a First Nations Investment Manager to discuss your project or the Program Operations team if you are unsure who to speak with: 1 800 507 901 or [email protected].  If you are invited to apply you will be asked to submit your application using the Application Portal.

Turnaround time from complete applications is approximately eight weeks.

Refer to the website for a downloadable materials checklist.

Applications are assessed by Screen Australia executives and/or industry specialists as required.  Screen Australia will advise applicants in writing of the success or otherwise of their application. 

Funding decisions will be made against the following equally weighted criteria:

• The quality of the proposal including its innovative and/or cultural significance
• The project’s potential to connect with its target audience
• The track record and capacity of the creative team
•  The strength of the marketplace and the level of co-finance excluding Screen Australia and the State agencies
• Diversity of Slate

Preference will be given to original formats over programs based on foreign formats.

Budget requirements

Format: Budgets must be presented in the Screen Australia A-Z Budget format. Fees should comply with industry standard rates. They will be considered in the context of the budget and track record of the personnel.

Budgets must include:

• Contingency: Allowance for a contingency of 10 per cent of the below the line costs.
• Overheads: Production company overheads are capped at 5 per cent of the company’s total expenditure on the project, or $500,000, whichever is the lesser amount.
• Completion guarantor: An allowance should be made for a completion guarantor unless Screen Australia agrees otherwise in writing. 
• Promotions and marketing: Marketing and promotions costs should be incorporated from the outset. Line items for specific promotional materials must include professional stills photography and press kit.
• Delivery to digital platform: Screen Australia now considers it as standard that the budget is sufficient to allow for all necessary online delivery requirements. Delivery items: Producers must budget for all relevant deliverables including for Screen Australia, the NFSA, sales company deliverables and other delivery items as required. See Terms of Trade for details.

Terms of funding

Crew Placement Scheme

As a condition of Screen Australia production funding, below-the-line crew placement opportunities must be allocated to each project for emerging to mid-career Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Straight Island practitioners to gain experience in mid and senior crew and leadership roles:

• Productions that receive between $500,000 and $1,000,000 in production funding from Screen Australia must budget for and engage one emerging or mid-career crew Placee in consultation with Screen Australia.

• Productions that receive more than $1,000,000 in production funding from Screen Australia must budget for and engage two emerging or mid-career crew Placees in consultation with Screen Australia.

• The costs for the Placee must be included within your production budget. Potential roles for the placements can be discussed with your Investment Manager or Screen Australia’s Industry Development Unit.

• For more information about the requirements of the Crew Placement Scheme, click on these FAQs.

Where Screen Australia’s total contribution (including any development funds) is $500,000 or under, funding will be in the form of a grant:

• Screen Australia does not take a share of receipts from projects funded under a grant, which means the funds do not have to be repaid other than in circumstances set out in the Terms of Trade.
• The amount of the Screen Australia grant will be agreed upfront and not varied, other than in exceptional circumstances.
• Screen Australia does not require a share of copyright in productions that it funds under a grant.

Where Screen Australia’s total contribution (including any development funds) is more than $500,000, funding will be in the form of recoupable equity investment, with copyright terms in accordance with the agency’s Terms of Trade.

Recoupment - For all projects covered by these guidelines in which Screen Australia contributes a recoupable equity investment, Screen Australia will generally require the appointment of a disbursement administrator for all territories (to manage the disbursement of both gross receipts and residuals) and Screen Australia’s approval is required over the terms of any disbursement agreement entered into. Screen Australia will consider a waiver of the requirement to appoint a disbursement administrator depending on the experience and track record of the producer and on the nature of the project. The recoupment terms shall otherwise be in accordance with the agency’s Terms of Trade.