Enterprise Business
The Enterprise Program consists of two parts: Business and People, and two streams within each: Generate and Premium.
The Business program has been established to support content creation companies. Applications for Enterprise Business in 2022-2023 will be accepted from Business applicants that work in the following areas of Content:
- First Nations
- Online
- Documentary
- Scripted
Enterprise Business will consist of two funding streams:
- Generate – for establishing companies; and,
- Premium – for established companies.
Aims
The aims of Enterprise Business are to:
- Support business strategies for content companies that drive growth and sustainability and capitalise on success, both for companies and the wider screen industry.
- Support businesses to build greater knowledge, capacity and connection for pathways to sustainability in their content, and to support and promote the development of screen culture and screen skills.
- Support a range of businesses opportunities and commercial benefits of diversity, equity and inclusion, in addition to platform/format and geography, in the Australian screen industry.
- Support business strategies that drive for quality and capacity in content to meet domestic and global demand, and provide audience and financial return for businesses.
What funding/support is available?
Successfully funded applicant companies will be provided with direct grant funding of:
- $200,000 for one year for a Generate business
- $200,000 for one year for a Premium business
In addition to direct funding as listed above, successful applicant companies will also be provided with:
- an individual company Creative Mentor and Business Mentor (the costs of each are covered by Screen Australia). Screen Australia will consult with the successful applicants on their areas of focus and learning after notification of approval of the funding. Based on these learning areas and the goals of the applicant, Screen Australia will suggest and negotiate an appropriate mentor with the applicant.
- a program of learning and engagement modules to assist in creative, career and business knowledge and strategy.
The modules and mentorship activity will occur between July 2024 and end of June 2025.
Who can apply?
- Applicants must apply as an Australian entity. You will need to read our Terms of Trade to ensure you are eligible for Screen Australia funding.
- Your entity’s primary purpose is the development and production of scripted or documentary content for domestic and/or international markets, and your output is one or more of the following: Scripted, First Nations, Online (Feature, TV/Episodic) and Documentary (One-Off/Feature, Online, Episodic). See ‘What We Do’.
- Both Generate and Premium applicant companies must have reportable credits in the platforms and genres for which they are seeking support.
- Applications from companies whose principals and/or key staff are from underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply. For the purposes of this program, under-represented applicants may include: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; people who are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD); people from the Deaf/Disabled and/or Neurodivergent (DDN) communities; women, non-binary or gender diverse; people who identify as LGBTQIA+; people located in regional and remote areas; and, any other under-represented community that is brought to our attention.
Generate Stream
- Applicant companies for the Generate stream must have some industry experience on commissioned or self-released work that has achieved some critical or commercial traction in short-form or lower-budget long-form produced work. Generally, the applicant company will be in the first five (5) years of operation in the industry.
- Please note, if the principals of the company have significant screen careers and credits prior to forming the current business entity and based on their entire body of work, and accumulated experience in the industry, they are likely a better fit for the Premium stream. Screen Australia might move companies into the Premium stream accordingly.
Premium Stream
- Applicant companies for the Premium stream must have a strong track record or be highly accomplished across multiple longer form productions, some of which may be higher-budget and have achieved critical and/or commercial success and significant audience reach. Generally, the applicant company will be beyond five (5) years of operation in the industry.
What will be funded?
- Enterprise Business will support new business proposals that drive growth, quality, capacity and pathways to sustainability, and benefit the screen industry more broadly.
- The focus of this round of Enterprise Business is on companies whose primary business is content development and production. That is, production companies that create content in the following platforms and genres: Scripted, First Nations, Online and Documentary (One-Off/Feature, Online, Episodic). The primary focus and content output of the successfully funded businesses must meet Screen Australia’s Terms of Trade.
How to apply
Applications for Enterprise Business (Generate and Premium companies) must read the FAQs made available by Screen Australia relating to the Enterprise program.
- Stage 1 is for all eligible applicant companies.
- Stage 2 is only open to those companies who are most competitive (based on assessment of their Stage 1 application). Those applicants will be invited by Screen Australia to submit to Stage 2.
Applications for Stage 1 open Wednesday 8 November 2023, and close 5pm AEDT Thursday 22 February 2024, and are to be made by submitting an application form through the Screen Australia application portal along with the following materials:
Stage 1:
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a maximum four-minute video pitch (download-enabled)
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an ASIC or ABN statement or search document showing who the principals of the company are
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details of the company history; structure; vision and/or mission; and details of principals and key staff
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identification of what primary content output the company creates: First Nations, Scripted, Documentary, Online
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a Business Strategic Plan which outlines the company’s current business structure and strategy
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a market analysis including the position of the applicant company in its environment
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a description of the core business proposition and business model of the company
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details of 3-5 projects on the company’s development slate
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an outline of the marketing and sales strategies that the business is or plans on undertaking
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a preliminary Business Case Proposal for the work the company plans on undertaking as part of the Enterprise Program, with a focus on one (or more) of the following:
Company applicants will self-select on the application form if they are to be assessed as a Generate or Premium company.
Company applicants will self-select on the application form their primary content output and if they are to be assessed primarily in one of or in any combination of the following Content areas: First Nations, Scripted, Documentary, and/or Online.
Applicants will be advised of an invitation to Stage 2 or a decline outcome in writing on or around 12 April 2024.
Stage 2:
Stage 2 applicants will be sent a private link to complete the second stage application by the deadline of 5pm AEST Thursday 9 May 2024.
Those invited to Stage 2 will be provided with an individual company Business/Strategic consultation to assist with the preparation of their second stage application to help orient applications with the program objectives. Screen Australia will arrange and cover the costs of this consultation. These consultations will occur between 15-26 April 2024.
Application materials for Stage 2 invitation-only applicants will focus on the submission of a detailed business case for the work the company plans on undertaking as part of the Enterprise program. A template will be provided to invited Stage 2 applicants when the private link is provided.
How will applications be assessed?
Both Stage 1 and Stage 2 applications will be competitively assessed by a mix of Screen Australia executives and external industry specialists as required.
Stage 2 applicant companies may be asked to attend an interview as part of the assessment process.
Recommendations will be made to an internal committee comprised of the Screen Australia CEO, COO and Head of Content. Final decisions will be made by this committee.
We aim to make the application and assessment processes as transparent as possible, but given the volume of applications we receive, we do not have the resources to provide feedback on each proposal.
Applicants will be advised of the outcome of their Stage 2 application in writing by 21 June 2024.
If an applicant has access requirements in order to submit their application or in relation to how they would prefer decisions communicated, please email [email protected] and we will make arrangements to assist.
Assessment Criteria
All applications will be assessed against the aims of the Enterprise Business program and the following equally-weighted assessment criteria, along with the strengths and capabilities of the applicant entity:
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Strategy & Viability. How is the proposal strategic and viable in terms of the entity’s strategic and business planning and business case?
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. How is the proposed activity contributing to the businesses opportunities and commercial benefits of diversity, equity and inclusion in addition to platform/format and geography in the Australian screen industry?
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Impact. How does the content and platform focus of the company’s output drive growth for the company and contribute to the wider Australian screen industry?
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Capacity Building. How does the proposed activity build greater capacity toward a pathway to sustainability?
Terms of Funding
If you are successful at Stage 2, you will need to enter into a Screen Australia grant agreement with specific non-negotiable core conditions.
Funding will be in the form of a non-recoupable grant.
Drawdowns:
- For funded Business companies: 75% on signing; 20% on receipt of interim report due 6 months from the start date; 5% on receipt of final acquittal report due 12 months from the start date.
Reporting Obligations:
Any personal information collected in connection with your application or reporting obligations will be handled in accordance with Screen Australia’s Privacy Policy.
See the FAQs for further information.
If, after reviewing these guidelines, the application form, the FAQs, as well as any other pre-application assets prepared by Screen Australia and made available to inform applicants, you have any questions, please contact Program Operations on 1800 507 901 or via email [email protected]. Please note that we are unable to provide creative advice or suggestions to strengthen your application.
Update Log - 8 November 2023:
- Applicants are required to provide ASIC Statement/associated documentation for application
- Refined existing industry experience and credit guidelines for Generate and Premium streams
- Removed applicant-identified mentors in the application stage. Screen Australia will discuss best options post-approval with the successful applicants