International Finance

The International Finance Attraction fund provides support to Australian projects with a very high level of global appeal, to assist them to develop pitching materials and strategy, in order to best attract international partnerships and finance in the current market. 

It is open to long form drama and documentary projects on any platform which are market ready, have undergone a successful development process and can demonstrate development funding from an arm’s length commercial partner.

AVAILABLE FUNDING 

Funding of $5,000 - $20,000 will be granted to successful applicants and can cover items that will elevate the pitch and/or pitching strategy. These might include:

• creation of marketing and pitching materials.
• reasonable travel costs for 1-3 people - being those in the best position on the creative team to creatively pitch and/or follow up and broker deals.
• if required, workshopping of the pitch from appropriate and experienced industry mentors or consultants.
• if required, assistance from appropriate and experienced industry mentors or consultants, to help with strategic planning. (e.g. suggested key meeting targets and the best way to approach them, or advice around financing and deals, and other current market trends). 

The types of items you apply for will depend on the level of experience of the team and nature of the project.

The amount of funding you apply for should be relative to the size of the investment potential and the likelihood of attracting partners. For commercial projects of scale with a strong likelihood to attract significant finance and large marketplace partners, it would be at the higher end. For projects of a smaller scale it would be at a lower end. 

INCLUSIVE STORYTELLING

For Australian screen content to effectively deliver cultural and economic benefits it must speak to, and be for, all Australians. A diversity of ideas and a diverse workforce will enhance the Australian screen industry, making it more relevant to Australian audiences and more competitive internationally.

Screen Australia is committed to building equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility into its programs and into our engagement with the community.

Screen Australia encourages applications from applicants from all backgrounds, cultures and experiences. In particular, the agency welcomes applications from under-represented groups.

Screen Australia strives to make its funding programs accessible by removing barriers for people who are d/Deaf, and disabled and/or those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

ELIGIBILITY 

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

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY

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

To be eligible, an applicant company must:

• be an incorporated company carrying on business in Australia, with its central management and control in Australia;
• have an Australian Business Number (ABN); and
• be registered for the purposes of GST if required by law.

To be eligible, an individual applicant (or each individual co-applicant) must:

• be an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident (holding a permanent visa); and
• have an Australian Business Number (ABN).

Note: Co-productions may also apply with an application from the Australian Company.

In addition, applicants must:

• have a market-ready, long-form project on any platform that:
  • has undergone significant creative development and has the key creative team attached; and
  • is uniquely and culturally identifiable as Australian and is also bold, ambitious and has universal appeal.
• control the rights and have meaningful creative control of the project.
• be able to evidence a successful development process and funding from an arm’s length commercial partner (i.e., a substantial and well-known international or Australian commercial entity with an effective track record on similar projects, for example, a commissioning platform, broadcaster, local or international distributor, studio or production company of substance) and/or Screen Australia where their development funding will have been fully acquitted as a pre-condition of eligibility. 

Eligible Projects

This fund is open to long-form drama and documentary projects on any platform which are market ready, have undergone a successful development process and can demonstrate development funding from an arm’s length commercial partner.

For documentary projects, please refer to the ACMA guidelines for the definition of a documentary. Note: Screen Australia does not invest in programs such as reality or magazine television, light entertainment, panel or travel shows, infotainment, current affairs, cooking, ‘how to’, sports, corporate, training, games, extensions to film or TV, or community access programs or projects whose primary market is the education sector.

Long form is defined as a single feature project (scripted or unscripted) of at least 85 minutes duration, an episodic project of at least 3 commercial hours, or an online project of at least 45 minutes total series duration. XR (Extended Reality) projects can be any length.

Market ready means the project must be creatively sound, have a realistic estimated budget (or budget range) and finance plan (or plans), and at a stage of sourcing finance, partners and/or presales. It will have undergone significant creative development and have the key creative team attached. The stage of development might vary dependent on content type, intended platform of release, and the proposed strategy.   

Please note that applications cannot be made retrospectively.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Before applying, applicants must read and understand these guidelines, Screen Australia’s Terms of Trade, Information for Applicants, Information for Recipients, and preview the application form on SmartyGrants. 

HOW TO APPLY     

Applications for the International Finance Attraction fund can be made at any time through Screen Australia’s Application Portal.

Application Form

• Complete and submit the online application form through Screen Australia’s Application Portal on SmartyGrants.
• Through the application form, applicants must:
  • provide all the information requested and answer the application questions;
  • meet, where required, all eligibility criteria; and
  • include all required supporting materials.

Required Materials

Applicants are required to provide information on or upload the following supporting materials with their application form:

• a Project Summary and a Detailed Proposal for your international strategy (details below)
• evidence of currently secured production finance and marketplace partners and/ or evidence of existing strong expressions of interest, if applicable
• existing pitching /marketing materials that will be used, if applicable
• if Screen Australia has not been involved with the latest development stage, a third-party warranty will be required. This consists of evidence of development funding and a creative assessment of the project by any third-party commercial partners, as well as a two-page outline of the project

Project Summary details you will be asked to provide include: 

• a short summary of current development status and all development investment to date.
• current primary finance plan including any currently secured production finance and marketplace partners (additional or alternate finance plans and/or further comments and reasoning on the plan(s) can be submitted with the Detailed Proposal).
• a short summary of the intended pathway to audience.
• a short summary of the international appeal.

The Detailed Proposal should outline your international pitching strategy with outcomes and reasons to support.

This should include:

• proposed list of meetings and strategy, with intended outcomes for each
• where travel will be to and why? what is the timing of travel and why?*
• what else is needed in order to achieve best possible outcomes for the strategy? Please also state rationale for each item. For example:
  • creation of marketing and pitching materials (e.g. a sizzle reel, look book, pre-recorded pitch reel, vision statements, etc).
  • workshopping of the pitch from appropriate and experienced industry mentors or consultants.
  • assistance from appropriate and experienced industry mentors or consultants, to help with strategic planning. (e.g. suggested key meeting targets and best way to approach, or advice around financing and deals, and other current market trends).  
• who from the creative team will be pitching and why, including any details of relevant experience and relationships, as well as any internationally successful completed work that will be leveraged.
• the budget to carry out the intended international strategy.

* Screen Australia will only contribute costs for the equivalent of economy travel pricing. Applicants may travel at a higher class of travel if covered by their own contribution.

ASSESSMENT

Process

• Once submitted, Program Operations will review each application to determine eligibility and ensure that required materials have been submitted. A member of the team may contact the applicant if there are questions regarding submission materials or eligibility.
• If any application materials have not been submitted, a ‘missing materials’ email will be sent, and the applicant is required to supply the ‘missing materials’ in the specified timeframe. No extensions will be granted.
• Once eligibility is confirmed, the applicant will receive an email advising that their application has moved to assessment which will take approximately four (4) weeks. 
• Applications are assessed against the published criteria by Screen Australia executives or industry specialists consulted as required.
• availability of funds.
• the intent of the project and the intent and suitability of the creative team to reflect gender equity and/or the diversity of people and experiences from around Australia.

Criteria

Applications will be assessed by against the following equally weighted criteria:

• Project Strength. Strength of the project - based on:
  • international commercial viability.
  • strength and distinctiveness of the story, and if the execution will resonate with its intended audience.
  • demonstrated pathway to audience appropriate to the project’s budget size and financing strategy.
• Market readiness. Market readiness of project - based on: 
  • stage of development in relation to the type of content type, intended platform of release, and the proposed strategy.
  • other key attachments and production partners, including agents and any EPs. 
  • if applicable, any existing marketplace attachments and/or secured investment in proportion to the overall budget.
• International strategy. Effectiveness of the proposed international strategy including planned preparation, appropriateness of meetings, activities and outcomes. 
• Potential to achieve strategy. Potential of the applicants (and also any industry mentors/ consultants), to achieve the proposed international strategy based on relevant and recent credits and industry experience pertinent to the strategy.

Other factors may be considered including the: 

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

Decision & Notification

• Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application within approximately four weeks of receiving the ‘moved to assessment’ email.
• Screen Australia will advise applicants in writing of the outcome.
• Decisions on applications are final.
• We receive many more applications than we can support. Inevitably, some applications will be unsuccessful and applicants will be disappointed by this result.

Successful Applicants

Contracting

• If an application is approved, the applicant will receive an email detailing the level and type of Screen Australia’s approved contribution, as well as information about the contracting process and any applicable conditions.
• Successful applicants will enter into an Activity Grant Agreement with Screen Australia.

Funding will be in the form of a grant and subject to a non-negotiable standard contract.

Terms of Funding

Funding through this program is provided as a grant.

Funding recipients are required to provide a written report detailing the outcomes of the support. Specifically, they are required to report and keep Screen Australia advised of: 

• a summary of meetings undertaken. 
• what the companies met with expected to see as far as pitch, as well as feedback on what worked and what did not for each meeting and/or pitch.
• any other useful information on what various companies are currently looking for or reporting market wise.
• contact list for all meetings.
• intel on types of deals being offered.
• feedback on any industry consultants or mentors enlisted in the strategic planning.
• the actual funding raised as a result of the strategy.

Other Resources

Further information about Screen Australia funding and resources to assist with submitting an application is available on Screen Australia’s website:

• Terms of Trade
• Information for Applicants
• Information for Recipients

Contact

If you are unsure about your eligibility or have questions about the application form, please email us at [email protected] or call Program Operations on 1800 507 901.

Privacy

Screen Australia collects personal information from individuals in different ways, including via funding applications, acquittal reports, or supporting material supplied with forms. Screen Australia will handle any personal information provided in connection with a funding application in accordance with its Privacy Notice relating to funding applications and its Privacy Policy.