2025-26 Development Program

2025-26 Development Program is sponsored by NSW Government. Supports writers, directors, and producers in NSW to develop fiction, unscripted, and online projects with distinctive ideas and ambitious stories.

2025-26 Development Program | NSW Government 2025-26 Development Program Screen NSW Development funding supports writers, directors and producers to develop fiction or unscripted (documentary) and online projects with distinctive ideas and ambitious stories.

Grant amount: Up to $50,000 depending on the project type and level of market interest The objectives of the program are to: Support the nurturing of new ideas and talent in NSW Ensure Key Creatives are given access to opportunities that benefit their careers and reinvest back into the NSW economy Support connections that will shape the future of our creative landscape and strengthen our position in the global market.

This program is funded and administered by Screen NSW. This program is administered by Screen NSW. Please see the Screen NSW website for the full Program Guidelines .

All applicants must fulfil the following criteria: Meet the requirements of Screen NSW’s Terms of Trade The applicant must be either a writer or producer who is an Australian resident or citizen The applicant and/or at least one member of the key creative team (i.e. Writer or Producer) must have an appropriate credit on a Qualifying Project, or otherwise meet the credit eligibility exemption requirements (see ‘Credit eligibility’ for details) Applicants must hold the rights to the submitted project and be able to demonstrate this if required by providing chain of title documents Authenticity of story elements is mandatory and projects must have individuals in significant creative roles representing priority groups that are aligned to the project’s story (see ‘ Authenticity eligibility requirements and Diversity Commitment ’ for details).

Additional eligibility requirements by applicant type: Non-NSW Producer applicants must engage a NSW-resident writer Writer-only applicants can only receive one round of funding for a project without a producer Documentary applicants must have a director attached where the request includes shooting material.

Types of projects funded under this grant The following projects are eligible for funding: Narrative fiction including children’s feature films and series for any release platform including cinema, video on demand, broadcast television and online D ocumentary and factual including children’s feature films and series (as defined by ACMA ) for any release platform including cinema, video on demand, broadcast television and online Extended Reality for narrative driven audience interaction and engagement across online, mobile applications, public screens and interactive displays.

What your application needs to include Prepare your application with this checklist Support material plays a vital role in how we understand and assess your application. Choose high-quality support material that is concise, current and directly relevant to your application.

Details of support material are specified in the application form and on our website here , for example, series bibles, treatments, etc. Support material for proposals involving the First Nations arts and cultural sector and/or First Nations people, organisations and cultural material must include letters of support and confirmation of involvement from the relevant communities and/or organisations (see NSW Aboriginal Arts and Cultural Protocols ).

Address the eligibility criteria Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria. Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion. To apply for funding, you will need to complete and submit an application form through our secure online grants system SmartyGrants.

It is a one stage application process. After the application is submitted Successful applications will be decided by: Head of Screen NSW Applications are received on a rolling basis and are assessed on the eligibility and selection criteria. Sector Investment team members assess projects across our entire suite of development and production programs.

Once your application has been submitted, you will receive an email confirmation from our secure online grants system, SmartyGrants. Applications will be initially reviewed by Screen NSW staff to ensure they meet eligibility requirements, and all application materials are acceptable. Where projects are deemed ineligible, the applicant will be advised within 4 weeks.

After eligibility is confirmed, the application will be assessed by a minimum of one Screen NSW staff member or an external assessor with industry experience. The application will be then reviewed by an assessment panel including a minimum of three Screen NSW staff members, chaired by the Senior Manager Content Investment (or delegate), which is convened on a monthly basis.

The assessment meeting may also be attended by a probity representative. Please note that funding allocation follows a competitive process. Evaluations will consider the assessment criteria outlined above, the availability of funds at Screen NSW, the quality of the application against other applications received during the same assessment period, and the applicant's need for Screen NSW funds.

Final recommendations will be made in writing for approval by the Head of Screen NSW. We shall endeavour to notify you on the outcome of your application between eight to ten weeks from the date that Screen NSW acknowledges receipt of a completed application. Screen NSW Investment team (investment@screen.

nsw. gov.au)