Through the Screen Story Development Fund, Screen Australia supports screen content makers to take advantage of existing and emerging opportunities to develop compelling scripted stories.

Applicants may apply for development funding from one of two strands – The Generate Fund or the Premium Fund. The information on this page refers to the Premium Fund strand.

The Premium Fund, also open for episodic television and feature film projects, is for higher budget long form projects of ambition and scale from successful screen content makers. The commercial viability of the project, and the path to a significant and clearly defined audience is a key focus of this fund.

The Story Development Premium Fund provides development funding support for distinctive higher- budget projects with teams who have the critical and/or commercial success to develop, finance and produce projects of ambition and scale.

For example, someone in the key creative team will need to have enough creative traction and heat around them with the marketplace in order to attract cast and raise the finance for a higher budget feature film and also the producing experience to deliver.  For higher budget projects for a Commissioning Platform, the team need the necessary experience to give a Commissioning Platform confidence that they will deliver the project as well as the creative vision.

The Premium Development fund has the following aims:

• Ambition & Scale: to identify and support distinctive, quality, higher budget drama projects of ambition and scale for any platform.
• Success: to support successful screen content makers.
• Viability & Market: to generate viable projects and teams that will attract marketplace finance and are intended for significant audience reach.
• Culture & Diversity: to ensure the storytellers and stories being told reflect gender equity, and/or the diversity of people and experiences from around Australia, all of which are important culturally, creatively and economically.

Funding

Funding is for development costs. The Development budget can include whatever the project and team need including a treatment, scriptment, draft script, bible, research, writers’ rooms, and/or the production of a Proof of Concept (POC) or sizzle reel. For more detail and POC requirements, see Premium Fund FAQs.

There is no cap on funding but the amount applied for must be reasonable relative to the scope of the project, experience of the creative team, the development activities proposed, and any additional sources of development financing raised or expected.

Requested amounts should also align with our Contribution Guide.

Applications

Applications are open all year and can be made at any time through Screen  Australia’s  application portal.

Who can apply?

Applications for Premium are open to anyone who:

• meets all requirements and conditions in our Terms of Trade.
• is an Australian individual or team. Co-productions may also apply with an application from the Australian Company.
• has a significant track record/production credits on critically and/or commercially successful projects.
• has a project that is a distinctive, higher-budget series or one-off long form drama project on any platform.
• controls the rights whether they are the writer, director or producer.
• has the demonstrated know-how to develop the project, raise finance and execute the creative vision.
• meets the following budget thresholds

• one-off or series for a Commissioning Platform - under $1,500,000 per hour
• feature Films – under $3,000,000.

There are no minimum credit requirements to apply. Applications can be made by individuals or creative teams, however individual applicants must demonstrate the ability to attract other team members at later stages of development.

With the exception of official Co-Productions, it is Screen Australia’s expectation that applications for direct funding will demonstrate that the project is written and directed by Australian citizens or permanent residents. Please email Development to discuss with a Story Development team member before applying if this is not the case.

Specific requirements apply where a project involves First Nations content, stories, characters or community participation. Please see the First Nations content, collaboration and participation section below and our Pathways and Protocols guide for more detail.

You will not be eligible for Generate if you have a project that:

• is a standalone short film
• a short form series
• does not meet all requirements and conditions in our Terms of Trade
• has been declined twice for Screen Australia development funding (except in exceptional circumstances)

Applications from emerging screen content makers’  should refer to the Generate Fund.

Funding limits

• Screen Australia will only fund Australian creatives and costs of the development budget, but will also contribute to costs for internal consultants, mentors and script editors. 
• Screen Australia development funding cannot be retrospective. 
• Whilst Screen Australia can support the development of TV series, when marketplace (broadcaster, streamer etc) commits to development of a project, that project cannot apply to Screen Australia for further or matched development funding.  

• Phone: 1800 507 901
• Email: development@screenaustralia.gov.au