First Nations TV Drama Production

  • Limited funding available; no set maximum per applicant
  • Applications by invitation only
  • Decisions made in approximately eight weeks

This grant invests in outstanding drama television projects by First Nations Australians. Funding supports production and post-production, aiming to develop key creatives and extend their vision and skills.

Key Requirements

  • Drama of any broadcast format is eligible for this program, including telemovies, series (no distinction is drawn between series and mini-series) and drama multiplatform projects.
  • More than 26 broadcast hours of any one project, which may include multiple series, will not be eligible for funding.
  • Projects must have a marketplace attachment and meet presale requirements
  • 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.

What is eligible for funding?

Screen Australia funding is available for production and post-production costs of drama television projects, including telemovies, series, and online drama projects.

What companies are eligible for funding?

  • 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 an 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 Indigenous writer. This must be shown in the application.
  • The producer 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’.

Is this grant competitive or entitlement based?

Competitive. Your application will be assessed among other applications by a judging panel.

How can I increase my chances of winning this grant?

By engaging an accredited government grants consultant, such as Avant Group.

Competitive grants often require significant business case development and project analysis to support the application, this may include detailed presentations supporting the project’s merit, projected sales, cost-benefit analysis and more.

As part of your engagement with Avant Group, your account manager will assess the required documents and will provide the following as needed to support your grant submission.

Grant application writeup including a detailed presentation illustrating how the grant funding will contribute to your project, how the funding will contribute to the project’s budget, a project milestone plan, delivery timeline, impact on employment if applicable and a breakdown of the management and leadership team for the project

  • Industry analysis presentation
  • Competitor Analysis Presentation
  • Marketing and Sales Analysis Presentation
  • 3-5 year Cashflow Forecast
  • 3-5 year Balance Sheet Forecast
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis of Grant Funding
  • End-to-end grant application including information collating, analysis and application writing
  • CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) cost-benefit analysis
  • Stakeholder relations and Risk Mitigation Plans
  • Any other relevant forecasting that will support your application

How can I get help with my application? Or know if I’m likely to win funding?

Avant Group offers a no-obligation assessment of your eligibility for funding and will assess your likelihood of a successful grant application.