First Nations Documentary Production

  • Limited funding available; no set maximum per applicant
  • Post-production matched funding will be considered up to $100K, if project meets post-production presale and licence fee requirements
  • Applications by invitation only
  • Decisions made in approximately eight weeks

This grant supports strong and distinctive documentary projects by First Nations Australians. Funding is designed to complete the project, not just a stage of production, and supports professional development of the key creative team.

Key Requirements

  • Projects can be a one-off or series linear documentary of at least a commercial half hour in duration, or a series of any number of episodes at least a commercial half hour in total duration
  • Must be a documentary as defined by ACMA.
  • Must be intended for distribution via a Commissioning Platform with the required presale confirmed
  • Not be more than 26 broadcast hours of any one project, which may include multiple series.
  • 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.
  • Projects must have a domestic presale with a Commissioning Platform and meet minimum licence fee requirements

What is eligible for funding?

Screen Australia funding is available for production and post-production costs of one-off documentaries, documentary series or factual multiplatform projects.

What companies are eligible for funding?

  • An application must be from a producer on behalf of a team, including a writer and director, or writer/director.
  • The director must be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australian.
  • In the case of co-writing teams, made up of Indigenous and non-Indigenous writers, the original concept must come from the First Nations Australian writer. This must be shown in the application.
  • The producer or the director must have at least one eligible documentary credit.
  • To be an ‘eligible documentary credit’ under this program, a project must be a broadcast half hour or longer and have:
    – been broadcast by a recognised broadcaster or channel; or
    – had a commercial theatrical release; or
    – been invited to screen at IDFA, Hot Docs or equivalent.

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.