PEP (Producer Equity Program)

UPDATE: The Producer Equity Program (PEP) was closed in 2024. Funding for Australian documentary makers is available primarily through the Documentary Production Program.

The Producer Equity Program (PEP) provides a direct payment of funds to producers of eligible low-budget Australian documentaries, equal to 20 per cent of the approved budget.

Key Requirements

Project must have a confirmed finance plan totalling a minimum of $125,000 up to a maximum of $500,000 and not be eligible for the Producer Offset, PDV or Location Offset
Project must be a linear documentary of any length, and at any stage of production (pre-production, production, post-production) when an application is made
Must have commenced pre-production on or after 1 July 2011
Must be produced for distribution to the Australian public, with a demonstrated arm’s length commercial arrangement for distribution e.g. broadcast licence, distribution agreement, VOD agreement, a confirmed Australian film festival screening or cinema on demand screening
Must have Significant Australian Content

What is eligible for funding?

The full value of PEP must be contributed to the production budget

When can applications be made?

Applications can be submitted at any time. The average turn around for a decision is six weeks from receipt of a complete application.

How can Avant Group help me?

Avant Group’s film funding department works with Australian production houses and filmmakers to gain funding and loans to help produce and distribute locally made productions to the world.

We can help determine your eligibility and help ensure you are maximising your claim.

We can help you prepare your application and write your application on your behalf, help understand the funding and prepare for any auditing requirements.

Funding applications such as PEP, require in-depth and often complex documentation for funding to be considered including:

A complete financial plan using the Screen Australia template
All evidence of all arms-length commercial arrangement(s) for distribution to the Australian public e.g. broadcast licence, distribution agreement, VOD agreement, a confirmed Australian film festival screening or cinema on demand screening
All relevant signed letters of offer, signed deal memos and signed term sheets for all marketplace or equity attachments for every line of the finance plan, including state agency funding
A detailed budget and budget summary. Production budgets must include:
- Contingency: Contingency is set at 10 per cent.
- Delivery items: Allowance must be made for delivery items specified for Screen Australia, the broadcaster and NFSA, as well as for sales company deliverables and other delivery items as required. See Terms of Trade for details.
- Study guides: The cost of a study guide must be included in the budget as a line item of $2,750 per hour. If the publisher decides not to create a study guide, the $2,750 can be applied to marketing expenses. The producer must seek Screen Australia’s approval of the choice of publisher (ATOM is pre-approved).
- Promotions and marketing: Budgets should allocate an appropriate marketing spend fit for purpose.
A letter from a certified accountant for any producer contributions listed on the finance plan
If the project is complete;
- an online screening link to the completed project
- a final cost report
- a statutory declaration confirming the final cost report
Screen Australia requires a solicitor’s opinion on the chain of title as part of PEP-only funding applications.
Applications for a season of a series must demonstrate that it is an application for the entire season of a series and not part thereof.

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Based on 38 reviews

Britt Hollingworth

The team at Avant Group were fantastic to work with throughout our grant application. They were knowledgeable, responsive and made the process clear and easy to navigate. We're thrilled with the successful outcome and really appreciated their support. Highly recommend!

Troy Kalleske

Avant Group were excellent to work with, professional, helpful & timely. Would work with them again. Highly recommended.

Sinan Dumanli

We engaged Avant Group to assist with our Export Market Development Grant (EMDG) strategy, and the experience has been nothing short of exceptional. From the first consultation, the team was knowledgeable, responsive, and genuinely invested in helping us navigate the complexities of international marketing eligibility. Thanks to Avant’s support, we feel confident about our application and our broader international expansion strategy.

K V (KazzyV)

By far some of the best consultants that I have ever worked with, who have achieved amazing results for our business.

Andrew Davies

My company have been working closely with the Avant team for years. They're great people, easy to work with and highly professional. They've won us a lot of grants which has helped our business grow. I highly recommend using Avant.

Alison Wilson

We highly recommend Avant Group to any business seeking assistance with securing a successful grant. Kate and Alex demonstrated exceptional professionalism and were an absolute delight to work with. The Avant team showcased their expertise throughout the entire process, and their support and guidance were crucial in helping us secure our grant successfully.

Elliot Costello

I couldn't be more impressed by the professionalism of Avant Group!

Stephen Nappy

Avant group were a delight to work with. Professionals in their field and the way they approached business allowed me to not only trust their guidance but succeed. Highly recommended!

Ben Healy

Winners! We were successful in a very signficant grant application because of Kate and Alex's efforts. Thanks very much - highly recommend

Cindy L

We highly recommend Avant group in helping us secure government grants and keeping us aware of any current grants relevant to our company. They also only take a fee for their work if the grant is secured. The team are highly knowledgeable, professional, friendly and easy to deal with. In a previous business I worked in, we did grants applications without any assistance and I can say we saved so much time by working with Avant group, and would not go back to doing them on my own.

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PEP (Producer Equity Program)

Key Requirements

What is eligible for funding?

When can applications be made?

How can Avant Group help me?

Funding applications such as PEP, require in-depth and often complex documentation for funding to be considered including:

Want to know more?

OR Send us an email

PEP (Producer Equity Program)

Key Requirements

What is eligible for funding?

When can applications be made?

How can Avant Group help me?

Funding applications such as PEP, require in-depth and often complex documentation for funding to be considered including:

OR
Send us an email