The Narrative Content Production Program supports content makers to produce narrative projects for online/direct-to-audience, television and theatrical feature film platforms.

The aims of the Narrative Content Production Program are to support:

• exceptional Australian narrative content for production and release for online/direct-to-audience, television and feature film platforms;

• distinctive storytelling for a range of audiences across different platforms and budget levels;

• talent at different career stages who are connected to the stories they tell and that reflect the breadth of Australia in service of cultural, creative and economic benefits; and

• stories with viable budgets and pathways to audiences locally and/or globally.

The Narrative Content Production Program replaces the Screen Australia Feature Film Production, General Television Drama Production, Children's Television Drama Production and Online Production programs and guidelines.

This program will have four application rounds per financial year.

The amount of funding provided will depend on the scale of the project, the first and primary platform, the production budget and the amount of additional finance required or secured from other sources. Screen Australia may decide to provide a different amount of funding than that applied for based on the assessment of all projects submitted to each funding round.

This program is open to companies and in certain circumstances, individuals*. To be eligible, an applicant must:

• be an incorporated company carrying on business in Australia, with its central management and control in Australia;

• have an Australian Business Number (ABN);

• be registered for the purposes of GST if required by law;

• control the rights necessary to carry out the project, meaning that it must have clear chain of title and must generally be party to any underlying rights agreements;

• demonstrate, with the exception of anticipated Official Co-Productions, that the project is written and directed by Australian citizens or permanent residents and that any non-Australian producers do not prevent the project from meeting the requirements of Screen Australia's Terms of Trade and other eligibility requirements;

• if applicable, be independent of the nominated local Commissioning Platform for the first release of a program in Australia; and,

• demonstrate and/or have relevant experience through comparable work that shows the capability to produce work for the platform for which they are applying.

• For the avoidance of doubt, Screen Australia will not finance programs where the producer is not independent of the nominated local Commissioning Platform for the first release of a program in Australia.

*Note that for projects applying for funding at $300,000 or below with Direct-to-Audience as the first and primary release window, Screen Australia will accept applications from individuals (sole traders) that are Australian citizens or permanent residents (holding a permanent visa). However, if successful, the applicant will need to incorporate a company to make the project before contracting with Screen Australia. All other eligibility criteria listed above continue to apply for these projects.

The following types of entities are not eligible to apply to this program:

• Commonwealth, state, territory or local government agencies or bodies; and

• any organisations that are otherwise excluded pursuant to the Information for Applicants.

• Phone: 1800 507 901