


Development: Slate Funding
MEDIA
18/2019
Deadline(s):
4 Feb 2020, 4:00PM
The call was published on
19 Sep 2019
What does this funding support?
European independent production companies looking to develop 3 to 5 fiction, animation or creative documentary projects with international potential.
The projects must be intended for cinema release, television broadcast or commercial exploitation on digital platforms (e.g. multiple screen-based devices, interactive, linear and non-linear web-series and narrative virtual reality projects).
The following overview is intended for guidance only. General information and specific guidelines can be found on the website of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), which manages Creative Europe.
Take a look at the results from the previous call in 2019.
Who is this funding for?
Applicant companies must:
- Be established in one of the countries participating in the MEDIA sub-programme and be majority owned by nationals from those countries
- Be registered for a minimum of 36 months and have audiovisual production as their main business activity
- Be independent – no more than 25% of the share capital can be held by a single broadcaster (50% when several broadcasters are involved)
- Own the majority of the rights to the projects for which support is being sought
- Be able to demonstrate two eligible track record projects (see additional question for requirements).
What projects are eligible for development?
A proposed development slate can include any of the following audiovisual works:
Projects intended for theatrical release:
- Feature films, animations and creative documentaries (min. length of 60 minutes)
Projects intended for television (one-off or series) or digital platforms (total user experience):
- Drama (minimum length 90 minutes)
- Animation (minimum length 24 minutes)
- Creative documentaries (minimum length 50 minutes)
The above minimum duration length requirements do not apply to VR projects.
In addition to the 3-5 projects submitted for development, companies can also recieve support for the production of a short film (up to 20 minutes) involving emerging talent.
The first day of principal photography of the submitted project must not be scheduled to occur within 8 months from the date of application.
What projects are eligible for the track record?
Applicant companies must be able to provide evidence of two eligible track record projects that were either:
How much can you apply for?
The annual esitmated budget for this scheme in 2020 is €12.5 million.
Applicants can apply for a grant of between €70,000 and €200,000 to develop a slate of 3 to 5 projects covering up to 50% of their eligible development costs.
This capped at €150,000 for slates that are only made up of documentaries.
Each project on the slate can receive between €10,000 to €60,000.
In addition, companies can also apply for €10,000 to cover up to 80% of the costs of a short film that involves emerging talent.
How can you apply?
What documents should be attached to the e-Form?
The following documents must be attached to the e-Form:
- Annex 1 - Detailed description of the project (see example)
- Annex 2 - Detailed budget and sources of financing (using the template provided)
- Annex 3 - Declaration on applicant's honour (using the template provided)
- Annex 4 - Track record of the applicant company/producer (using the template provided)
- Annex 5 - Relevant supporting documents of co-production and financing, and proof of production and international commercial distribution of the previous work (see example).
Together all attachments must not exceed 10MB. Page limitations need to be respected. In case you exceed them, the evaluators are not bound to read any material that exceeds the maximum.
More details can also be found in the Guide for Applicants.
How will my application be assessed?
Applications from across Europe are assessed centrally by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) with assistance from industry experts working in a relevant field and according to the following award criteria:
- Approach of the company to develop, at a European and international level, a slate of 3 to 5 projects and be innovative in its activities (30 points)
- Quality of the slate of projects and their development strategies (15 points)
- The potential to reach audiences at the European and international level and the European and international distribution and marketing strategy (35 points)
- the quality of the financing strategy, it's European dimention and the feasibility potential of the projects (20 points)
Additional automatic points are also available to companies established in low (10 points) and medium (5 points) production capacity countries.
The Guide for Experts offers a breakdown of how these points are awarded.