Ireland Sound & Vision Round 62: Funding for TV and Radio Producers, Apply by 26 November 2026
Ireland's media regulator Coimisiún na Meán has opened Round 62 of its Sound & Vision 4 broadcasting fund. Independent producers and broadcasters are invited to apply for support to make television and radio programmes that reflect Irish culture, heritage, experience, language and diversity, including Irish-language work. The round opened on 15 October 2026 and closes at 12 noon on Thursday 26 November 2026, Irish local time. It is a production-funding opportunity for professional screen and audio programme makers, not a general competition for standalone digital images or a prize for individual online videos.
What is Sound & Vision 4?
Sound & Vision is a public funding programme administered by Coimisiún na Meán to support culturally valuable Irish broadcasting. Its purpose is to help independent producers and broadcasters create programming that audiences can encounter through radio and television services. The scheme specifically includes work about Irish cultural heritage and experience and programmes supporting adult literacy. The latest Round 62 is described as an open funding round rather than a call reserved for one narrowly defined genre.
For filmmakers and audiovisual artists, this creates a route for documentary storytelling, creative uses of archive, culturally grounded animation or innovative sound and image work—provided the resulting project genuinely meets the broadcasting scheme and can be delivered through an eligible broadcaster. Such examples are editorial possibilities, not a promise that a gallery installation, web-only short film, game or interactive artwork will qualify without a broadcast structure.
Who should consider applying?
The official announcement invites independent producers and broadcasters. A production company developing an Irish cultural documentary or an audio producer creating a programme with an appropriate broadcaster could review the current guidance. A freelance visual artist who has no broadcaster, commissioned programme or production arrangement should not assume that the fund offers an individual artist's bursary. The specific contracting, rights and broadcaster conditions are set out in the formal Sound & Vision 4 scheme document and the application guides for the current round.
The phrase “open round” describes the type of funding competition; it does not mean that any applicant anywhere in the world can submit any digital artwork. The scheme's subject matter, broadcaster relationship, programme format and delivery expectations remain central. Applicants working with an Irish-language or community broadcasting partner may find the inclusion of Irish culture and language especially relevant.
Submission window and decision timetable
Round 62 opened on Thursday 15 October 2026. Applications must arrive through the official Coimisiún na Meán online portal, cnamonline.ie, by 12:00 noon on Thursday 26 November. The regulator expects decisions by the end of March 2027. These dates distinguish the live Round 62 from the already closed Round 61, which took applications in June and July 2026. Referencing the wrong round or downloading a previous year's guide could result in an incorrectly prepared submission.
The regulator has scheduled an applicant webinar for Thursday 22 October 2026 at 11 am on Microsoft Teams. The event is intended to help producers understand the grant and application process. Registration is available from the official Sound & Vision page. Attending or registering for the webinar is not the same as lodging an application, and the guide and application form remain essential.
The work must be for broadcast audiences
Applicants should be able to explain who will broadcast the programme and how it serves its intended audience. Radio and television formats have different delivery and compliance requirements. An artist might be drawn to experiment with moving images, sound design, 2D animation, or documentary techniques, but the finished content must align with the cultural and broadcasting goals of the scheme. Novel digital technique on its own is not an eligibility criterion or a replacement for editorial substance.
Good planning can identify the programme's duration, audience, treatment, contributors, production schedule and route to transmission. For factual stories, give thought to research accuracy and contributor consent. For drama or animation, clarify script development, rights and the expected broadcaster format. These are sensible production-planning topics; the mandatory paperwork and technical standards must be checked in the current Round 62 guides rather than inferred from examples.
Why Irish culture, heritage and diversity are important
Coimisiún na Meán states that the scheme supports high-quality content reflecting Irish culture, heritage, language and diversity. The purpose is broader than preserving traditional subjects. Projects may explore contemporary communities, local histories, changing social experience and forms of cultural expression, where they genuinely connect to the remit. In particular, the agency names Irish-language content within the round's aims.
A proposal should be clear about the Irish perspective being represented and why viewers or listeners would benefit. Collaborations with communities should not be described as permission to reproduce personal testimony without consent. If a production uses archive footage, recorded voices, contemporary music or images generated with third-party software, copyright and privacy arrangements should form part of planning from an early stage.
Financing: a competitive production grant, not a fixed prize
The announcement does not promise a universal cash amount for each applicant. Funding decisions are competitive, and eligible expenditure, co-funding, maximum percentages and payment obligations are governed by the formal scheme and the Round 62 guide for the relevant medium. A producer should build a realistic line-by-line budget and distinguish confirmed money, pending commitments and in-kind resources.
Nor should the total funding granted in a previous round be interpreted as the 2026 grant amount available to each project. The regulator reports historic round totals on its website, but those figures are aggregate decisions from different periods and categories. A proposal's financial viability must be demonstrated on its own terms, rather than assuming a particular award size or percentage will be granted.
Preparing the submission materials
The official page links to the application portal and guides. Before starting, producers can prepare a synopsis or programme treatment, evidence of the intended broadcaster relationship, the production team's experience, a costed schedule, finance plan and a rights clearance outline. Some of these may be formal required fields and others supporting documents; the current portal dictates the exact format and list, which should be checked before uploading.
A broadcaster's involvement should be reflected in the editorial and operational plan, not just added as a name. Clear responsibilities over production, commissioning, transmission, accessibility and deliverables can reduce later confusion. For bilingual or Irish-language work, the application can explain how the chosen language relates to the story and intended audience. Avoid treating translation and subtitles as an afterthought when they are relevant to access.
Funding is part of a regulated media environment
Sound & Vision is administered by the national media regulator and forms part of Ireland's broader broadcasting support system. Applicants should therefore assess the relevant technical, editorial, accessibility and compliance duties for broadcast work. The regulator provides a dedicated scheme document and up-to-date guides, which are more authoritative than third-party summaries. The programme is not the same as a standalone video-creation prize, a university course or a general grant for videogame development.
Official links and important dates
Details checked from Coimisiún na Meán's 15 October 2026 Round 62 announcement and the current Sound & Vision page. Deadline: Thursday 26 November 2026, 12:00 noon Irish local time; anticipated decisions: by the end of March 2027. Applicants should check the latest guidance in the official portal and ask the agency directly about eligibility if the project uses experimental or hybrid media formats.