Screen NSW Development Program 2026–27: Up to A$50,000 for Australian Animation and Interactive Narrative Development
Screen NSW is accepting Development Program applications for 2026/27. This is a screen-story development fund for writers, directors and producers working in narrative fiction, documentary and eligible interactive or extended-reality formats. Certain animation development costs and narrative XR projects may fit, but it is NOT a general open call for media-art installations or short films.
OPEN WINDOW — Applications opened 1 July 2026 and the published financial-year deadline is 11pm on 30 June 2027. The programme accepts applications throughout the year and evaluates proposals against its current criteria. Applicants should submit ahead of the development activity and check SmartyGrants for any change in funding availability.
WHO MAY APPLY — Applicants must be an Australian resident or citizen and meet Screen NSW Terms of Trade. At least the applicant or one key creative must demonstrate an eligible screen-project credit, or qualify for a stated exemption. Applicants must control the rights to the story, scripts and project and satisfy authenticity and representation requirements for relevant communities.
NSW BENEFIT MATTERS — Fully NSW-resident creative teams, and projects proposing to shoot or undertake post-production in NSW, receive priority. The official rules permit a non-NSW producer applicant in some circumstances but require that producer to engage a NSW-resident writer. A person living outside Australia is not automatically eligible just by setting a story in Sydney.
FUNDING AND REPAYMENT — The maximum published development contribution is A$50,000, but the appropriate amount depends on project stage and market interest. For animation testing and design, the table lists a lower maximum tied to relevant market attachment; for narrative work the levels also differ. Screen NSW describes funding as a development investment generally repayable from the later production budget, rather than an unconditional cash prize.
ELIGIBLE FORMATS — Eligible creative projects include feature-length and series fiction, certain documentaries, and narrative XR enabling audience interaction via mobile, online, interactive displays or similar platforms. Development costs might include script drafts, narrative treatments, character or environment design for animation, research, early technical proof of concept and eligible producer fees.
IMPORTANT EXCLUSIONS — Screen NSW says short films under 60 minutes, art-installation videos, university course projects, reality formats and pure game-show concepts are excluded. Digital artists creating stand-alone gallery projections or an unrelated commercial game should not assume this screen-story scheme covers their work.
PREPARING AN APPLICATION — Provide a compelling proposal describing the next development milestone, the roles and credits of the writers, producers or director, chain-of-title documents, NSW spending, a realistic budget, intended audiences and proof of marketplace engagement as appropriate. Screen NSW asks applicants to consider contacting the investment team to discuss funding expectations.
ORGANISER AND OFFICIAL ROUTE — Screen NSW is the New South Wales Government agency supporting the state's screen industry. It runs development, production, industry skills and specialised professional programmes, with detailed eligibility guidelines and a formal SmartyGrants application portal. Official information: https://www.screen.nsw.gov.au/funding-support/development-program . Checked 22 October 2026; the latest programme guidelines and Terms of Trade govern.