Documentary Series Production Funding Program: TV Series (Ireland)

The emphasis is on documentary series with high production values which are capable of reaching an international audience and have already received market backing in this regard.

Please note the following Screen Ireland conditions:

• E&O insurance is required on all Screen Ireland supported projects.
• All music and archive utilised in a project must be cleared worldwide, in perpetuity, across all platforms. Failure to comply with this will result in a serious breach of contract.

Screen Ireland is committed to growing companies that produce high-quality, internationally recognised documentaries in an efficient and responsible manner and to this end, the role of the producer is vital. Applications should present a clear understanding of the market and supporting investment plan that ensures high value, high end production and series. Producers are encouraged to seek out international partnerships with producers, financiers, broadcasters, sales agents and distributors with details of same to accompany a submission.

Documentary Series Production funding is available to Irish producers with a documentary series project they wish to produce, with clear access to the necessary rights in any material and an agreement in place with the director, lead contributors, and screenwriter if applicable. Clear ownership rights by the production company (not the individual producers) will be required. Projects must have a confirmed financial commitment from an international partner (i.e. distribution, sales, and/or broadcaster) prior to making an application for funding.

Guiding Principles

• Screen Ireland’s assessment and decisions in relation to funding are guided by factors which include editorial and creative merits as well as a number of important investment considerations.
• The principles for review are broken down under the following headings:
  • Creative Excellence
    • Screen Ireland supports the pursuit of high-quality audiovisual works. They are committed to funding projects of increased value to the Irish and International market, which represent the identity, creativity and storytelling strength in a clear, powerful and authentic way.
    • The first consideration in relation to supporting a project for funding will focus on the following editorial objectives:
      • Clarity of Vision
        • Proposals for funding that are clear and concise in terms of their submission are favoured, which directly indicates the opportunity and sets out the pathway forward in terms of the creative proposal and its journey. Clarity can be achieved through rigorous examination of not only the broader proposal and copy, but also by ensuring the creative world, characters and broader themes of any submission are clearly indicated within the proposal. Whilst there is scope for continued development, Production applications will need to be fully formed, and the basic foundation of the above creative elements clearly understood and considered. In the case of Development, whilst some of these elements may not be fully formed, a clear statement of intent and process should be indicated.
      • Authenticity & Originality
        • Screen Ireland funding will be directed towards projects that offer an authentic and original purpose, ensuring high quality creative work, though the talents of Irish writers, directors, producers and other key personnel.
        • At the heart of Screen Ireland funding, is the support of new, ambitious, and authentic stories which offer a new perspective and drive a different sensibility and understanding on screen. This creates opportunities to project a broad range of diverse, talent driven narratives that connect to audiences due to their inherently distinctive and honest voice, ultimately defining a unique USP.
  • Accessing All Audiences
    • Screen Ireland is increasingly focused on ensuring that funding decisions will favour projects that are clearly targeted at the appropriate audience.
    • This does not mean that Screen Ireland is only interested in supporting material with commercial prospects, but instead that it is open to considering projects that may appeal to a wide spectrum of viewers, be they commercial, arthouse, festival-going or cross platform etc. Particular emphasis will be placed on a project’s potential to engage its intended audience, as well as the planned approach and scale of the project. A clear audience opportunity must be present and considered as part of each individual proposal with a focus on reaching new and diverse communities and a broad spectrum of interests.
  • Talent Development
    • At the core of Screen Ireland funding is the development of Irish talent, which includes a broad range of diverse voices and backgrounds. They actively encourage and seek out opportunities to support an increasingly wide range of perspectives and viewpoints through the projects and stories that they fund, defining an Irish investment objective that is inclusive and broad in terms of the talent that is supported and offered a platform to tell their story.
    • Strong preference will be given to submissions which:
      • are of Irish initiation in a creative sense; that is, conceived, written, produced and/ or to be directed by Irish talents,
      • entail new, emerging, and diverse Irish talent in key creative roles, i.e. director, writer, producer, composer, principal actor and other heads of departments.
  • Culture & Additionality
    • Consistent with its Government remit and responding to needs of the Irish audiovisual production industry, Screen Ireland considers that certain projects, in terms of their content, provenance or benefit to the industry, represent clear priorities for its funding.
    • Culture
      • Screen Ireland place increased importance on projects and submissions that are culturally representative and offer unique Irish perspectives. Submissions which offer further opportunity to find a voice for the rich culture and traditions are recognised within their review and they seek to ensure there is a spectrum of traditional and modern Irish themes and topics supported as part of the funding. This includes content which focuses on Irish Heritage, diverse Communities and Landscape and offers a contemporary relevance to the Irish perspective and history.
      • Strong preference will be given to submissions which:
        • tell Irish stories, drawing on and depicting Ireland’s culture, history, way of life, view of the world and of itself;
        • are made wholly or predominantly in the Irish language.
    • Additionality
      • An essential rationale for making public money available to an industry is that it should create activity that would not otherwise occur, i.e. that the market, left to itself, would not engender. It follows that audiovisual works backed by the Screen Ireland should be those that would not be made, or would not be made with the same level of benefit to Ireland, unless enabled to do so with the support of the Screen Ireland. Such audiovisual works and the benefits that flow from them represent ‘additional’ economic activity.
  • Industry Growth & Creative Ambition
    • Screen Ireland also supports investments that offer an increased growth trajectory for the Irish Audiovisual Sector, achieving further innovation in creative storytelling, targeting local and international opportunity and building creative producers, talent and a broader industry of scale through increased international partnership and visibility, whilst also supporting continuous employment and spend in the Irish economy.
    • Serious attention will also be paid to submissions which:
      • propose a distinctly Irish project (in terms of setting, characters, etc.) that has international investment and is a partnership of Irish and non-Irish talent.
      • involve an Irish producer as minority co-producer where (a) Screen Ireland is convinced of the quality of the project and (b) the amount of the Screen Ireland’s investment corresponds to the level of involvement of Irish personnel, elements (shoot, postproduction, etc) and facilities in the project.
    • Further Consideration will also be given in relation to:
      • Track-record of the Producer
      • Irish Employment
      • Spend in the Irish economy
      • Sales and Distribution
      • Financial Structure
  • Cinema Distribution
    • Distribution Support is provided to Irish distributors of Screen Ireland-backed films who demonstrate that funding from Screen Ireland will enhance the promotion of a film in the Irish market. Direct Distribution/Exhibition Support is provided to Irish producers to help defray the cost of a limited theatrical release in Ireland (including Northern Ireland) for feature films already in receipt of Screen Ireland production funding that have been unable to secure suitable theatrical distribution by a bona fide Irish distribution company but that still have clear potential to reach and engage an Irish audience.

Funding Information

• Up to 65% of the budget with Screen Ireland investment up to a maximum of €250,000 per project.

Eligibility Criteria

• Documentary Series Production funding is available to Irish producers with a documentary series project they wish to produce, with clear access to the necessary rights in any material and an agreement in place with the director, lead contributors, and screenwriter if applicable. Clear ownership rights by the production company (not the individual producer(s)) will be required. Projects must have a confirmed financial commitment from an international partner (i.e. distribution, sales, and/or broadcaster) prior to making an application for funding.

For more information, visit Screen Ireland.