Screen Australia's Enterprise program returns in 2023

Screen Australia is pleased to announce its Enterprise program will open for applications in February 2023 with new guidelines and FAQ now available, following a review of the program in 2022. The revamped program aims to foster sustainable screen businesses and careers for film practitioners focused in content creation roles.

The updated Enterprise design includes Generate and Premium streams for businesses and people, a streamlined application process, and on top of successful applicants receiving non-recoupable grant funding, they will receive additional support in the form of learning modules and mentors in creative and business areas.

Screen Australia's CEO Graeme Mason said, "Enterprise has an incredible legacy since it was launched in 2009, and we're thrilled to continue supporting Australian practitioners and businesses to grow, increase their skillset and drive the whole sector forward. We want to help Australian creatives advance their careers through development opportunities here and overseas and be best placed to succeed in an increasingly global market. And we want to support local independent businesses to expand their capacity and build pathways for sustainability."

"The Enterprise program has evolved over the years to ensure we can best meet the needs of the industry, especially in a significantly changing content landscape. With this iteration we aim to provide greater access to a range of practitioners and businesses through a Generate and Premium model, greater consistency through a competitive, deadline based application process, and greater support to funded recipients through modules and mentors."

The program will be open to practitioners and businesses across First Nations, Scripted, Documentary, and Online areas of content creation. Enterprise funding will continue to be available through the Business and People programs. These funds will each now have two streams, Generate and Premium:

• Enterprise Business will support proposals from screen businesses that create change, growth and pathways to sustainability and have benefit to the screen industry more broadly.
  • Generate will support establishing companies, generally within their first 10 years of operation.
  • Premium will support established companies, generally with more than 10 years' operation.

• Enterprise People will support placements for individuals that create a career defining development opportunity and support a sustainable and escalating screen career.
  • Generate will support early career individuals in a domestic Australian context.
  • Premium will support mid and established career individuals in an international context, in order to provide returns to the Australian market and industry.

Other notable changes to the Enterprise program outlined in the guidelines include:

• The program will now offer a flat funding amount for all successful applicants with $75,000 available for Enterprise People and $200,000 for Enterprise Business.
• Funding will be provided for one year.
• Enterprise People applications will have a one-stage process.
• Enterprise Business applications will have a two-stage process, and applicants who progress past stage one will be invited to submit further information for assessment.

To deliver the program, the agency has appointed Dr Jonathan Messer as Development Executive (Enterprise). Jonathan started this week and reports to Manager International, Harry Avramidis. Having recently worked at Screenwest as Diversity & Inclusion Manager, Jonathan is a producer and director of film and theatre and has worked in the US and UK for companies such as the Kennedy Marshall Company and the BBC working on productions such as The Bourne Supremacy, Seabiscuit, Absolutely Fabulous, Top of the Pops, Blue Peter and Later with Jools. He holds a PhD in Philosophy from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and is a graduate director from both the American Film Institute in Los Angeles and National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney.

HOW TO APPLY

• Applications for People and Business applicants will open on 9 February 2023.
• Business Stage 1 applications close on 9 March 2023. Business Stage 2 applications are by invitation only after assessment of Stage 1 applications.
• People applications are a one-stage application process and will close on 11 May 2023.
• Applicants must review the full guidelines before applying – see here for Business and here for People.
• Have questions after reading the guidelines? See the program FAQs here.

INFORMATION WEBINAR

All interested applicants are strongly encouraged to attend an information webinar next week. Hosted by Screen Australia's Head of Content Grainne Brunsdon and featuring a range of Screen Australia representatives, the session will provide an overview of the program as well as tips for compelling applications.

• Date: Wednesday 14 December 2022
• Time: 4 - 5:30pm AEDT