About the Funding
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland through Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet are providing €100,000 in funding that will be used to provide work opportunities on productions for those from diverse and under-represented communities and those where access to the industry would historically be limited.
The Pathways funding scheme particularly welcomes applications from producers for proposals that support overcoming barriers for under-represented participants/individuals wishing to transition from other sectors and those who wish to return to the screen sector after a period of absence. The scheme also welcomes proposals that aim to address gender and diversity balance in specific Departments and Roles where gender and diversity would historically be skewed. The scheme is particularly focused on supporting opportunities that offer significant career advancement to participants/individuals especially in priority areas where significant skills gaps exist (as identified in government and sectoral skills reports). The scheme is particularly supportive of opportunities where someone is stepping up to a new role to advance their career and where significant barriers to taking on this opportunity exist.
Eligibility
- It is preferable for applications to be submitted before production commences.
- Productions that are up and running already can still apply as long as the production is ongoing.
- Productions that are up and running and have already introduced a DEI initiative/activity as part of the production can submit an application as long as this DEI initiative/activity is ongoing.
- Productions that are completed cannot apply retrospectively.
For the purposes of the Pathways Diversity, Equity and Inclusion funding scheme, diversity in terms of underrepresentation within the screen industry generally covers the following grounds:
- Gender
- Marital status
- Family status
- Parenting and Caring Responsibilities
- Age
- Disability
- Geographic Location
- Regional (outside Dublin and Wicklow)
- Language
- Sexual orientation
- Ethnicity
- Religion
- Membership of the Traveller community
- Socioeconomic disadvantage
Additional Consideration
Given the ongoing situation in Ukraine and in other countries with forced displacement due to conflict, Screen Ireland also welcomes applications that support opportunities for refugees currently resident in Ireland, seeking to transition to the screen sector in Ireland.
Applicants may seek guidance from the lead organisation (creativeskillnet@furthr.ie) in advance of making a submission.
Screen Ireland and Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet reserves the right to suspend or cancel the award where, in its view, a successful applicant is not meeting the required commitment for the agreed programme/activities. Where necessary, award recipients will be required to provide information on their progress.
Screen Ireland and Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet reserves the right to revise the amount awarded where it is satisfied that incorrect information has been provided.
Funding Amounts
- Producers from the Animation & VFX sectors can apply for a funding award of up to a maximum of €10,000 per production/project.
- A higher funding award may be considered if the production is offering exceptional ED&I opportunities (following review by the awarding panel).
- More than one application per annum per company/producer is allowed with a maximum allowance of €20,000 per annum per company/producer.
- In exceptional circumstances the upper limit may be reviewed at the discretion of the funding scheme panel.
Applications will only be considered if the producer company has obtained funding from a Broadcaster, or from Coimisiún na Meán, has an international co-production with an Irish producer, qualifies for S481 tax funding, or Screen Ireland funding, for a feature length film or a television series. Or in the case of VFX, the company is working on the VFX elements of an S481 funded project or is working on the VFX elements of a high-end international feature or TV series.
Please note that all the funds necessary for the production to go ahead must be in place in order to receive the funds for Pathways. Projects awarded funding must commence production before the end of the year in which the application was made.
Please also note that Pathways funding cannot be used to fund activities that are already funded through any of the National Talent Academies.
Application Details
- The applicant should be the production company.
- The application should identify eligible participants prior to submission and set out the roles/grades that will be supported.
- The production must be capable of supporting the individuals in their development. Details on how participants will be supported should be included in the application.
- All required insurance is the responsibility of the company/producer.
- The maximum allocation of funding support per individual must not exceed €5,000. The participants/individuals included should be in line with the eligibility section above.
- The application should set out the participants and the roles/grades.
The way the funding award is allocated and dispersed is the responsibility of the company/producer. The producer company awarded funding must abide by all social and employment legislation with regard to the proper use of the funds.
Applicants should be aware that additional marks will be awarded to applicants that are planning to work collaboratively on the proposed activities with an organisation or a consultant already established and active in the area of equity, diversity and inclusion.
Deadlines for Applications
There will be two deadlines for applications to the Animation & VFX Pathways Fund in 2024:
- Friday, 23rd August 2024
- Friday, 18th October 2024
A maximum of €50,000 will be available for both funding rounds.
The funding scheme panel will meet one week after the deadline for applications has passed. Decisions will be communicated to applicants up to one week after the funding scheme panel meets.
Incomplete applications will not be considered. Incorrect information may lead to delays in the processing of applications.
Unsuccessful applications may not be resubmitted at a later date.
Criteria For Assessment (Total: 100%)
- Overall quality of the application, especially in relation to the E, D & I elements of the application including plans to work collaboratively on the proposed activities with an organisation or a consultant already established and active in the area of equity, diversity and inclusion. (40%).
- Track record of the applicants in the area of E, D & I (15%).
- Proposed E, D & I supports for participants on the production (20%).
- Relevance and significance of the skills development opportunity to the professional development and career advancement of the participants (25%).
Contracting & Payments
- The award will be paid on an instalment basis and will consist of two instalments.
- The first instalment (90%) will be paid up to 30 days after completion of the contracting process (upon receipt of the signed contract and any requested documentation).
- A mid-point check-in update with Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet will be required for all funded producers/companies.
- The final instalment (10% of the award amount) will be paid once a final report has been submitted.
- The post project report must be submitted on the report template provided by Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet and should outline the outcomes and impact of the funding awarded as well as providing a breakdown for how the funding award was allocated. The final report should also include any relevant Diversity statistics/data that captures the positive impact of the funding including number of people supported.
Applications should be made via the application form and sent with “Animation & VFX Pathways Application” as a subject line to creativeskillnet@furthr.ie
For any additional queries please contact creativeskillnet@furthr.ie