Film & TV Development Grant Guidelines

The Film and Television Development Grant assists qualified Saskatchewan production companies with undertaking the development of eligible projects and bringing productions to fruition.

The Guidelines were approved on April 1, 2023 for the 2023-24 Fiscal Year. Any amendments made after the fact will be posted here:

• No changes to date.

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Eligible Applicants

• Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria defined in the Creative Saskatchewan Investment Fund General Program Guidelines.
• Applicants may be an individual or a corporation – see the Creative Saskatchewan Investment Fund General Program Guidelines for definitions.
• Applicants must be the owner or co-owner of the project, control copyright, and receive a share of revenue from sales of the project.
• Applicants must demonstrate they have the rights to develop, produce, and exploit the property for a two-year minimum plus a renewal from date of application.
• Applicants must have experience as producers of commercial film or television, or related experience satisfactory to Creative Saskatchewan, and must demonstrate they possess the necessary expertise and resources to complete the proposed production and arrange for its marketing.
• Applicants with insufficient experience for the project scope must secure the participation of an experienced executive producer prior to applying to Creative Saskatchewan.
• The production company cannot hold a broadcasting license issued by the CRTC or deal at non-arm’s length with a corporation that holds a license.
• The applicant company must be incorporated in Saskatchewan or incorporated federally and registered in Saskatchewan. The head office or principal place of business must be located in Saskatchewan, and substantial ownership control must remain with Saskatchewan residents.
• Applicants must be in good standing in all respects with Creative Saskatchewan.
• Applicants who have secured production funding from Creative Saskatchewan in support of a project that has received development funding must complete development activities and reporting prior to the start of principal photography.

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Project Eligibility Requirements

Applications must be in support of productions that are in scope with current production incentives offered by Creative Saskatchewan.

Creative Saskatchewan’s financial commitment shall be a grant for projects that proceed into production within Saskatchewan. However, recipients will be required to re-pay the grant in the following instances:

• In the case of dramatic projects, where less than 50% of principal photography and/or 75% of post-production occurs within the province.
• For non-dramatic projects, where less than 50% post-production takes place in Saskatchewan.

Projects that do not comply with these requirements must repay the development amount committed by Creative Saskatchewan upon the first day of principal photography.

There are four streams available to eligible applications:

Predevelopment Stream

This stream assists with the financing of third-party costs incurred to develop the project sufficiently to present to broadcasters and other financiers.

• Producer fees are eligible and capped at 20% of the base total. No other related-party expenses are eligible to this stream.
• Exception will be made for full-time employee wages for project-specific work.
• Activities may include writing concept-to-outline and creation of pitching materials.
• Applicants must demonstrate 100% copyright ownership which needs to demonstrate the right to produce the Television or Feature Film.
• Eligible applicants may apply to Creative Saskatchewan for a maximum of $5,000 or 50% of the total development cash budget, whichever is the lesser.
• This phase does not require evidence of market interest and does not have minimum production history requirements.
• Applicants and their parent companies are limited to two pre-development grants per fiscal year.

First Draft Stream

This stream supports the continuing development of projects that have secured development monies from a market relevant source (broadcaster, distributor, pay television, or other funding agencies) to a minimum of 10% of the development cash budget. Related-party financing will not be considered as a relevant market source.

• Supportable activities include, but are not limited to, taking a script treatment to an outline or first draft.
• Non-dramatic projects may apply to create a non-broadcast demo.
• Eligible applicants may apply to Creative Saskatchewan for a maximum of $25,000 or 50% of the total development cash budget (for this phase), whichever is the lesser
• Applicants and their parent companies are limited to two First or Final Draft Development grants (or combination thereof) per fiscal year. Subject to further budget review.

Final Draft Stream

This stream supports the continuing development of projects that have secured development monies from a market relevant source (broadcaster, distributor, pay television, or other funding agencies) to a minimum of 10% of the development cash budget.

• Supportable activities include, but are not limited to, script polish, and preproduction activities.
• Eligible applicants may apply to Creative Saskatchewan for a maximum of $15,000 or 50% of the total development cash budget (for this phase), whichever is the lesser.
• Applicants and their parent companies are limited to two First or Final Draft Development grants (or combination thereof) per fiscal year. Subject to further budget review.

Slate Development Stream

In order to be considered eligible for Slate, applicants must have at minimum one-hour of commercially distributed content (for animation, applicants must have at minimum one half-hour of commercially distributed content) created and made available to audiences in the past 2 years (applicant companies must demonstrate ownership of the property).

This stream supports the development of a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 5 eligible film or television projects in order to leverage development financing from other funding agencies and private sector investment.

• Projects must demonstrate strong market potential.
• Co-productions can make up to 50% of the development budget. Co-productions must demonstrate that a minimum of 50% of the copyright is owned by the applicant.
• Applicants must demonstrate they have the rights to develop, produce, and exploit the property for a two-year minimum plus a renewal from date of application.
• Eligible applicants may apply to Creative Saskatchewan for a maximum of $40,000 or 75% of the total development cash budget (for this phase), whichever is the lesser.
• Applicants and their parent companies are limited to one Slate Development Stream grant per fiscal year.

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Ineligible Projects and Expenses

• Deferrals and in-kind expenses will not be included in the calculation of the project financing.
• Producer fees and corporate overhead may not exceed 20% of the base total.
• Budget breakdowns and legal fees paid to producer and/or stakeholders (allowable if payable to third a party).
• Travel expenses for non-Saskatchewan residents.
• Genres of production NOT eligible for funding include:
  • News, current events or public affairs programming, or a program that includes weather or market reports.
  • Talk shows.
  • Production in respect of a game or contest (other than a production directed primarily at minors).
  • Sports event or activity.
  • Production that solicits funds.
  • Advertising.
  • Production produced primarily for industrial, corporate, or institutional purposes.
  • Production, other than documentary, that consists of more than 25% stock footage.
  • Travel expenses and/or fees to attend conferences or markets.
• Please see the Creative Saskatchewan Investment Fund General Program Guidelines for a list of ineligible expenses.

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Financial Participation

• Funding will be in the form of a grant for projects that proceed into production within Saskatchewan. However, recipients will be required to re-pay the grant in the following instances:
  • In the case of dramatic projects, where less than 50% of principal photography and/or 75% of post production occurs within the province.
  • For non-dramatic projects, where less than 50% post-production does not take place in Saskatchewan.
• Only financial contributions will be considered when examining the financing structure – the value of deferrals and in-kind contributions will not be considered part of the overall project financing.
• Grants must be used for the purposes described in the application approved by Creative Saskatchewan.

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Assessment

• A review of applications is conducted by Creative Saskatchewan program staff to ensure the project and applicant meet the eligibility to the program.

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Submission Requirements and Deadlines

• Please refer to the specific program page for application deadlines and instructions.
• Applications to the Film & Television Development Grant will be accepted quarterly and supported based on the availability of funds.
• Support will be prioritized to projects demonstrating the highest level of impact in Saskatchewan.
• Applications must be complete in order to be accepted.
• Creative Saskatchewan provides templates for each grant application.
• By submitting an application for this grant, applicants confirm they have read the Creative Saskatchewan Investment Fund General Program Guidelines. If awarded a grant, they will be obligated by all criteria in the Creative Saskatchewan Investment Fund General Program Guidelines, as well as criteria specific to this grant as described herein.

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Required Acknowledgements

• Recipients of Creative Saskatchewan’s Film & Television Development Grant must include the following credit prominently on all copies of the project and all promotional material: “Production made possible through the Film & Television Development Grant Program” (followed by the Creative Saskatchewan logo).
• The Creative Saskatchewan logo and guidelines for acknowledgement can be found here.

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Confidentiality of Information

• Please refer to the Creative Saskatchewan Investment Fund General Program Guidelines for details of Creative Saskatchewan’s Confidentiality Policy.
• If you are not awarded a grant, all information in and about your application is held in confidence.
• If you are awarded a grant, your name, a description of the project and the amount of funding will be made publicly available.