Responding to Covid-19
Please note: NZ On Air understands there will be logistical and financial pressures experienced by funded Platforms as a result of Covid-19. Please read our Responding To Covid-19 page for NZ On Air’s response and further information.
Contract initiation
If an application for pūtea tautoko is successful, producers must execute a contract with NZ On Air before any funding can be released.
You will be asked to complete a form and execute a contract like the ones below, depending on which type of funding has been approved.
Production funding
If you have had production funding approved, please complete the Production Funding Contract Initiation Form below and send it, along with attachments listed on the last page of the form, to conall@nzonair.govt.nz and rebeccat@nzonair.govt.nz
Contracting will begin once you have completed any pre-contracting requirements specified in your Letter of Offer and once NZ On Air has received all the requested pārongo from you and your supporting platform/s. Contracting will take not more than 14 working days from receipt of all necessary information.
Please note: If NZ On Air has provided development pūtea tautoko to this project in the past, whether or not to the successful applicant, we will require that previous funding is included in the full production budget that forms part of the production contract.
Development funding
If you have had development funding approved, please complete the Development Contract Initiation Form below and send it, along with attachments listed on the last page, to conall@nzonair.govt.nz and rebeccat@nzonair.govt.nz
Contracting will begin once NZ On Air has received all the requested pārongo from you and your supporting platform/s. Contracting will take not more than 14 working days from receipt of all necessary information.
Digital Signatures Policy
As part of NZ On Air’s move towards becoming a paperless administration, we are now digitally signing NZ On Air Scripted, Non-Fiction and Platform Funding agreements.
Full guidance around this process is available in the pārongo below.
Drawdowns
We release funding in stages, or drawdowns, which are agreed during the contract negotiations (see “Default Drawdown Schedules” in Production above).
After the first payment, kaiwhakaputa must meet agreed milestones and provide reports on progress to receive further drawdowns.
See below for further information on what to include in your reports to NZ On Air.
All invoices and reports should be addressed to Adam at fundingpayments@nzonair.govt.nz and must be received by 5pm Monday in order to be paid by the Thursday of the same working week.
Public Interest Journalism funding recipients have a different recipient and cost reporting template, this can be found on the Journalism page here.
Overview
This document clarifies NZ On Air’s expectations around acceptable pūtea/line-items for funded projects. It should be read in conjunction with the advice given in our resources for producers, particularly the contract initiation form and the producers and cost reporting documents.
This document will be reviewed and updated regularly, so please do refer to it when preparing your application budgets.
NZ On Air tries to limit the number of rules we have around acceptable budget/line-items, as we accept that every project has its own unique situation. However there are some line items we will not accept within any funded budget. There are also some specific expectations around how certain line items should be treated.
NZ On Air’s role is to provide a production subsidy for kaupapa creation, not provide a means for commissioning platforms to defray content acquisition expenses.
Audits
From time to time we carry out financial audits of production companies to ensure taxpayer funds are being spent correctly.
We also have the right to carry out health and safety audits.
More pārongo about our audit process is below.
Sales/Income
When pūtea tautoko is over $200,000, or if the project is co-funded by another government agency (NZ Film Commission, Te Māngai Pāho), it is an equity investment. This means that we are entitled to a share of any income in accordance with our standard recoupment policy.
Producers must complete a sales income return every six months for the first three years after a project is delivered to the broadcaster, then annually for the next two years. If no income has been received we still require producers to file a 'nil' return.
After five years has elapsed we ask producers to report sales income only when it has been received.
Health and safety
Producers must be aware of their requirements under the new Health and Safety at Work Act (2015).
NZ On Air along with the Film Commission, SPADA and industry guilds and organisations has funded the development of the website Screensafe as an industry resource for Health and Safety information.
To ensure the wellbeing and safety of all tamariki and young people in the screen sector, NZ On Air and the NZ Film Commission have provided funding to ScreenSafe to develop the below Screen Industry Child Safety Guidelines.
ScreenSafe Child Safety Guidelines
ScreenSafe Child Safety Code of Conduct
ScreenSafe Child Safety Report Document
These guidelines set minimum recommended standards for the screen sector to create and maintain child safe environments, free from abuse, exploitation and hazards.
Publicity resources
The Aotearoa Screen Publicists Collective (ASPC) is a voice for publicists, social media and audience engagement experts in the screen industry. Established in 2021, ASPC exists to ensure Aotearoa’s stories are seen by their audiences both at home and abroad.
NZ On Air has commissioned ASPC to produce a variety of rauemi for New Zealand screen producers.
These include:
- ASPC Publicity Planning Toolkit - a comprehensive outline of all aspects of screen publicity invaluable for producers and everyone wanting audiences to discover your story.
- ASPC Contact Book - an online database of everyone working in the screen publicity and marketing space.
- ASPC Publicity Task Matrix - a detailed how-to guide drawing on the combined experience of ASPC interim komiti members.
- ASPC 1:1 Kawhe Fund - a free two-hour consultation with a publicist or other publicity services provider at the outset of a production.
These resources are all available on the ASPC website, where you can also join ASPC and sign-up to receive newsletters.
Applying our logo
It is important New Zealanders know what their taxpayer dollars have funded. Consistent accreditation also helps reinforce the cultural value of this funding to Aotearoa.
There are specific requirements for the accreditation of funded content when it is broadcast or uploaded/published, and in publicity and promotional material. These accreditation requirements form part of the contract for pūtea tautoko. There are different accreditation assets and requirements for general content and content for tamariki. Please see further details below.
Should you have further queries relating to these requirements or the NZ On Air brand, please contact: communications@nzonair.govt.nz