Templates and guidelines for every step of the process, to help you meet your obligations to NZ On Air and receive funding.
If an application for pūtea tautoko (funding) is successful you need a contract with NZ On Air before any funding can be released. There are different contracts depending on which type of funding has been approved.
You also need to meet other obligations and can get support with publicity.
We have created a flowchart to guide you through the production funding process.
If you have had production funding approved, complete the Production Funding Contract Initiation Form.
Send the Production Funding Contract Initiation Form with the listed attachments to these two emails: rebeccat@nzonair.govt.nz and luciella@nzonair.govt.nz
Contracting will begin once:
Contracting will be completed within 14 working days after receiving all necessary information.
If NZ On Air has previously provided development funding for this project (regardless of the applicant), it must be included in the full production budget in the production contract.
These are the standard terms and conditions for production funding. We don’t generally engage in bespoke contract negotiation. Your completed contract will be based on this template.
As part of our move towards becoming a paperless administration, the agreement will be digitally signed.
These are the standard drawdown schedules which we will apply to your project in the contract. There is some room for negotiation though, depending on your actual predicted cashflow needs.
We have created a flowchart to guide you through the development funding process.
Submit a development contract initiation form
If you have had development funding approved, complete the Development Contract Initiation Form.
Send the Development Contract Initiation Form with the listed attachments to these two emails: rebeccat@nzonair.govt.nz and luciella@nzonair.govt.nz
Contracting will begin once:
Contracting will be completed within 14 working days after receiving all necessary information.
These are the standard terms and conditions for development funding. We don’t generally engage in bespoke contract negotiation. Your completed contract will be based on this template.
As part of our move towards becoming a paperless administration, the agreement will be digitally signed.
We release funding in stages, or drawdowns, which are agreed during the contract negotiations.
After the first payment, kaiwhakaputa (producers) must meet agreed milestones and provide reports on progress to receive further drawdowns.
Report inclusions
This document explains the information you will need to include in your reports.
All invoices and reports should be addressed to Adam at fundingpayments@nzonair.govt.nz.
Reports must be received by 5pm Monday in order to be paid by the Thursday of the same working week.
Ongoing oversight and support for Public Interest Journalism roles and projects is via the Journalism Manager, Gabriel Thomas: gabrielt@nzonair.govt.nz
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. Different requirements exist for general and children’s content. These accreditation requirements form part of the contract for pūtea tautoko (funding).
If you have questions about the requirements or the NZ On Air brand, contact: communications@nzonair.govt.nz
We have expectations around acceptable pūtea/line-items for funded projects. These are reviewed and updated regularly.
We try to limit the number of rules around acceptable budget/line-items. We accept every project has its own unique situation. But 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.
Our role is to support production of content, not provide a means for commissioning platforms to defray content acquisition expenses.
From time to time we carry out financial audits of production companies to make sure taxpayer funds are being spent correctly. We also have the right to carry out health and safety audits.
When pūtea tautoko (funding) 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 we are entitled to a share of any income in accordance with our standard recoupment policy.
Producers must complete a sales income return:
If no income has been received we still require producers to file a 'nil' return.
After five years we ask producers to report sales income only when it has been received.
Producers must be aware of their requirements under the Health and Safety at Work Act (2015). Follow the guidance on Screensafe.
You need to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all tamariki and young people involved in your project. These guidelines set minimum recommended standards for the screen sector to create and maintain child safe environments, free from abuse, exploitation and hazards.
Ngā Aho Whakaari (the association of Māori in Screen Production) has guidelines for working with Māori in the screen sector to ensure tikanga is understood and respected.
The Aotearoa Screen Publicists Collective (ASPC) is a voice for screen industry:
Established in 2021, ASPC exists to ensure Aotearoa’s stories are seen by their audiences both at home and abroad. You can become a member and sign up to their newsletter.
We commissioned ASPC to produce a variety of rauemi (resources) for New Zealand screen producers.You can find these on the ASPC website.
Read these simple social media tips for Tamariki producers to increase your outreach and engagement on social media.
Sign up to receive communications such as media releases, newsletters and funding decisions.