Shorts Newsletter - 26 January

NZ On Air is seeking Scripted (fiction), Factual (non-fiction) and Music content proposals with a focus on youth issues and audiences. The target age range is 15-30 years with a priority focus on 15-24 years.

In this financial year, NZ On Air has earmarked up to $2.5m of contestable funding to support the creation of Scripted, Factual and Music content for youth audiences. Up to $500k of this funding is set aside for music content proposals - this funding is not for the recording of new music.

We are seeking proposals of a maximum budget of around $300k per application with free public access. We expect the average ask to be circa $150-200k. We are looking to fund around 8-10 projects within the available funding.

We are looking for:

• Concepts featuring distinctive voices and vision in order to break through the noise online.
• Innovative proposals that demonstrate great potential to deliver engaging content that is clearly targeted at a group within the overall demographic (15-30 year-olds).
• Short-form, mobile-first concepts and content designed natively for digital platforms.
• Music content applications focused on profiling or promoting new and recent releases and artists.
• Projects that have a total understanding of their target audience and how they can leverage their existing audiences, where applicable, for success.
• Projects that think outside of the box when it comes to marketing and release plans.
• Engaging traditional means of promotion is fundamental (e.g. custom social pages, reviews, paid promotion, electronic press kits, email marketing) but creative marketing strategies (such as influencer engagement, online event launches, gif, filter and sticker creation, TikTok brand and ad creation, engaging personal networks etc.) is encouraged. The hiring of illustrators and graphics designers can also fall under the marketing and release strategy budget.

Podcasts, interactive concepts and games (excluding video games) will be eligible, however, they are not the priority of this RFP, which is focusing on online video opportunities.

Read the full Youth Request For Proposals document below. Deadlines and other important dates can be found in the May round information below and in the Youth RFP document.

This information is for producers intending to make a funding application to the Scripted, Factual, and Platform streams of the NZ Media Fund or Industry Development Fund for the May round.

Given the high percentage of Factual and Scripted funding that has already been allocated in the current financial year, as previously advised, the May round is considering applications for a limited number of initiatives:

May funding round priorities

• Factual, Scripted and Music applications to the Youth RFP (up to $2.5m).
• Factual and Scripted HEIHEI returning series (up to $2m) - Invitation Only - This round will also accept applications for HEIHEI returning series that launched on HEIHEI after the Aug/Sep 2021 Children’s funding round deadline.
• Development - Our Content Development funds have been fully expended for both supported and diverse development. Therefore, we will not be accepting any Content Development applications in this round.
• Industry Development applications will be considered as well as new Cultural Sector Capability Funding applications.
• Platform applications - this is a closed round.

Important dates

18 February 2021 - Funding round opens.

All applications must be made through NZ On Air’s online application system. Applications not submitted through this system will not be accepted. You must submit a request to register with our online system well in advance of the application deadline day.

18 March 2021, 4pm - Application deadline. Round closes.

Late applications will not be considered. In very exceptional circumstances, for time-sensitive projects agreed prior by the Head of Funding, we may consider an out of time application. But we won’t be generous.

5 May 2021 - Decisions confirmed, applicants notified the following day.

This date may be extended at NZ On Air’s sole discretion.