Screenwriters Development Fund
Production companies can apply for funding from the Screenwriters Development Fund to develop scripts by Nova Scotian writers for film and television. You can apply until 1 September 2026.
Offered by Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage
Amount
Up to 50% of eligible costs to a maximum of $20,000 for each project; funding once per project stage, up to a maximum of 2 stages per project
Quick eligibility check
Who can apply
Production companies can apply for funding if:
- production company is registered with Registry of Joint Stock Companies
- producer and writer have a primary residence in Nova Scotia (for at least 12 months before applying)
- production is new and at least 30 broadcast minutes in length
Not eligible:
ineligible projects and productions (news, current events and public affairs programming, talk shows, sports event or activity, reality tv, pornography and adult entertainment, advertising, console and online video games, software programming platforms and video distribution platforms
About the funding
The Screenwriters Development Fund may fund up to 50% of eligible costs to a maximum of $20,000 for each project. The applicant needs to fund the balance of the costs.
The Screenwriters Development Fund has 3 different project stages for funding:
- treatment and first draft
- second draft
Show all funding details
- final draft and script polish
Applicants can apply for funding from all 3 project stages. They can only receive funding once per project stage up to a maximum of 2 stages per project.
Eligible project costs and activities include:
- writer fees
- producer fees
- rights (options fees) for literary material
- research or travel expenses
- story editors and script consultants, including equity, diversity and inclusion consultants
- screenplay workshopping
- demo reels and pitch materials (where the demo or pitch is a broadcast production requirement)
Similar programs
| Program | Type | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AgriScience Program – Projects | Grant, In-Kind Support | Up to $5 million per project and $10 million per applicant over the program's duration (2023 to 2028) | Open |
| Sector Innovation and Development: Project Grants Component of Supporting Artistic Practice | Grant | Up to $100,000 | Open |
| Small-Scale Activities Component of Creating, Knowing and Sharing: The Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Inuit and MĂ©tis Peoples | Grant | Up to $5,000 per year | Open |
| Advanced Manufacturing Technology Assessments | Grant | Up to $50,000 | Open |
