Call for Proposals: European Mini-Slate Development

Deadline: 12-Aug-21

European Commission is calling for proposals for European Mini-Slate Development to foster the competitiveness of European independent production companies and to increase their economic weight on the market.

The aim is also to increase the capacity of audiovisual producers to develop projects with the potential to circulate throughout Europe and beyond, and to facilitate European and international co-production.

The support will also provide an entry point for emerging talent, giving them the opportunity to direct a short film supported by the strong foundation provided by experienced companies.

Funding Information

The available call budget is EUR 4 000 000. This budget might be increased by maximum 20%.

Expected Results

A stronger position on European and international markets for companies selected under European mini-slate development.
Increased quality, feasibility, cross-border potential and market value of European works supported.

Activities to be Funded

Support will be given to independent European production companies able to develop a slate of 2 to 3 audiovisual works (fiction, animation, creative documentary). This should allow production companies to reduce risks and increase their capacity to attract and retain talents.
The European mini-slate development shall provide support to the development of minimum 2 and maximum 3 works for commercial exploitation intended for cinema release, television broadcasting or commercial exploitation on digital platforms or a multi-platform environment in the following categories: animation, creative documentary or fiction. Applicants may add a short film by emerging talent to their slate (optional).
The aim is to provide funds to audiovisual production companies to develop work with high creative value and cultural diversity and wide cross-border exploitation potential. Companies are encouraged to develop strategies for marketing and distribution from the outset of the development phase thus improving the potential to reach audiences at a European and international level.
Greater cooperation, including co-development, between operators from different countries participating in the MEDIA Strand is also pursued as well as strengthening the competitiveness of European audiovisual production companies by consolidating their capacity for investment in the development phase and expanding companies’ activities and their innovation capacity to explore new fields and markets.
Special attention will be given to applications presenting adequate strategies to ensure a more sustainable and more environmentally-respectful industry and to ensure gender balance, inclusion, diversity and representativeness.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:

be legal entities (public or private bodies)
be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
Creative Europe Participating Countries:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
- non-EU countries:
  - listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Creative Europe Programme (associated countries) or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature
be established in one of the countries with a low audiovisual capacity and be owned directly or by majority participation, by nationals from countries participating in the MEDIA Strand of the Creative Europe Programme; for publicly listed companies, the location of the stock exchange will be taken into account to determine its nationality Following countries are considered countries with a low audiovisual capacity
- LCC group A: Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Poland, Portugal, Romania
- LCC group B: Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia – be independent European audiovisual production companies that can demonstrate recent experience in producing internationally distributed works
Creative Europe MEDIA publishes annual calls for European co-development, European slate development and European mini-slate development. Applicants can make only one application either as applicant for European slate development or European mini-slate development, or as project leader (coordinator) for European co-development. However, they can in addition be a partner in a European co-development application
beneficiaries of a Creative Europe MEDIA slate funding grant signed during a period of 12 months prior to the deadline for submission of applications, cannot apply for the 2021 European mini-slate development support.