Northern Ireland Screen New Writer Focus
Lab · 2027Prestige 62/100
A writers' room for Northern Irish writers with no feature credit, plus a writer's award of around 2,500 pounds.
Deadlines & fees
Closed for this cycle
The 2026/27 round opened on 30 April 2026 and closed on 19 June 2026, with decisions by the end of August and development running from September. One caution on that deadline: the guidelines PDF gives noon on its cover page and midnight on page four, and the news announcement says noon while the FAQ page says midnight. Noon is the likelier intent and matches the previous cycle. The annual pattern is otherwise consistent: announced in late April or mid May, closing in the second half of June, with development starting every September, running since 2015. No dates for the next round have been published, and note that the development funding page still describes the scheme as open seven weeks after it closed.
Dates and fees checked against the official site 9 Aug 2026.
Key facts
- Formats
- Feature
- Eligibility
- UK residentsEmerging writers
- Open to
- United Kingdom
- Required materials
- A first draft of the script you wish to develop, including a title page with project title, writer full name, address and contact details, in standard industry format, Courier 12pt, around 90 pages · A single document containing a logline, a paragraph synopsis and a one-page outline in Courier 12pt · Files named with the project title and your full name · Submitted through the SmartSimple portal, after a brief pre-application form and an anonymous equality monitoring form
Open only to Northern Ireland resident writers new to feature film, defined as a writer without a writing credit on a produced feature film, and Northern Ireland Screen reserves the right to request proof of residency. You must not have previously completed the scheme. Feature film scripts only: the scheme states plainly that it is not taking applications for TV drama or comedy. No genre restriction, and projects need not be limited by budget or genre, with a range of art-house and commercial stories welcomed. Scripts should run to approximately 90 pages in Courier 12pt. Writing teams of up to two may submit jointly. One project per applicant, and multiple applications are not permitted. No producer or director is needed, and representation is not mentioned as a bar.
Prizes
Selected writers are invited to apply for a writer's award following the selection process, so selection alone does not guarantee the money. The 2026-27 guidelines state that award as 2,500 pounds. Note a live discrepancy: Northern Ireland Screen's own development funding page states that the maximum award for script development to an individual is 2,250 pounds and that all individual awards are allocated exclusively through New Writer Focus, so the two figures describe the same award and cannot both be current. The scheme-specific guidelines are the more likely figure, but confirm before relying on it. Payment staging is not published, and travel or accommodation for the writers' room, which involves monthly meetings, is not addressed anywhere. No option, first-look, first-refusal or exclusivity clause appears in the guidelines. Worth noting for clarity: Northern Ireland Screen does describe development awards as recoupable loans elsewhere on its site, but those statements sit under its project and slate development funds, which are company-only, and no recoupment language appears under script development or in these guidelines.
Judging
Applications go through Northern Ireland Screen's SmartSimple portal under Funding Opportunities, preceded by a brief pre-application form and an anonymous equality monitoring form. Applicants are notified of a decision by the end of August. No individual feedback is offered to unsuccessful applicants given the volume. The selection panel is not published. Ursula Devine, Development Executive, is the named scheme contact. Alumni cited by Northern Ireland Screen include Mark McNally of In the Land of Saints and Sinners, Kevin Fitzpatrick of The Last Rifleman and Sam O'Mahony of The Wise Guy. Note two contradictions in the official documents: the web pages say up to four scripts are chosen with development running September to April, while the guidelines PDF says up to three scripts and September to March.
The PreList verdict
A genuinely entry-level route into feature writing, and one of very few anywhere that asks for nothing except that you live in Northern Ireland and have not written a produced feature. No agent needed, no producer, no director, no credits. What you get is a writers' room with monthly meetings running from September into the spring, individual development on your project, seminars that have been led by script editor Kate Leys, and a writer's award you apply for once selected. Alumni have gone on to write In the Land of Saints and Sinners and The Last Rifleman.
On the money, the figure is now published where it previously was not, and it is around 2,500 pounds. Be aware that Northern Ireland Screen's own development funding page gives 2,250 for the same award while stating that individual awards are allocated exclusively through this scheme, so the two cannot both be current. The scheme guidelines are the better source, but confirm before you count on it. Note also that selection alone does not bring the money: successful applicants are invited to apply for the award afterwards.
Two practical cautions. Their own documents contradict each other on the closing time, with the guidelines PDF saying noon on its cover and midnight four pages later, and on the number of places, with the web pages saying up to four and the PDF up to three. Noon and four are the likelier readings but neither is certain. And travel to the monthly writers' room, presumably in Belfast, is not addressed anywhere, which matters if you are outside the city. The round closed in June and the pattern is reliable: expect an announcement in late April or May and a deadline in the second half of June.
Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 9 Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
How much is the writer's award?
The 2026-27 guidelines state 2,500 pounds, but Northern Ireland Screen's development funding page says the maximum individual script development award is 2,250 and that all individual awards go through this scheme, so both cannot be current. Note also that selection does not automatically bring the money: successful applicants are invited to apply for the award afterwards.
Who can apply?
Northern Ireland resident writers with no writing credit on a produced feature film, and they may ask for proof of residency. No agent, producer or director is needed. Writing teams of up to two may submit jointly, one project per applicant. Feature film scripts only: TV drama and comedy are explicitly not accepted.
Is the money repayable?
Not on the published record. No recoupment or repayment language appears in the scheme guidelines. Northern Ireland Screen does describe development awards as recoupable loans elsewhere on its site, but those statements sit under its project and slate development funds, which are company-only rather than for individual writers.
When does it open again?
Not published, but the pattern is reliable. The scheme has run annually since 2015, announced in late April or mid May and closing in the second half of June, with development starting every September. The 2026/27 round closed on 19 June 2026.
Is your script right for Northern Ireland Screen New Writer Focus?
Upload your screenplay and The PreList scores how well it fits this lab: genre, format, eligibility and readiness, before you spend anything.
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