Screen Ireland Screenplay Development (Established Talent)
Grant · 2026Prestige 74/100Feedback included
Attach a producer and you are automatically ineligible. Up to 20,000 euro, and it is a repayable loan.
Deadlines & fees
- October roundNext deadline30 Oct 2026Europe/DublinFree
Dates and fees checked against the official site 8 Aug 2026.
Key facts
- Formats
- Feature
- Open to
- Ireland
- Required materials
- Logline · Either a one-page synopsis with a detailed treatment of at least 10 pages excluding images, or a 2 to 3 page synopsis with a script sample of 20 to 30 pages only · Short character descriptions including character arcs · Writer and director notes · Evidence of ownership of rights (adaptations and true stories are automatically withdrawn without it) · Development budget completed on the online form
Open to experienced Irish talent including individual writers, teams of writers, and writer and director teams, where applicants have at least one produced fiction feature film credit as a writer (including theatrical distribution, festival screenings or distribution on a major streaming platform) or television drama credits including animated shows. Credits on short films, adverts, documentary or non-fiction do not qualify. Teams pairing one experienced writer with one less experienced writer are eligible as a co-writing team. Producers must not be attached: an application including a production company or producer is automatically deemed ineligible. Live action or animated feature films only, made predominantly in English or Irish or a combination. A project may only be submitted to this programme twice; after a second unsuccessful application it is no longer eligible. Note a residency discrepancy in the official documents: the funding guidelines state all writers and directors must be resident in or born in the Republic of Ireland, while the scheme page states only that where more than one writer is attached, all must be Irish citizens or resident in the Republic.
Prizes
Up to 15,000 euro for an individual or up to 20,000 euro for teams of two or more. Screen Ireland warns that in light of pressure on resources, awards considerably less than the maximum are likely to be offered. IMPORTANT: this is a loan, not a grant. It is repayable in full on the first day of principal photography and must be carried as a line item in the production budget. It carries no interest, no premium is charged on repayment, and Screen Ireland takes no profit share. Unlike the Scottish equivalent there is no reinvestment account available to you: Screen Ireland's Development Locked Box is producer-only, and this scheme forbids producers. Copyright normally remains with the writer, though Screen Ireland may require a share.
Judging
Projects are assessed by members of the production and development team, sometimes joined by Business Affairs, Distribution and other departments, chaired by the Chief Executive or a designate. Panels may include external assessors. Development funding decisions up to 75,000 euro are made at a development meeting and ratified by the Screen Ireland board at the following board meeting. Prior consultation with the team is not required. Decisions are generally reached within 12 weeks of the submission deadline, and applicants receive a Project Decision Summary with brief feedback comments. Successful applicants must contact the Legal and Business Affairs Coordinator within two weeks of an offer or the project expires.
The PreList verdict
This is the cleanest writer-first scheme in these islands, and it is emphatic about it: attach a production company or a producer and your application is automatically deemed ineligible. Up to 15,000 euro for an individual or 20,000 for a team, to take a project from treatment or early draft to a viable first draft while working with a script editor that Screen Ireland approves. The editor is arguably as much the point as the money, and the structure deliberately keeps the project unencumbered until you choose a company yourself.
The honest part: this is a loan, and Screen Ireland calls it one. It is repayable in full on the first day of principal photography and must be carried as a line item in the production budget. It is interest-free, no premium is charged and Screen Ireland takes no profit share, which makes it about as gentle as a loan gets. But note the asymmetry with Scotland: Screen Ireland's Development Locked Box, which lets people redraw what they have repaid, is producer-only, and this scheme forbids producers. So you repay with nothing to draw back down. Screen Ireland also warns plainly that awards considerably below the maximum are likely.
Apply if you are an established Irish writer with at least one produced fiction feature or television drama credit, working alone or with a co-writer or director, and you want to develop something properly before any company is involved. Short film, advert, documentary and non-fiction credits do not count towards that. One round remains in 2026, Friday 30 October at 1pm, with decisions around twelve weeks later. Choose your moment: a project can only ever be submitted to this programme twice.
Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 9 Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is this a grant or a loan?
A loan, and Screen Ireland is explicit about it. It is repayable in full on the first day of principal photography and must appear as a line item in the production budget. It carries no interest, no premium on repayment, and Screen Ireland takes no profit share.
Can I apply with a producer attached?
No, and this is the defining feature of the scheme. If a project is submitted including a production company or producer it is automatically deemed ineligible. A director may be attached; writer and director teams are eligible.
What credits do I need?
At least one produced fiction feature film credit as a writer, including theatrical distribution, festival screenings or distribution on a major streaming platform, or television drama credits including animated shows. Short films, adverts, documentary and non-fiction credits do not count. A team pairing one experienced writer with a less experienced co-writer is eligible.
When is the next deadline?
Friday 30 October 2026 at 1pm, when the application portal closes. That is the only round left in 2026 and no 2027 dates have been published. Decisions generally follow within 12 weeks.
Is your script right for Screen Ireland Screenplay Development (Established Talent)?
Upload your screenplay and The PreList scores how well it fits this grant: genre, format, eligibility and readiness, before you spend anything.
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