Criteria

Belgian independent producers, as defined in the Flemish Media Decree, can apply through Screen Flanders for up to 400,000 euros of repayable advances to cover part of their audiovisual expenditure in the Flanders Region. Foreign producers interesting in applying for support must work with a Belgian co-producer who meets all the fund’s conditions.

Both features and series are eligible, within fiction, documentary and animation. The audiovisual work must have a running time of at least 60 minutes and series must contain at least three episodes. Both fiction and documentary series must tell an ongoing story. Fiction series with a majority Belgian share are only eligible in specific cases. Soaps, telenovelas, sitcoms, web series and experimental series are excluded.

The definitions and criteria applied can be consulted in detail in the Screen Flanders Manual.

Only certain types of expenditure are eligible for Screen Flanders support. This is limited to audiovisual costs directly linked to the completion of the audiovisual work in question and must satisfy following criteria:

• must be invoiced by a VAT-paying company that has its registered office, operational headquarters and demonstrable continuity of operations in the Flanders Region, and must be paid in the Flanders Region;
• must be invoiced and paid in the spending period;
• must be invoiced directly to the applicant;
• must benefit the structure of the Flanders audiovisual industry;
• must be realistic and in line with market rates.

Expenditure qualifying for support is exclusive of VAT and may not have been invoiced for at the time of application. Expenditure is only accepted based on a submitted invoice, drawn up in accordance with prevailing laws and containing the necessary details.

Expenses, which need to be documented to qualify and cover for VAF support, cannot be subsidised by Screen Flanders. However, expenses to be documented in the framework of the Belgian Federal Tax Shelter can be subsidised, provided they are eligible for Screen Flanders support.

A complete list of all eligible expenditure as well as specific guidelines regarding expenditure invoiced by affiliated companies, internal labour costs, hardware, investments, etc. can be consulted in the Screen Flanders manual.

To qualify for support, an audiovisual work must satisfy the following conditions:

• At least 50% of the financing of the overall production budget is secured at the time of application.
  
• A minimum of 250,000 euros (VAT excluded) of eligible costs in the Flanders Region will be incurred in its production.
  
• The project is submitted before the first day of principal photography/animation.
  
• It was submitted no more than once previously and received no support when last submitted.
  
• The project enriches the cultural heritage of Flanders and satisfies at least three (in the case of animation) or four (fiction and documentary) of the cultural criteria set out in the cultural test (see the Screen Flanders Manual).
  
• The maximum percentages for total state support are respected. The total state support shall amount to no more than 50% of the total production budget for the project. This percentage rises to 60% for co-productions that receive funding from more than one member state of the EU and that involve producers from more than one member state, and to 75% if it concerns a difficult audiovisual work.
  
• On the date on which the aid application is submitted, the aid applicant is not an undertaking in difficulty and is not in the process of recovering aid granted.
  
• The online application and budget have been fully and correctly completed, and the application was submitted before the deadline.

The maximum support per project is 400,000 euros. You decide how much support you apply for based on your eligible expenses and the general quality of the application. The minimum spend requirement in the Flanders Region is 100% of the support amount. As Screen Flanders is a competitive and selective mechanism, higher economic leverages or spending ratios are presented in applications.

The support is awarded in the form of refundable advances on net receipts. From these net receipts, a pro rata recoupment percentage needs to be repaid. The recoupment percentage is applicable as of the first euro in net receipts, in first rank and at the same time as the other financiers. The Fund is entitled to this percentage even if the advance has been repaid.

Applications can only be submitted in response to an open call. Screen Flanders has two calls a year with deadlines in March and September. Each call has a specific budget.

Applications are presented to a jury consisting of both economic and cultural experts who assess and prioritise all projects based on qualitative and quantitative criteria. These criteria focus mainly on the economic potential of the project and the impact of the production on the Flanders audiovisual industry. Available funding is then allocated to the highest-ranking applications in descending order until the funds are exhausted.

More information on the selection process and criteria can be consulted in the Screen Flanders Manual.