Future Screens NI delivering expert technical skills, opportunity and growth across film and broadcast, animation, games and immersive technologies and industries in Northern Ireland.

FSNI IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Given the volume of Pre-Commercialisation applications which has been received, Future Screens NI is pausing any further receipt of applications until this volume has been processed. Please follow the web presence for future information on the Pre-Commercialisation awards. 

New Funding Cycle Now Open

The next phase of Future Screens NI awards, funded by the Department for Communities, is now open. The funding will be live from July 1st, 2024 to July 1st 2025 with 74 Proof of Concept awards of £20K, and a limited number of Pre-Commercialisation £50K awards to be made.

Experience from the first phase of Future Screens indicated that the expression of interest model was important in allowing applicants to finesse their ideas through negotiation with a member of the FSNI Management Team. It also helped the Management Team to assess whether the proposed project would meet the criteria for funding ensuring that valuable time was not wasted by either party. Given this experience it has been deemed useful to continue with this process in the latest phase of funding.

The criteria for Proof of Concept awards are:

• The proposed project must have a clear research and development focus addressing a specific issue through the use of contemporary technologies

• The proposed project must have a social-facing outcome and this impact must be explicitly articulated in the proposal

• The proposed project must have a sectoral impact as well as a company/individual impact hence advancing capacity in the region

• The proposed project must have the potential to create employment or contribute to the GVA for the region

The criteria for Pre-commercialisation awards are:

• Proposed projects must have completed a successful proof of concept phase

• Proposed projects must have identified an audience for the product or service

• The proposed project must show a strategy for the commercial and market realisation of the product or service

• The proposed project must offer an indication of any background IP brought to the project

All applicants must be resident in Northern Ireland.

If the expression of interest phase is successful applicants will be asked to move to full application. On submission an application will be assessed by two members of the Management Committee and/or the Steering Group and marked according to an agreed set of criteria. If an application is not deemed ready for funding the applicant will be asked to work with the FSNI team to revise and re-submit.

On approval the applicant will receive 75% of the funding initially and the remaining 25% on completion of the project and submission of a final report.

If you wish to enter the process please send an email requesting an expression of interest form to info-futurescreensni@ulster.ac.uk. This will allow FSNI to monitor and map the applications being made. If you have specific questions about the process please also use the email address above to make your enquiry.