MEDIA
European Mini Slate Development allows European producers in Low Audiovisual Capacity Countries to scale up, diversify, innovate and solidify their position in the market.
The information on this page is for general information purposes only.
Please read European Mini Slate Development call document for 2026 to check all eligibility and requirements.
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Note to Irish applicants: European Mini Slate Development is not open to Irish companies who wish to apply as lead partners. It is only open to companies from Low Capacity Countries.
- The objective of the European mini-slate development support is 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 coproduction.
- 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.
- Expected results: a stronger position on European and international markets for companies selected under European slate development. Increased quality, feasibility, cross-border potential and market value of European works supported.
- Please read European Mini Slate Development call document for 2026 to check all eligibility and requirements.
- 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: see list of participating countries. - Be established in one of the countries with a low audiovisual capacity (LCC Group A and LCC group B) participating fully in the MEDIA strand of the Creative Europe Programme and owned directly or indirectly, wholly or by majority participation, by nationals from such countries. When a company is publicly listed, the location of the stock exchange will in principle determine its nationality.
- Low Audiovisual Capacity countries: Following countries are considered countries with a low audiovisual capacity:
- LCC group A: Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Poland, Portugal
and Romania. - LCC group B: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia - Third Countries: The following third countries are also considered within LCC group B subject to the conditions being fulfilled for their participation in this call: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Serbia and Ukraine.
- Companies with recent experience in producing internationally distributed works. The applicant must prove when submitting the application that it has produced one previous work since 2019 that respects the following conditions:
- an animation, fiction or creative documentary projects (one-off or series) of a total duration of minimum 24 minutes, unless it is an immersive animation,
- fiction or creative documentary project (e.g. Virtual Reality), in which case there is no minimum duration.
- Must have been released in cinemas (or similar for location-based immersive projects), broadcast on television or made available on digital platforms in at least 3 countries other than that of the applicant before the day of the deadline for submission of applications.
- Releases or broadcasts are of a commercial nature. Screenings during festivals are not accepted as a commercial distribution.
- In relation to the previous work, the applicant must also be able to prove:
− that it was the sole production company; or
− that it was, in the case of a co-production with another production company, the major co-producer in the financing plan or credited as delegate producer; or
− that its Chief Executive or one of its shareholders has a personal onscreen credit on the work as producer or delegate producer.
- LCC group A: Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Poland, Portugal
- Please read European Mini Slate Development call document for 2026 to check all eligibility and requirements.
- 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 works 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.
- Applications should present adequate strategies to ensure a more sustainable and more environmentally-respectful industry and to ensure gender balance, inclusion, diversity and representativeness.
- The following works are ineligible for both development and short film activities:
- live recordings, TV games, talk shows, cooking shows, magazines, tv-shows, reality shows, educational, teaching and “how to” programmes;
- documentaries promoting tourism, “making-of”, reports, animal reportages, news programmes and “docu-soaps”;
- projects including pornographic or racist material or advocating violence;
- works of a promotional nature;
- institutional productions to promote a specific organisation or its activities;
- music videos and video-clips; video games, e-books and interactive books; student films or graduation works.
- Please read European Mini Slate Development call document for 2026 to check all eligibility and requirements.
- Project budget (requested grant amount): between €60,000 and €310,000 per
project. The grant awarded may be lower than the amount requested. - The grant will be a lump sum grant. This means that it will reimburse a fixed amount, based on a lump sum or financing not linked to costs. The amount is prefixed by the granting authority at:
- Animation one-off: €55,000
- Animation series: €60,000
- Creative documentary one-off: €30,000
- Creative documentary series: €35,000
- Fiction one-off with a production budget below or equal to 5M: €45,000
- Fiction one-off with a production budget above 5M: €60,000
- Fiction series with a production budget below or equal to 5M: €55,000
- Fiction series with a production budget above 5M but below or equal to 20M:€75,000
- Fiction series with a production budget above 20M: €100,000
- Short film: €10,000.
- Read European Mini Slate Development call document for 2026 to check all eligibility and requirements.
- Applications for this call will be processed through the European Commission's Funding & Tender Opportunities Portal (F&TP).
- There is detailed information on how to access the F&T Portal.
- You can see further information on how to apply.
- The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by Creative Europe Desk Ireland and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. You can read our full Disclaimer here.
