Screen Incentives

The New Zealand Screen Production Grant encourages medium to large budget productions, both from New Zealand and overseas, to locate here.

The New Zealand Screen Production Grant (NZSPG) came into effect on 1 April 2014 and applies to all productions that started principal photography (or key animation) after 1 April 2014.

This grant replaces the Large Budget Screen Production Grant (LBSPG) and Screen Production Incentive Fund (SPIF).  The Film Commission administers the NZSPG on behalf of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Since it came into effect, the criteria for the grant has been reviewed to manage increased demand for the grants.

The current NZSPG Criteria are dated 1 July 2017, and will replace the 1 August 2015 criteria. The Effective Date and Transitional Provisions are summarised below.

Information and criteria for New Zealand and official co-productions can be found here.

NZSPG - International Productions (including PDV)

International Productions that start Principal Photography before 1 July 2017 will be assessed under the NZSPG criteria dated 1 August 2015. 

International Productions that start Principal Photography on or after 1 July 2017 will be assessed under the 1 July 2017 criteria.

International Productions that have received a Provisional Certificate on or before 31 March 2017, will be assessed under the 1 August 2015 criteria, provided that production starts Principal Photography before expiry of that Provisional Certificate.

International Productions that receive a Provisional Certificate on or after 1 April 2017 will be assessed under the 1 July 2017 Criteria, unless the production starts Principal Photography before 1 July 2017.

Principal Photography as defined in the criteria: Appendix 1 - Definitions and Interpretations.

Overview - 1 July 2017 criteria

(For information on the 1 August 2015 criteria, click here.)

International Productions are eligible for a cash grant of 20% of Qualifying New Zealand Production Expenditure (QNZPE) with a 5% Uplift available for a smaller number of productions that are invited to apply and can demonstrate significant additional economic benefits to New Zealand.  PDV Productions can access a grant of 20% of QNZPE up to QNZPE of $25 million, and 18% of QNZPE for QNZPE above $25 million.

QNZPE is generally production expenditure spent by the applicant on:

• services provided in New Zealand
• the use of land located in New Zealand
• goods purchased, hired or leased in New Zealand, provided they are sourced from within New Zealand
• goods sourced from overseas, provided those goods are not otherwise available in New Zealand, are located in New Zealand during the making of the production and are purchased, hired or leased from a New Zealand Resident who typically supplies that type of good.

QNZPE includes fees and expenses of non-New Zealanders who work on the production in New Zealand, provided (in the case of non-cast members) they work on the production for at least 14 days in total. Further details of inclusions and exclusions to QNZPE are set out in the NZSPG Criteria.  There are differences between the inclusions and exclusions to QNZPE for International Productions and New Zealand Productions. 

For further details and eligibility criteria for each of the grants see the relevant pages. 

If you have any questions about Incentives, please contact nzspg@nzfilm.co.nz or call the Incentives Executive on +64 4 382 7680.