English

In our work with grants and initiatives, we at Viken Film Centre follow these principles

Expressions that Leave an Impression

• Artistic Exploration is the Foundation
  All expressions need opportunities for development to find their form. In the early stages, the creative and economic potential of projects can be tested, regardless of the limitations of formats.
• Strong Production Environments are the Framework
  Artistic and economic integrity go hand in hand. Audience insights and sustainable company development create room for artistic creativity.
• New Challenges Require New Methods
  Audience insights and practices from other industries can inspire new creative expressions and new forms of company development.
• A Sharing Culture is Essential
  In a large and diverse industry, new and unexpected encounters can occur. We collaborate with the industry, we include, and we build bridges.
• The Money is Not Ours
  The funds we manage belong to the industry. We must be flexible and innovative so that grants and initiatives can be as beneficial as possible.

Background

An open, free, and democratic society requires a diversity of artistic expressions that reflect and challenge the reality we live in. This is more important than ever: in a time marked by political polarisation and a transforming media market, with increasing competition for attention. (Read more in NFI’s Future Study and the Nostradamus Report)

The industry in the Viken region and Oslo has strong production environments and access to a broad and diverse talent base. Here, high-quality art and cultural expressions are created, productions that enhance the exchange of ideas and critical reflection, and that have international impact. We work to ensure the industry in our region has equal opportunities and conditions as in the rest of the country.

Viken Film Centre’s task is to contribute to creating experiences with artistic value that can influence the audience and the times we live in. We aim to promote diversity and increased sustainability. (Read more about what «Expressions that Leave an Impression» means for the Film Centre)

The translation to English applies only to the audiovisual works scheme. If you are applying for our other schemes («Våre ordninger»), these have not been translated – please contact us directly for assistance.

To apply for the grant, the following criteria must be met:

• The applicant must be a business entity. All businesses engaged in commercial activities are eligible to apply for the grant. Ideal organizations and public entities cannot apply.
• The applicant should have audiovisual production as its primary purpose. Alternatively, the applicant must demonstrate significant experience in film production or game development.
• The project must have regional ties to Viken Film Centre.This can be achieved through the company’s business address or key personnel residing in Viken Film Centre’s owner counties (Oslo, Akershus, Buskerud, Østfold).
• Norwegian minority producers can apply for grants for foreign co-productions according to the regulations.

Viken Film Centre has specific limitations on the types of projects eligible for grants, beyond what is outlined in the regulations.
Here are the exclusions for grant applications:

• Projects exclusively focused on manuscript development are not eligible for grants.
• Projects solely related to launch activities are not eligible for grants.
• Long-format fiction projects, including feature films and drama series with a total length exceeding 60 minutes, are excluded. This also applies to early idea development and pilot production.
• Projects integrated into an educational program or led by students are not eligible.
• Production of material intended solely for closed distribution systems is not covered by grants.

You can apply for the same project in multiple phases. However, you can only seek funding for one phase at a time. It’s possible to request a new phase before the previous one concludes, but to receive a new payment from us, all previous phase reports must be submitted and approved.

If your application is rejected, you can reapply with the same project. In that case, significant changes to the project or application premises are expected. Please describe any modifications since the previous application in a separate field in the application form.

Login: Regportal uses ID-porten for login.

Individual Registration:
Applicants should register as individuals.

Company Registration:
Initial registration of a company must be done by the managing director/board chairman or another person associated with the company in the Brønnøysund Register. Once the film centre has approved the company registration, the administrator can “manage the company” and invite other individuals as users under “manage user account.” As a user, you’ll have access to create applications, request, and report. Those not affiliated with the company in the Brønnøysund Register can become users by “applying for affiliation with a new organization” during login or under “My profile.” The application is approved by the company’s administrator in Regportal.

Mandatory Attachments
These documents are mandatory to include in the application and should be prepared before you apply:

Project description: A description of what the project is about, its key features, and its intended final product.
Producer’s note: An explanation of how the project is planned to be executed, which resources will be utilized, and the role the project plays in a larger development process for the company and those involved.
Publishing note: A statement on how the project will reach an audience, its intended publication/display methods, and the strategies for sales/distribution.
Budget: A cost budget for the phase for which you are seeking a grant.
Additional Attachments: There are other documents that may be useful to include, depending on the format and the project’s current phase:

Script: Expected for short film applications.
Game Design Document: (GDD): Expected for game applications.
Location Notes/Concept: Production plan.
Confirmation of Access/Participation/Collaboration: If external actors’ involvement or collaboration adds value to the project, document it.

When applying for grants, it’s essential to clearly understand the project’s stage and the desired outcomes after completing the project phase. Projects can seek grants for multiple phases, but these phases cannot overlap.
It’s possible to apply for a new phase grant before the previous phase is completed, but earlier phases must be finished before approving disbursement requests for a new phase.

Viken Film Centre aims to contribute to projects having a healthy economy and good working conditions. Therefore, there are requirements for a clear understanding of the income and expenses related to the project and the grant-seeking phase. The application requires a budget and a financing plan specifically for the phase for which you are seeking a grant. Where appropriate, additional documentation on financing and budget can be included.

Budget
The budget should outline all planned expenses for the application phase. The budget format doesn’t need to follow a specific template, but we recommend using a standard chart of accounts for accounting. When reporting, the financial statements should align with the approved budget. In other words, use the same template or chart of accounts that was used when the grant was accepted. Consider using an accounting system or software that can separate income and expenses related to a specific phase—either by maintaining a separate departmental account for the phase or by extracting costs recorded during a specific time period.

Financing Plan
The financing plan should provide an overview of how the project phase will be funded. In the application form, specify the funding sources and indicate whether the financing is confirmed. It’s possible to apply for a grant before all financing is confirmed, but when requesting disbursement of the grant, both the budget and financing plan must be approved and confirmed.

Financing is divided into the main categories of public and private, and there are limits on the maximum share of public grants that can be awarded to a project. Therefore, it’s essential for applicants to familiarize themselves with the relevant rules. More detailed information can be found in the regulations, guidelines, and case processing documents.

Different financing forms have varying documentation requirements:

• Public/Private Grants: Documented with grant letters.
• Equity: This represents the applicant’s available funds and should be documented with bank statements or confirmation from the bank.
• Labor Credit: Time invested in the project by individuals should be documented through an agreement specifying who will perform the work, the number of hours, hourly rate, and payment schedule. The agreement should be signed by the person performing the work. Labor credit should be based on prevailing market rates. Self-contribution should be included in the budget along with social costs.
• Equipment Credit: Free equipment loans should be documented through a separate agreement related to the project.
• Loans: Documented with loan certificates.

The Culture Test (Kulturtesten) is a requirement according to the regulations for grant applications related to a cultural product. Applicants confirm their compliance with the culture test by answering four conditions related to the project’s cultural context. At least three of these conditions must be met. Viken Film Centre follows the following interpretation of the culture test:

• Manuscript or Literary Source: The original writing of the manuscript or literary concept should be in Norwegian or Sami. This means that the project’s storyline or the literary representation of the project idea should be initially written in Norwegian or Sami.
• Main Theme and/or Content: The project should be connected to Norwegian history, culture, or societal aspects. It can also be linked to Norwegian contexts through the originator or by having a defined Norwegian target audience. This condition is assessed subjectively.
• Setting in Norway or Another EEA Country: If the project’s plot occurs in a fictional world, the assessment will be based on the originator’s residence or personal connection to Norway/EEA.
• Significant Contribution from an Originator or Performing Artist Residing in Norway or Another EEA Country: “Significant contribution” refers to artistic input from the originator or performing artists. “Residing” means having a registered address in Norway/EEA. Citizenship is irrelevant in this context.

For co-productions where the applicant is a Norwegian minority producer, the regulations’ conditions for defining a cultural product (§ 3-3, letter c).

Here, you’ll find information about our expectations for the main documents and inspiration for their content:

• Project description: What can it include?
• Producer’s note: What can it contain?
• Publishing note: What elements can it have?
• Director’s note: (Not mandatory, but what can it include?)

Viken Film Centre adheres to state regulations in the administration of the grant scheme.
The regulations linked to are in Norwegian:

Regulation on grants for production and dissemination of audiovisual work
Regulation on grants for audiovisual production
Regulation on grants for development, launch, and dissemination of games

Guidelines Viken Film Centre

The evaluation and prioritization among applications are based on a comprehensive assessment of artistic, production-related, financial, technical, and market considerations.

The criteria used in the evaluation are described in this document:

Criteria for assement and prioritization AV-works

Guidelines for budget and project accounting

Guidelines for acceptance, request, and reporting

When a application is received by Viken Film Centre, it is processed promptly. If the formal requirements of the application are not met, the application will be rejected before being processed.

The processing time is normally 4-6 weeks, but delays around holiday periods may occur. Viken Film Centre’s film and game consultant assesses the application, but external expertise may be sought if necessary. The decision on the application is made by the managing director, based on the consultant’s recommendation.

For each grant, specific conditions apply for disbursement and reporting, as outlined in a separate grant letter.

Allocations are announced continuously on Viken Film Centre’s website.