Program: Lazio ERDF 2021–2027
Strategic Objective 1: A more competitive and intelligent Europe
Specific Objective 3: Strengthen the growth and competitiveness of SMEs
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Objectives
The initiative supports the production of international audiovisual works to:
- Enhance and improve the competitiveness of film production companies and their related industries, fostering stronger collaboration with foreign producers.
- Increase international visibility for Lazio’s tourist destinations, particularly lesser-known artistic and cultural sites beyond Rome, thereby strengthening the tourism sector.
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Funding Allocation
A total of €5 million, half of which (€2.5 million) reserved for audiovisual works of regional interest promoting one or more Lazio locations as tourist destinations.
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Eligible Applicants
Independent, original producers (non-executive) of international audiovisual works who qualify for the audiovisual production tax credit (Tax Credit) and are SMEs with operational offices in Lazio. Multiple beneficiaries can participate in the same production, but each beneficiary (and affiliated companies) can only receive support for one work.
Applicants must demonstrate adequate financial capacity to produce the work, along with qualified co-producers, ensuring it is equal to at least one of the following:
- The combined average production value of qualified co-producers, and
- The total production cost, net of third-party financial coverage and contributions from non-qualified co-producers.
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Eligible Works
This program supports the production of international audiovisual works, defined as:
- Films in International Co-production under Article 3 of D.P.C.M. July 11, 2017, and therefore have the Italian Share and the Foreign Share adhering to the co-production agreement between Italy and the foreign state.
- Films, TV, or Web works under International Co-production Agreements as defined in Article 4 of D.P.C.M. July 11, 2017.
- TV or Web works recognized as Italian under Article 2 of D.P.C.M. July 11, 2017, with both Italian and foreign shares being at least 20%.
A Letter of Intent, signed by the applicant and at least one foreign co-producer, must be submitted with the application.
Works must qualify for the Tax Credit (Producers Tax Credit) but at the application submission stage it is sufficient to have requested the related eligibility and the Specific Requirements:
- Films: Minimum duration of 52 minutes and production costs of at least €1.5M; €750,000 for debut/second works or by young/research-oriented authors; €400/min for documentaries.
- TV or Web:
- Fiction: Minimum duration of 52 minutes and production costs of €2,000/min.
- Animation/Documentary: Production costs of at least €400/min; minimum durations: 40 minutes for documentaries and 24 minutes for animations.
Works that have already started filming before the application date are ineligible.
Tax Credit requests must be filed within 10 months of the grant approval, with filming starting within 60 days after filing.
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Eligible Costs
Eligible costs include production expenses incurred by the beneficiary, excluding those reimbursed by other co-producers also as a result of financial participation. These Costs are categorized as:
- Direct Territorial Costs: Expenses incurred within Lazio namely the Eligible Production Cost incurred with entities fiscally resident in the Lazio region or, at the beneficiary’s discretion, proportionate to filming days in Lazio versus total filming days.
- Direct Extra-territorial Costs: Capped at 25% of territorial costs.
- Flat-rate Indirect Costs: Calculated at 15% of eligible personnel costs, based on standardized hourly rates to simplify reporting.
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Grant Amounts
The maximum aid per audiovisual work is 50% of eligible costs, capped at €1M. Specific components include:
- Base amount: 30% of eligible costs (35% if the smaller of the Italian/foreign shares is at least 20%), up to a maximum of €600,000 (€200,000 minimum, except for documentaries).
- Regional Interest Bonus: Additional 5% of eligible costs, up to €140,000.
- Special Regional Interest Bonus: Additional 5% of eligible costs (10% if the smaller of the Italian/foreign shares is at least 20%) up to €260,000.
De Minimis Contribution: Covers 100% of the cost of mandatory certified audit reports.
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Selection Process
Applications are evaluated based on self-declared scores, ranked in decreasing order according to:
| Criteria | Scores | ||
| 1. Balanced Italian/foreign co-production shares | 0-50 | ||
| Smaller between the Italian and the Foreign Share | Larger between the Italian Share and the Foreign Share | Scores | |
| Less than or equal to 10% | Equal to or greater than 90% | 0 | |
| Greater than 10%, but not exceeding 15% | Equal to or greater than 85%, but less than 90% | 10 | |
| Greater than 15%, but not exceeding 20% | Equal to or greater than 80%, but less than 85% | 20 | |
| Greater than 20%, but not equal or greater than 30% | Greater than 70%, but less than 80% | 30 | |
| Equal to or greater than 30% | Equal to or less than 70% | 40 | |
| Increase for co-productions with more than 2 countries (only countries with a share of at least 10% are considered) | |||
| 3 Countries | + 5 | ||
| 4 Or more Countries | + 10 | ||
| 2. Greater Total Production Cost compared to the minimum eligible 15 points if the Total Production Cost of the Work is at least 3 times the minimum. 0 points if it is equal to the minimum eligible. Intermediate scores are calculated through linear interpolation. | 0-15 | ||
| 3. Greater “financial capacity” compared to the minimum admissible 15 points if the “financial capacity” ratio is at least 3 times the minimum. 0 points if it is equal to the minimum admissible. Intermediate scores are calculated through linear interpolation. | 0-15 | ||
| 4. Requested contribution lower than the maximum allowable 10 points if the requested contribution is equal to or less than 20% of the maximum eligible aid in absolute value. 0 points if it is equal to the maximum eligible aid. Intermediate scores are calculated through linear interpolation. | 0-10 | ||
| 5. Significant female component (female Beneficiary company and/or female director) | 0/5 | ||
| 6. First and second works, research and training works, or works by young authors | 0/5 | ||
During the review phase, the exactitude of the declared scores is verified, possibly resulting in a change in the ranking position due to the redefinition of the scores, only in reduction, and the eligibility is checked with respect to the requirements set out in the Notice.
Eligible works are subject to suitability evaluation by an Evaluation Commission based on the following criteria:
- Technical quality and originality of the work;
- Curriculum or track record of key figures (producers and distributors, director, subject authors, screenplay, and any other contracted authors);
- Relationship between the Financial Coverage secured by the Application Date and the Total Production Cost;
- Economic impact on the direct/indirect supply chain and on the Lazio system (relationship between Eligible Costs and the Italian Share);
- Special Regional Interest (Works that promote one or more tourist destinations in Lazio outside the urban area of Rome).
The works deemed eligible by the Technical Evaluation Commission will be financed based on the ranking, possibly redefined following the review, until the funds are exhausted and taking into account the reserve for works of Regional Interest.
Works for which the Co-Production Agreement has not been provided will be considered conditionally financeable, provided that the agreement is submitted within a maximum of 6 months from the Grant Date.
undergo further technical evaluation for quality, financial coverage, economic impact, and regional interest. Funding is awarded until resources are exhausted.
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Application Submission
Applications can only be submitted through the GeCoWEB Plus platform.
After completing the form and uploading the required documentation on the platform, including the Data and Calculations sheet of the work, GeCoWEB Plus generates a file containing the application, the provided information, and the list of attached files. This file must be signed with a Digital Signature by the Legal Representative of the Applicant and submitted through the GeCoWEB Plus platform.
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Production & Disbursement
Beneficiaries must acknowledge funding support in the credits and logos.
The contribution will be disbursed as follows:
- A mandatory advance to be requested within 10 months from the Grant Date, ranging from a minimum of 20% to a maximum of 40% of the granted contribution, guaranteed by a Surety Bond.
- A final payment, to be requested within 30 days following the submission of the final Tax Credit application and, in any case, within 18 months from the Grant Date, under penalty of revocation of the granted contribution. This deadline is extended to 30 months from the Grant Date for works longer than 220 minutes or for Animation Works.
The submission of the preliminary Producers Tax Credit application is a mandatory condition for the disbursement of the granted contribution, including the advance. Non-compliance with Tax Credit filing invalidates funding eligibility.
