National fund France, Paris

Aides à l'élaboration et au développement de séries documentaires (documentary series writing and development aid)

Run by CNC, Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (French national film center)

A newer CNC line for documentary series, paying the author EUR 15,000 to write a show of three or more episodes before any broadcaster is involved. The producer-side development aid follows once the project has a first support. Seven writing projects were funded in July 2026, from four-part histories to a fifteen-part micro-series.

Grant from €15,000Open to writers in FranceA writer alone or a production company

Writing Dec 6, 2026 (closes in 35 days)

The money

Amount
From €15,000Writing aid is a flat EUR 15,000 per project, split among co-authors; the development aid has no fixed sum (EUR 20,000 and EUR 30,000 were granted in July 2026).
What it is
Grant
To apply
Free

Who can apply

Applicant
A writer alone or a production company
Where you write
In France
Rules
Writing aid is for established authors who can show prior artistic experience; a company may be attached but the project must not yet have been submitted to a broadcaster. Development aid goes to producers without an automatic account or broadcaster money, for a project that already holds a CNC, regional, festival or training support. Series need at least three episodes with a narrative progression.
Stages
Writing and development
Formats
Documentary, Series
Language of the application
French

When to apply

The next closing date is Dec 6, 2026. The dates below are the current cycle's, as the funder states them. Two-week filing windows on a dedicated platform; the writing window for the first 2027 session opens November 23, 2026.

RoundCloses
WritingDec 6, 2026
DevelopmentJan 24, 2027
WritingApr 4, 2027
DevelopmentMay 9, 2027
WritingSep 1, 2027
DevelopmentOct 3, 2027

Dates are as the funder states them. Check the time of day and the time zone on the official page.

Also open to writers in France

See every fund for France

WritingFranceNational fund

Aide à la création de séries (series creation aid)

CNC, Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (French national film center)

A single EUR 40,000 payment for an experienced series writer to build a new show from scratch, with no producer required.

Next deadline Feb 1, 2027A writer aloneSeries

range€40kGrantcloses in 92 days

WritingFranceNational fund

Aide au parcours d'auteur (author's career aid)

CNC, Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (French national film center)

Not a project grant but time: EUR 20,000 for an author with a track record to think before writing the next thing, with no synopsis or producer required.

Next dates not yet publishedA writer aloneFeature, Short, Series, Documentary, Animation

range€20kGrantbetween rounds

More writing grants elsewhere

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Arts Innovator Award

Artist Trust

Two Washington artists a year receive USD 25,000 for pushing at the edges of their field, with no project report attached.

Next dates not yet publishedA writer aloneFeature, Series, Short, Documentary, Animation

range$25kGrantbetween rounds

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Creative Accelerator Fund

Illinois Arts Council

Illinois pays working artists USD 10,000 by lottery rather than by jury: show an active practice with two work samples and the state lottery draws the winners region by region.

Next dates not yet publishedA writer aloneFeature, Series, Short, Documentary, Animation

range$10kGrantbetween rounds

WritingUnited StatesRegional fund

Fellowship Awards

Artist Trust

Washington State's merit award for working artists: USD 10,000 with no strings, judged on the body of work rather than a project.

2027 Fellowship deadline Nov 2, 2026A writer aloneFeature, Series, Short, Documentary, Animation

range$10kGrantcloses tomorrow

WritingDevelopmentUnited StatesRegional fund

Grants for Artist Projects (GAP)

Artist Trust

Small, fast and plentiful: 65 Washington artists a year receive USD 2,500 toward a specific project, from research travel to a first draft.

Next dates not yet publishedA writer aloneFeature, Series, Short, Documentary, Animation

range$2.5kGrantbetween rounds

Also useful

Where Creative Europe's development money goesEvery MEDIA development grant since 2014, by country, company and year.Fellowships and labsPrograms that pick a few writers and work with them for months, on the events pages.How to write a treatmentThe document a development application is built on, step by step.Screenwriting eventsContests, labs, festivals and conferences, with their deadlines.