Information for CWLC committee
Following the Committee meeting on 10th May, additional information was requested in connection with the Wales Screen Fund (see the email below) - please find enclosed information which I hope will be helpful in responding to the committee’s request.
What is the purpose of the Wales Screen Fund (WSF) and how does it differ from the Media Investment Budget?
The Wales Screen Fund is a scheme registered under the EU General Block Exemption Regulations (GBER), a European Regulation which provides State aid cover for categories of aid which are exempt from the European Commission’s (EC) formal notification process. The Wales Screen Fund is not a fund in its own right. This registered scheme gives Welsh Government legal cover in line with GBER to provide grant funding for audio visual projects, including TV and film productions; this can be made via a combination of domestic resources and European structural funds. Any grant funding is delivered via the Welsh Government’s Business Finance scheme.
The registered objective of the Wales Screen Fund is:
“The Wales Screen Fund will provide support for scriptwriting, development, production, distribution and promotion of audio-visual works. The Wales Screen Fund will further develop and maintain a high quality audio-visual infrastructure in Wales, through supporting and promoting Welsh productions and attracting major foreign productions to Wales. This will provide a vehicle through which Welsh facilities, talent and culture can be promoted and contribute to the overall economic growth of the Sector.”
Funding awarded under the terms of Wales Screen Fund scheme is only repaid if specific repayment terms are agreed prior to awarding the grant, or if standard grant conditions are not met.
In comparison, the Media Investment Budget is a fund in its own right and is the route through which Welsh Government provides commercial investment for TV and film productions in Wales. Any commercial funding provided via the Media Investment Budget is expected to be repaid, and Welsh Government may also benefit from a proportion of any profits made. Commercial investments via the Media Investment Budget are outside the scope of the Wales Screen Fund scheme, as it operates under the Market Economy Operator Principle (MEOP) when making these investments. MEOP is a European Commission concept which states that economic transactions carried out by public bodies do not constitute State aid if they are carried out in line with normal market conditions i.e. acting in the same manner as a private sector undertaking would in the same circumstances.
Whilst these funding routes are separate they can be used in a complementary way to create a bespoke package of support.
What has been funded under the terms of the Wales Screen Fund?
The table below shows funding made through the Wales Screen Fund – as at 30 May 2018. To note this list excludes those projects that did not go ahead.
Key