In a bold joint initiative, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg have announced the launch of a Benelux Co-Development Grant aimed at strengthening creative collaboration within the region’s audiovisual sector. Led by the four main film and audiovisual funding bodies – the Nederlands Filmfonds, the Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds, the Wallonia-Brussels Film and Audiovisual Centre and the Film Fund Luxembourg – the initiative looks to encourage joint development practices among producers, writers and creative teams from the three countries.

From 2026 onwards, producers of fiction and animated films will be able to submit their projects to apply for a specific form of financial support: a co-development grant of €50,000 per project. Introduced as part of a two-year pilot scheme, this funding will be awarded to three projects per year to support the early creative and strategic stages of development.

The scheme is part of a broader framework of cross-border cooperation. The Benelux partners aim to facilitate sustainable artistic collaborations, strengthen production networks, and increase the international visibility of films developed in the region. By focusing on co-production from the outset, the grant encourages producers to consider the most suitable co-production structures and financing strategies in their projects’ early stages.

To be eligible, projects must involve producers from all three countries and must already have received development funding from one of the consortium’s member funds. The objective is not only to support high-quality works, but also to foster stories and creative approaches that reflect the cultural and narrative diversity of the Benelux region.

The application deadline is set for 1 April 2026 at 5:00 pm (CET). Further information about the grant is available here.