Journal
€1.25m Shared Horizons fund opens for all-island screen skills partnerships
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen opened the Shared Horizons Fund for applications on 11 November 2026, backed by €1.25 million from the Government of Ireland's Shared Island Initiative. The fund pays for new cross-border skills programmes, and the first window closes on 1 December, giving prospective applicants under three weeks to build a partnership.
The money runs from 2026 to 2030, with €250,000 available each year. Awards may reach €60,000, plus €2,500 for the Lead partner. Screen Ireland aims to support 3 to 4 organisations or agencies in Ireland each year, working with partner institutions in Northern Ireland, and funded projects must finish within 12 months of the award date.
Every application needs at least two partner organisations, one in Ireland and one in Northern Ireland, with one designated Lead Partner and one Primary Partner. Eligible applicants include screen-sector stakeholders, education institutions, broadcasters, guilds, festivals, training providers and public bodies, all needing a strong track record of skills initiatives for the screen sector.
For production companies the rules carry a catch. A production company cannot act as lead or primary partner, and neither can individuals, sole traders, the two funding agencies, or organisations based outside Ireland and the UK. Production companies can still deliver activity, which makes early conversations with guilds, training providers or festivals the practical first step for anyone in Irish video production hoping to benefit. Teams weighing that route can read more in our film category as the rounds progress.
"This Fund is an important investment in the future of the screen sector - and we're looking forward to working closely with industry and government partners to support skills development on the island of Ireland in the coming years." Colman Farrell, Head of Skills & Professional Development at Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, in the fund announcement
The fund backs new, additional all-island programming rather than replacement funding. Focus areas cover live action, virtual production, XR, games, design and digital transformations, plus technical areas where skills or facilities are limited North or South. Funded activity can include courses, workshops, mentoring, shadowing and skills-needs analysis. Academic work and capital investment are not funded, overheads should stay at or below 15% of the budget, and each lead organisation may submit one application only.
€1.25 million over five years (2026 to 2030) from the Government of Ireland's Shared Island Initiative, with €250,000 available each year (Screen Ireland).
Up to €60,000 per project award, plus €2,500 for the Lead partner (funding guidelines).
Paula Campbell, Head of Skills at Northern Ireland Screen, framed the fund as a continuation of existing cross-border cooperation. "Partnership and knowledge sharing have been central to the growth and success of the screen industry across the island of Ireland, and the Shared Horizons fund builds on that strong foundation. By supporting organisations North and South to collaborate on skills development initiatives, the Fund will help strengthen the workforce, foster knowledge exchange and ensure the screen industry is equipped to meet future opportunities and challenges," she said in the announcement.
One detail needs attention: Screen Ireland's own pages disagree on the cutoff time. The announcement and the How to Apply section both give Tuesday, 1 December 2026 at 12pm, but the Key Details box on the same page reads 1st Dec 2026 at 9 am. Confirm the time on the application portal and treat the earlier 9 am as the safer cutoff until clarified.
Applications go through the official Screen Ireland application portal. An online information session will answer applicant questions on Monday, 16 November at 1pm, and registration is open now. A separate sub-strand, 3B, holds €500,000 for digitisation projects over the same period, distinct from the skills fund described here. Our about page covers who we are and what we do.
The information session on 16 November at 1pm is the clearest chance to test partnership plans before the window closes, and applicants should recheck the 1 December cutoff time on the portal first.