Almost CZK 50 million will be distributed in the Ústí nad Labem Region through the new subsidy programme Film Vouchers, funded by the Operational Programme Just Transition. Naviga Advisory and Evaluation, which is part of the Grant Thornton group, also participated in its setup. The success of the programme can be seen already. It has significantly helped the realization of the current filming of the crime series Murder in the Region starring Ondřej Sokol. 

The Ústí Region is not complete new in attracting filmmakers. In the past, it had offered two smaller titles to support audiovisual production. A significant advantage in this respect is its location, or rather its proximity to Prague. Filmmakers, actors and other crew members can easily switch between filming locations and work duties in Prague. 

Coal regions are facing a number of negative impacts due to the shift away from mining. And it is the Just Transition Operational Programme that provides significant funding to turn these regions into competitive areas. The aim of the grant programme is not only to support culture and film production. The economic benefit that the presence of film crews in the region generates through catering, accommodation and other costs, is also important. 

Almost CZK 50 million is available for the production and post-production of three types of audiovisual works. The Call is open to projects for online and television broadcasting, feature films and documentaries. Filmmakers can apply for support of up to CZK 3.5 million from June 2024. Applications are expected to close in 2027 or when the financial allocation is exhausted.  

We have been involved in several different activities during the preparation of the new grant programme. We have prepared an analysis of the Binding Guidelines for umbrella projects and an analysis of the consistency of the Programme text with the Binding Guidelines for umbrella projects. Furthermore, we have prepared a proposal for the modification of the subparts of the Programme and the process of administration of individual projects. We were responsible for reviewing the consistency of the documentation for applicants and evaluators with the parent documents. And we cross-checked the consistency of the documents, i.e. if they did not contradict each other.