RTÉ is now seeking proposals for Coimisiún na Meán Sound & Vision 4 – Round 56 – Open Round, to support the production of culturally valuable broadcast content, including content in the Irish language.  

Closing date for submissions to be considered for RTÉ support in Coimisiún na Meán Sound & Vision 4 – Round 56 is Friday 11 April 2025 at 12.00 noon (strict deadline).

During RTÉ’s briefing session to the independent production sector in January, it was highlighted that RTÉ is adopting a targeted approach to Sound & Vision funding rounds. The focus will be on fewer, more ambitious projects that can attract audiences on both linear and online platforms. 

RTÉ is prioritising multi-part series over one-off programmes and encourages proposals to focus on current and future topics rather than nostalgia. Consider what viewers are discussing today, what they are disaffected with, or what excites them. What content might spark debate tomorrow? 

Producers are also encouraged to highlight Ireland’s successes, both domestically and internationally, across various disciplines. Reflect on the Irish experience abroad, especially in a time when Ireland has achieved significant accolades like Oscars and Grammys. What does this say about the evolution of Irish society? Is international success now an expectation? How and why has this happened? 

Content proposals are particularly sought in the following areas: Natural History, Arts, Faith and Ethics, History, Health, Stripped/Live events, and Climate. Projects in these genres can be produced in English, Irish, or bilingually. 

Recent examples include Ireland’s Wild Islands, The Last Priests in Ireland, Zoo Live, and Futureville Ireland. We will also consider presenter-led documentaries that align with the spirit of the Sound & Vision scheme, such as Brendan O’Connor’s Employables, Rising Tides; Ireland’s Future in a Warmer World with Philip Boucher Hayes, and The End of the World with Beanz. 

Special consideration will be given to projects with pre-committed third-party funding from other broadcasters, distributors, or agencies. All proposals should be ambitious and editorially challenging. 

Funding support is also available on a case-by-case basis to develop ideas that RTÉ wishes to support for this round or future Coimisiún na Meán rounds. 

Closing date for submissions to be considered for RTÉ support in Coimisiún na Meán Sound & Vision 4 – Round 56 is Friday 11 April 2025 at 12.00 noon (strict deadline). 

All submissions must include the full production budget, proposed RTÉ funding and other funding in RTÉ’s eCommissioning system. 

Please note only proposals submitted through RTÉ’s eCommissioning system will be considered. 

We ask, in the first instance, that producers submit ideas into the eCommissioning system: Login | RTE under the programme category “Programme Genre - CNM Round 56”, before the above closing date and time. 

CnaM Sound & Vision Rd 56 – dates for RTÉ supported programmes 

RTÉ call-out opens: Friday 28 February 2025 

RTÉ call-out closes: Friday 11 April 2025, 12 noon (strict deadline) 

RTÉ decision on successful applicants: Friday 02 May 2025 

CnaM Rd 56 closes: Thursday 29 May 2025, 12 noon 

The RTÉ timelines are designed to give supported applicants ample time to prepare and submit detailed applications to Coimisiún na Meán. For more information, please visit www.cnam.ie. 

Please ensure you are fully registered on the eCommissioning System well before the closing date, as registrations can take up to 48 hours to process. Late submissions due to late registration will not be accepted. 

Episodes: 3, 4 or 6 part series 

Duration: 24 minute episodes  

Budget Range: €90,000 - €135,000 per hour 

Ní mór ábhar Gaeilge RTÉ a bheith tarraingteach ag an lucht féachana is leithne is féidir.  Ní hábhar cláir é seo do lucht féachana cúng a chuibhreofaí in aon choirnéal amháin. Bíonn na cláracha á gcraoladh ar fud sceideal na mbuaicthráthanna craolta ar na cainéil líneacha agus ar RTÉ Player agus ní mór iad a bheith mealltach spéisiúil ionas go dtarraingíonn siad aird.  Ba chóir go mbeadh fonn ar gach duine féachaint ar an ábhar seo – ní lucht labhartha na Gaeilge amháin.  Bíonn fotheidil Bhéarla greanta ar ábhar Gaeilge uile RTÉ.  

Déantar ábhar de sheánraí éagsúla a choimisiúnú i nGaeilge lena léirítear an saol a chaitear as Gaeilge ó lá go lá i ngach cuid d’oileán na hÉireann. I mbeagnach gach uile chás, ní bhíonn suim againn cláracha a dhéanamh faoin teanga féin. Is ábhar ilseánraí é seo a tharlaíonn a bheith i nGaeilge nó a bheith dátheangach.  Is é atá de chuspóir againn gnáthrud a dhéanamh d’úsáid na Gaeilge in ábhar RTÉ agus ar sheirbhísí RTÉ.   Cláracha leathuaire is mó a choimisiúnaítear, sraitheanna fíorasacha, siamsaíocht fhíorasach agus sraitheanna fíorasacha móréilimh, ach coimisiúnaítear cláracha faisnéise aonair freisin chomh maith le cláracha ceoil, ábhar do leanaí agus cláracha siamsaíochta.  

Ó tharla lán mála againn cheana féin don bhliain 2025, tá béim anois ar ábhar a choimisiúnú do na blianta 2026 agus 2027.  

Tá ábhar Gaeilge RTÉ ag déanamh go hiontach i sceideal na mbuaicthráthanna craolta agus aird sciar iontach den lucht féachana á tarraingt acu agus is mian linn cur leis sin   arís anois agus sraitheanna a chur ar fáil don sceideal ar airde aidhm leo agus ar féidir athchoimisiúnú a dhéanamh orthu.  

Scéalta de chuid na linne seo faoin saol nua-aimseartha in Éirinn ba mhaith linn seachas cláracha bunaithe ar ábhar cartlainne.  Oibrítear i gcomhar le Ciste Craoltóireachta na Gaeilge, Coimisiún na Meán agus dreamanna cistíochta eile tríú páirtí chun an t-ábhar a fhorbairt. Is fiú a mheabhrú chomh maith go gcuirtear 25% den Chiste Físe agus Fuaime i leith ábhar i nGaeilge nó ábhar dátheangach.   

Tugtar chun aire freisin le bhur dtoil go mbíonn an príomhábhar ealaíne agus teideal an chláir buntábhachtach maidir le rath a theacht ar ábhar de chineál ar bith ar an RTÉ Player.  Muna dtarraingíonn sin daoine agus a thabhairt orthu cliceáil, tá an lucht féachana imithe (le sruth eile).   Teideal de scoth na linne agus mealladh mór sa phríomhábhar ealaíne - ansin atá an tús maith! Seo roinnt dea-shamplaí:  

Is mian linn go gcuirfí formáidí faoinár mbráid (3,4,6 chuid) maidir le hábhar fíorasach móréilimh agus siamsaíocht fhíorasach le carachtair spéisiúla nó le tallann nua – sraitheanna go bhféadfaí a thabhairt ar ais in athuair agus dílseacht don bhranda a chothú. B’fhearr linn go mbeadh an fhormáid éadrom ach ag an am céanna go mbeadh téagar sna scéalta agus go mbeadh bá ag an lucht féachana le na daoine agus na scéalta.  Bá mhaith linn na scéalta is fearr atá i mbéal na ndaoine a chur i láthair.  Má tá sé ag déanamh mairg do dhaoine agus iad de thíor ag caint faoi, ba cheart go mbeadh sé sna cláracha atá ar bun againn.  

Bíonn tábhacht freisin le cláracha faisnéise aonair. Ní mór carachtair spéisiúla a bheith iontu sin a bhfuil scéal iontach le haithris acu nó cúrsa suimiúil le cur isteach acu. Is spéis linn i gcónaí daoine nach bhfacthas cheana a thabhairt chun cinn: daoine meabhracha atá spéisiúil, Gaeilge ar a dtoil acu, saineolas dáiríre agus nithe tábhachtacha le rá. Bídís ina bpríomhphearsaí cláir, ina n-údair nó ina ndaoine a chuireann ábhar tairbheach ar fáil do chlár.  

Tarraingíonn spórt muintir na tíre le chéile.  An bhfuil scéalta iontacha spóirt nach bhfuil inste go fóill againn nó bealach le cur leis an ábhar spóirt faoi láthair a chuirfeadh níos mó arís ar fáil don lucht féachana? 

Clár / sraith faisnéise ón Taobh Istigh – Is iomaí réimse de shaol na hÉireann ina gcuireann daoine spéis a bhfuil sciar maith dóibh siúd a shaothraíonn iontu in ann Gaeilge a labhairt – gairm an dlí, gairm an leighis agus an lucht gnó, is réimsí iad sin uile lena mbaineann flúirse scéalta agus a luaitear seasta sna ceannlínte. An bhfuil bealach leis na réimsí sin a shaothrú i nGaeilge agus ábhar ríspéisiúil a chur ar fáil nach mian le daoine a chailleadh?  

Is mian leis an lucht féachana níos mó gáire a dhéanamh, a bheith i dteach an tsiamsa – An féidir seó sceitse, seó ceamara ceilte nó cineál eile a chur ar fáil a chuirfeadh iontas as Gaeilge ar an lucht féachana?  

Tá suim againn freisin ábhar scripteáilte a chothú agus beidh gairm á eisiúint ag Drámaíocht RTÉ go gairid do shraith nua Storyland lena mbainfidh gairm faoi leith maidir le clár i nGaeilge. 

Cruthaíodh go maith le cláracha faisnéise móréilimh faoi chúrsaí ceoil agus le sraitheanna ceolchoirmeacha beo le roinnt blianta anuas agus bíonn suim againn i gcónaí in ábhar den sórt sin a tharraingíonn daoine le chéile.  

Tá níos mó ná fiche bliain caite ó léiríodh sraith foghlama Gaeilge in Éirinn. An tráth sin, sraith teilifíse a bhí i gceist a raibh roinnt ábhar foghlama ag gabháil leis.  Is léir go bhfuil borradh faoin nGaeilge agus suim ag an lucht féachana i sraith foghlama teanga de chineál nua, ach conas a dhéantar freastal ar riachtanais athraitheacha an lucht féachana ilardáin agus sraith chliste, ghreannmhar, shiamsúil d’ard caighdean a chur ar fáil nach bhfágann go síleann daoine go bhfuil siad ar ais sa seomra ranga? Bheadh buiséad ar mhórscála i gceist le tionscadal den sórt sin agus ba ghá oibriú i gcomhar le páirtnéirí éagsúla cistíochta.  Ba cheart go mbeadh sé uaillmhianach, comhaimseartha agus go mbeadh fabhar leis na daoine óga atá chun tosaigh san athrú agus ceiliúradh a dhéanamh orthu. Ba bhreá linn bhur gcuid smaointe a chloisteáil faoi seo.  

Ar ndóigh, má tá smaoineamh iontach agat nach dtagann faoi scáth aon ní dá leagtar amach thuas, bíonn fáilte i gcónaí romhat teacht chun cainte linn.   

Iarraimid ar léiritheoirí smaointe a chur ar aghaidh ar dtús ar an gcóras ríomhChoimisiúnaithe: Logáil isteach | RTÉ (rtegroup.ie) faoin aicme cláracha Cláracha Gaeilge "Ginearálta". 

Episodes: 3, 4 or 6 part series 

Duration: 24 minute episodes  

Budget Range: €90,000 - €135,000 per hour 

RTÉ’s Irish Language content needs to appeal to the broadest possible audience.  It is not niche and boxed off in a corner. Our programming sits across the peak time linear schedule and RTÉ Player and it needs to burn bright to shine through.  Everyone should want to watch this content– not just Irish speakers.  All our Irish Language content carries burnt in English subtitles.  

We commission multi genre content in Irish that reflects how we live as Gaeilge every day, in every part of the Island of Ireland. For the most part, we are not interested in making programmes about the language. Our multi genre output just happens to be in Irish or bilingual.  Our aim is to normalise the use of the language across our content and services.  We mainly commission half hour factual, factual entertainment and popular factual series but also one-off documentaries, music, children’s content and entertainment programmes.  

As we already have a full slate for 2025, we are focused on commissioning content for 2026 and 2027.  

RTÉ’s Irish language content has done exceptionally well in our peak time schedule delivering brilliant audience share and we would like to build on this and deliver more ambitious, returnable series to the schedule.  

We would like contemporary stories of modern Ireland and not archive based content.  We work in collaboration with the Irish Language Broadcasting Fund, Coimisiún na Meán and other third-party funders to develop our content. It is also worth noting that, 25% of the Sound and Vision fund is allocated to Irish language and bilingual content.   

Please remember that key art and programme titles are crucial to the success of all content on the RTÉ Player.  If it doesn’t grab you and make you click in, you have lost your audience.  A brilliant title and great key art are the first step! Here are some good examples:  

We are looking for great popular factual and factual entertainment formats, (3,4,6 parts) with engaging characters or with new talent that have the potential to return and grow brand loyalty. Ideally, light in tone, but with real stories and relatable people at the heart of them that deliver feel good viewing to audiences. In short, we want to see stories on subjects that people are really talking about. 

Single documentaries are also important. They need to have engaging characters with an amazing story to tell or an incredible journey to capture. We are always interested in developing new faces: engaging and intelligent people with fluent Irish, real expertise and big things to say. Whether as programme anchors, authors or contributors within the above.  

Sport brings the nation together.  Are there great sports stories that we haven’t told or is there a way to build on some of our existing sports output to deliver more to the audience? 

Access documentary / series’ – Many areas of Irish life that we are fascinated by have a high level of Irish language speakers working in them– the legal, business and medical professions are all areas rich in story that never leave the headlines. Is there a way to access these areas as Gaeilge to deliver compelling, must watch content?  

Audiences want to laugh more and be entertained –Can we deliver a sketch show, hidden camera show or something else that would surprise our audiences as Gaeilge?  

Scripted content is also an area that we are interested in developing and RTÉ Drama will have a call out for the new series of Storyland shortly, with a specific call out for an episode as Gaeilge. 

Popular music documentaries and live music series have performed very well for us over the last number of years, and we are always interested in content like this that brings people together.  

It’s over twenty years since an Irish language learning series was produced in Ireland. Back then it was a TV series accompanied by some learning material.  There is clearly a revival happening for the Irish language and an appetite among our audiences for a new type of language learning series, but how do you cater to the changing needs of a multiplatform audience and deliver a clever, sharp, witty and entertaining language series that doesn’t make someone feel like they are back in the classroom? This is a large-scale budget project that will require collaboration with several funding partners.  It should be ambitious and contemporary, and lean in and celebrate the young people who are leading the change. We would love to hear your thoughts on this.  

 As always, if you have a great idea that doesn’t fit any of the above areas, do still come and talk to us.   

 We ask, in the first instance, that producers submit ideas into the eCommissioning system: Login | RTE (rtegroup.ie) under the programme category Cláracha Gaeilge "General". 

History of the Fund

In November 2016, RTÉ and ARTE G.E.I.E., the Strasbourg branch of the Franco-German public broadcaster ARTE, joined forces to develop and co-fund exceptional documentary projects, aiming to bring more Irish content to European audiences. Since then, ARTE G.E.I.E. and RTÉ have invested in a diverse range of Irish documentaries covering factual topics, current affairs, history, and the arts. The collaboration between ARTE commissioning editors and Irish production companies has flourished, creating numerous opportunities for Irish creative talent.

Practical Information

The fund operates on a rolling basis, with projects being developed and funded continuously. We seek standout single documentaries that have secured development or broadcast commitments from an RTÉ Commissioning Editor, which can then be pitched to ARTE’s specific documentary strands. Most documentaries for ARTE are 52 minutes long and do not include commercial breaks. The RTÉ version of the programme should be a 50 minute duration with two commercial breaks as agreed with the RTÉ Commissioning Editor.

RTÉ and ARTE welcome ideas from all genres, including Factual, Specialist Factual, Science and Natural Science, History, Archaeology and Human Endeavour, Current Affairs/Geopolitics, and Arts, Culture, and Music. We are particularly interested in compelling Irish stories with international appeal, whether they focus on ancient or contemporary history, arts, or society/current affairs. Ambitious factual, specialist factual, and arts documentaries that resonate with both Irish and European audiences are highly valued.

Given that ARTE documentaries are broadcast in multiple territories, projects led by voiceovers that can be revoiced in several languages are preferred. Presenter-led documentaries or series are generally not suitable for ARTE, except in rare cases where the presenter is a global icon, such as Angelica Huston on Joyce by Blueprint Films.

Completed projects must be delivered to ARTE 6-8 weeks before the broadcast date to allow time for translation, subtitling, and revoicing in French and German, as well as Polish, Spanish, and Italian for on-demand services. The costs for revoicing and subtitling are covered by ARTE and should not be included in the programme production budgets.

How To Apply

Production companies interested in submitting a programme proposal for the fund should initially submit their proposal through RTÉ’s e-Commissioning system Login | RTE (rtegroup.ie) . Indicate that the idea is suitable for co-production with ARTE and provide information on any other third-party funders if applicable. If the proposal is approved for further consideration, Sarah Ryder, RTÉ’s ARTE lead, will present it to the relevant ARTE commissioning executives.

Further information

For more details on the RTÉ / ARTE G.E.I.E. co-production fund, please contact Sarah Ryder at sarah.ryder@rte.ie.