North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant
North Carolina Department of Commerce — NC Film Office
25% of qualifying NC spend
25% NC film grant, $31M annual fund
North Carolina's Film and Entertainment Grant pays a 25% cash rebate on qualifying in-state production spend. The program is funded at $31 million per fiscal year (July 1–June 30) and is not first-come, first-served — NCDOC evaluates projects based on expected state benefit. Per-project caps: $7M for features, $15M for a TV/streaming series season, $250K for commercials. Minimum spend: $1.5M (feature), $500K (TV movie), $500K/episode average (series), $250K (commercial).
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- $62,500 – $15,000,000
- Realistic amount
- Feature films with $3M–$10M qualifying NC spend receive $750,000–$2.5M. TV series filming multiple episodes in NC common…
- Deadline
- Rolling — apply to NC Film Office before production. Annual fund has a July 1–June 30 fiscal year window.
- Status
- active
- States
- NC
- Payment model
- reimbursement
Who qualifies
- Production company must be filming in North Carolina
- Minimum qualifying NC spend: $1.5M for feature-length films; $500K average per episode for scripted TV/streaming series; $500K for TV movies; $250K for commercials
- Qualifying expenditures must be made to North Carolina vendors or North Carolina resident payroll
- Production must receive conditional approval before the start of principal photography
- Loans to the production do not qualify as production company qualifying expenses
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
- Location restriction: North Carolina — production must film in NC
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- North Carolina resident crew wages and payroll
- Payments to North Carolina-based vendors and suppliers
- NC studio and location facility rental fees
- NC-based post-production services
- Equipment rentals from North Carolina vendors
- Meals and accommodations from NC businesses
Ineligible expenses
- Out-of-state vendor payments
- Payments to non-NC residents above the out-of-state crew allowance
- Loans made to the production
- Legal, accounting, and insurance costs
- Airfare
How to apply
-
1
Contact NC Film Office and submit application
Contact the NC Film Office at 919-447-7777 or filmnc.com. Submit the grant application including production budget, NC spend breakdown, shooting schedule, and distribution/exhibition plan. Must happen before principal photography begins.
~5 hrs
-
2
Receive conditional approval
NCDOC reviews the application and issues conditional approval. Approval locks in the 25% rebate rate for the production's qualifying expenses. No filming should begin before receiving this letter.
~2 hrs
-
3
Film in NC and track qualifying expenditures
Complete principal photography in North Carolina. Maintain detailed records of all qualifying North Carolina expenditures — NC resident payroll, NC vendor payments, NC location fees. Keep all invoices and payroll records.
~12 hrs
-
4
Submit CPA-certified audit and receive grant
After production wraps, submit a CPA-certified audit of qualifying expenditures to the NC Film Office. NCDOC reviews and issues a grant payment of 25% of the certified qualifying spend. Process typically takes 60–180 days post-production.
~15 hrs
NC's $31M annual fund is more than many states of comparable size — but it fills up in strong production years. Applying early in the fiscal year (July–September) gives the most budget runway for large projects.
Deadline & timing
Annual fund of $31M resets July 1 each year. Projects are not first-come, first-served — applications can be submitted for any point within the fiscal year. NCDOC prioritizes projects that maximize NC economic benefit. Contact NC Film Office at 919-447-7777 or filmnc.com.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.