Skip Ahead - 2025

Skip Ahead is a joint initiative of Screen Australia and YouTube Australia. Since 2014, over the course of nine funding rounds, Skip Ahead has supported 43 YouTube content creators to develop their skills, and support them to work towards sustainable careers.

Skip Ahead is open to both documentary and scripted projects. In 2025, Skip Ahead will continue to seek to support at least one project aimed at a children’s audience to premiere on YouTube Kids.

Skip Ahead aims to:

• support a new generation of online storytellers and IP creators to expand their vision and ambition;

• cultivate original Australian narrative content made specifically for local and global online audiences; and

• ensure the storytellers and stories being told reflect the diversity of people and experiences from around Australia, and promoting their importance - culturally, creatively and economically.

Applications are open to:

• A current YouTube channel with at least 25,000 subscribers, OR

• A maximum of two current YouTube channels with a combined subscriber base of 40,000, OR
• A YouTube video which has achieved a minimum of 1 million views on a channel which has a subscriber base of at least 10,000.

Applicants must meet at least one of the requirements listed above to be eligible.

What you can apply for: 

• Up to four projects will be funded.
• Up to $120,000 is available per project.

In addition, Screen Australia and YouTube Australia will offer funding support to successful applicants to participate in a three-day in person workshop held in Sydney. This workshop will aim to develop participants’ projects and provide industry skills development. Travel and accommodation support will be provided for teams based outside of Sydney to the workshop, for up to three team members per successful project, from within Australia.