The Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP) FAQs

The Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP)

FAQs

The Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP) aims to stimulate employment creation and job retention across sectors in the South African economy, including the audio-visual sector

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GENERAL QUERIES 1. What is the NFVF Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP)?

A comprehensive plan to stimulate new employment and job retention in the South African audio-visual industry, following the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the economy.

2. What is the closing date for the call?

10 December 2020, midnight. Submitting your application prior to the closing date is encouraged to avoid any technical problems.

3. Which sector does this specific call address?

The audiovisual sector as determined by the NFVF mandate.

4. What are the 4 streams?

Stream 1 is Production, Stream 2 is Skills Development, Stream 3 is Industry (distribution), and Stream 4 is Business Recovery.

5. Who is eligible to benefit?

Practitioners individuals and companies within the sector with projects that can generate employment opportunities as businesses within the sector that incurred job losses (or are at risk of) due to the nationwide lockdown.

Concepts may encompass fiction and non-fiction, animation, as well as television concepts; and any other audio-visual concepts with the potential to contribute to the objectives of this Fund. Submissions from (or that target) Youth, Women, people with disabilities and previously disadvantaged groups/individuals are encouraged.

6. How much is being availed for the PESP?

R140 million to be administered by the NFVF and completely disbursed by 31 March 2021 R100 million earmarked for streams 1-3 and R40 million for stream 4.

7. How much is each applicant limited to apply for under the different streams?

Allocation decisions will be determined by the advisory panels, bearing in mind that 100% funding of proposals may not be possible as the PESP serves as a stimulus to re-ignite economic activity (targeting employment) in the sector.

Please note that the NFVF Funding Policy Caps do not apply to this process. The funding will be based on the number of jobs to be created which must be clearly costed in the budget and indicate the associated cost to create these jobs.

8. What else is supported under the different streams?

Projects that support innovation in digitisation efforts for content creation (development and production) and the dissemination and development of e-commerce systems.

9. How many employment opportunities will be created and retained?

The PESP aims to achieve the creation of 5000 jobs and retain 3000 jobs.

10. What is the suggested length per project?

There is no prescribed length of projects, however the PESP funding available for a 3-month period, that ideally should not be too far beyond 31 March 2021.

11. How many people can a project employ?

Proposals with an ability to employ at least ten (10) or more people will be prioritised.

12. Will the PESP be treated according to NFVF Funding Policy Tiers?

Whilst the Funding Policy will only serve as a guide, the PESP will not be following established tiers, it will be open to all members of the audio-visual industry.

13. Who will be adjudicating the applications?

An independent advisory panel will evaluate the applications. The adjudication process will be done in accordance with the published criteria. Small adjustments will be made to accommodate stream specific questions, but the weighing will remain the same. Therefore, the set criteria will be used as a guide.

14. How soon after being approved will payments be made?

Payments can be expected by the end of January 2021 provided all documents to facilitate payments are accurate and verified. If delays are anticipated, communication will be shared on the NFVF's website and with applicants directly.

15. What if I already have a project with the NFVF, do I still qualify?

Yes. Current NFVF funding or an active application is not a disqualification factor.

16. What if I have been rejected by the NFVF for a project, can I send the same project for the PESP?

Yes. It may assist to strengthen your application if you implement feedback received on a previously rejected project.

17. May NPO's apply?

If you are an NPO in the film industry, yes, what we will not be funding are activities or projects that are not aligned to the NFVFs mandate.

18. Does the production need to end in March?

Not necessarily. A project may have a lifespan for longer than 3months, but the support will only be available for 3months.

19. Are we allowed to apply for more than one stream?

Yes.

20. What is the maximum amount to apply?

An independent panel is going to advise per application. We are looking for a minimum of 10 jobs created during the period, the panel will consider the experience in years for each job being created or retained as there is no blanket amount across the board, but expertise will be considered for this wage subsidy of the PESP.

21. If you submitted projects for Funding under the past NFVF Cycle and are awaiting the outcome, can you submit the same projects to this Programme?

Yes, The PESP is a separate fund and is not allocated from the NFVF's internal funding.

22. What is the amount one can get for job retention?

The NFVF will not fund the holistic amount but a % of wage support and/or a % of operational costs. The panel will consider experience relevant for each job that will be supported.

23. SARS is no longer giving tax clearances, just SARS pins, may I submit a pin?

We will accept a SARS document with a pin, and we will verify applications

24. Do I need to pay back the fund?

This grant is not recoupable, there is no expectation for practitioners to pay back the funds.

25. What are the timelines for the programme?

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