Tourism Ireland has confirmed it will run its International Programming Ireland Fund again in 2026, with two funding rounds planned in February and May. Applications are invited for Round 1, to be submitted by 3pm on Wednesday 11 February 2026.
This co-production fund is designed to showcase the island of Ireland as a destination to an international audience through high-quality and engaging TV projects.
Launched in 2021, to date the fund has supported over 70 high-quality TV programmes, including celebrity-led travelogues such as Anna Haugh’s Big Irish Food Tour for BBC, Tour de Fred with Fred Sirieix for ITV, Amarsi un po’ – Istruzioni per l’uso for LA7 in Italy; culture travelogues including Ireland with Michael by Wexford House for PBS; history documentaries such as Halloween, an Ancient Mystery and Patrick, Slave to Ireland for RTÉ and ARTE; nature documentaries such as Ireland’s Wild Islands by Crossing the Line Productions for ARTE, Smithsonian, Sky Nature UK and SVT Sweden; prestige documentaries, such as From that Small Island for RTÉ and PBS; and golf documentaries such as Golf’s Greatest Holes – The Open Special by for Sky Sports and Golf Channel.
Successful projects will feature content that inspires and educates audiences about the island of Ireland, North and South. Projects should incorporate some of the below:
- Our stunning landscapes, coastline, beaches
- Our people, our storytellers and our iconic Irish culture, such as music, literature, myths and legends, film, dance, festivals, sport and, of course, our iconic, cosy pubs
- Food and drink, local produce, culinary experiences and the people behind our fabulous food culture
- Slow tourism, unrushed travel, getting active in nature, immersion in one place, travel by public transport and rejuvenation by the natural beauty of the island of Ireland
- Projects that showcase Northern Ireland and our regions, as well as stories rooted in winter, spring or autumn, are of particular interest
Please note, this is a factual and unscripted fund. Drama, scripted, political and current affairs programming are not eligible.
Through a competitive selection process, producers can apply for a maximum investment of up to €200,000 (requested funding must be no more than 50% of the global budget for the project). Projects must demonstrate commitment from an overseas broadcaster or distributor to be aired on channels in Tourism Ireland’s key markets, including the US, Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Nordics, the Netherlands and Canada.
For more information and images, download the Application Guidelines HEREOpens in new window.
Complete the application form HEREOpens in new window.
Sample Application Form (for reference only) is available to download HERE.Opens in new window
Application deadline: Wednesday 11 February 2026 at 3pm GMT
NEW for 2026 – The International Broadcast Re-versioning and Distribution Scheme
Along with the International Programming Ireland co-production fund, we are pleased to announce the launch of an additional new funding scheme in 2026: the INTERNATIONAL RE-VERSIONING & DISTRIBUTION SCHEME. This scheme is specifically designed to stimulate and support new international TV market opportunities for high quality previously broadcast TV series and projects. Projects must demonstrate strong market potential to showcase the island of Ireland to international TV viewers. The fund supports international re-versioning, upgrading, distribution and localisation costs, for existing TV series to successfully achieve international distribution.
Find guidelines for the re-versioning scheme HEREOpens in new window.
Complete the application form for the re-versioning scheme HEREOpens in new window.
Sample Application Form (for reference only) is available to download HEREOpens in new window.
