Seventh Presidential Employment Stimulus Grant Programme (South Africa)

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) has opened a call for the Seventh Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP 7), focused on the audio-visual industry. Issued by the Presidency through the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), this government initiative supports job creation and skills development through financial support. Submissions close on Monday, 05 October 2026 at 23h59. Opportunity at a Glance

- Opportunity name: Seventh Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP 7) — Audio-Visual Industry

- Funding/implementing body: National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), administered for DSAC

- Opportunity type: Government employment stimulus call with two projects (Project 1 and Project 2)

- Which part this open call covers: Project 1 only

- Eligible streams (Project 1):

- Stream 1: Production (Production and Post-Production)

- Stream 2: Skills Development and Training

- Stream 3: Marketing and Distribution

- Total DSAC allocation for 2026/27: R178 100 000.00

- Project 1 total (Streams 1–3): Not explicitly stated as a single figure in the source, but stream allocations are provided (see Funding and Benefits)

- Eligible locations: South Africa (with evaluation emphasis on underserviced provinces)

- Submission deadline: Monday, 05 October 2026 at 23h59

- Programme implementation window (projects must be implementable): 15 January 2027 – 15 April 2027 (3 months)

About the Opportunity

PESP 7 is designed to support the reactivation of the audio-visual sector following the COVID-19 pandemic, aligned with the Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan (ERRP). The call supports practitioners and companies with projects in implementation stages to reach completion through financial support. NFVF implements PESP 7 through two programmes:

- Project 1: Job creation through grant administration (this open call refers to Project 1)

- Project 2: Job creation through an internship programme for the digitisation of archive materials

This call focuses on Project 1, delivered through three streams: production, skills development/training, and marketing/distribution. Funding and Benefits PESP 7 provides financial support to enable job creation within a strict legislative timeline. Budget allocations (Project 1 streams) The source provides the following stream allocations within the total R178 100 000.00 for the 2026/27 financial year:

- Stream 1: Production (Group 1): R72 000 000.00

- Stream 2: Skills Development and Training: R34 720 850.00

- Stream 3: Marketing and Distribution: R33 720 850.00

- PESP 7 Project Appeals: R5 000 000.00

- Administration fee: R7 658 300.00

- Digitisation (Project 2): R25 000 000.00

- Total: R178 100 000.00

Job targets (2026/27)

- Project 1 (Streams 1–3): 11 800 jobs

- Project 2 (Digitisation): 200 jobs

- The source also states that Project 1, Stream 1–3 have a target of 11 800 jobs, while Project 2 has 200 jobs. Stream-specific targeted jobs and caps The source includes targeted jobs and stream budget allocations, and it also states that PESP-specific funding caps will be implemented (distinct from NFVF funding policy caps). Exact per-recipient caps are not fully shown in the provided text. Minimum job expectations and timeframes are specified per stream:

- Stream 1: Minimum 10 jobs within 3 months (realistically implementable 15 Jan 2027 – 15 Apr 2027)

- Stream 2: Minimum 10 jobs within 3 months (realistically implementable 15 Jan 2027 – 15 Apr 2027)

- Stream 3: Minimum 10 jobs within 3 months (realistically implementable 15 Jan 2027 – 15 Apr 2027)

Important funding conditions - Projects must be realistically implementable between 15 January 2027 and 15 April 2027 for all three streams within the specified budget. - The call will not be extended due to tight timelines to implement PESP 7 within the 2026/27 financial year. - Applicants must secure all necessary supplementary funding prior to submitting. No additional time/extensions will be allocated after submission to source extra financing. - Where budgets rely on external/multi-source co-funding, applicants must attach formal and signed letters of Intent from third-party funders at the time of application. Failure to upload valid letters of Intent results in immediate disqualification from evaluation. Who Is Eligible? The source describes eligibility in terms of project readiness, funding structure, and administrative requirements rather than a single applicant eligibility list. Based on the provided text, applicants should note the following mandatory requirements and exclusions. Mandatory administrative and compliance requirements Applicants must upload mandatory documents including: - BBBEE certificate / sworn affidavit - Consent forms when applying for a documentary - Proof of additional funding - Letters of intent / letters of consent - Other mandatory documents are referenced, but the full list is not completely visible in the provided excerpt. Co-funding letters (mandatory) - If the project budget relies on external or multi-source co-funding, signed letters of Intent from third-party funders must be attached at initial application. - Missing/invalid letters of Intent at submission leads to immediate disqualification. Projects not considered - Projects still in need of funding from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) and its related incentive programme will not be considered. - Development projects are not considered in Stream 1 (due to low job yield compared to production-ready projects). - Long-formats that cannot be completed within the 3-month programme period are not considered in Stream 1 (including feature films and feature-length animation projects). - In Stream 3, “normal marketing & distribution” and festival and markets attendance are not considered. - In Stream 3, projects that provide stipends to attendees/participants are not permitted. - In Stream 3, projects with high reliance on skills training, transfer and internships will not be funded under this