International Co-Production Funding for Kids Animation

The biggest, most globally distributed kids animation series in the world are almost never made by one company in one country. They are the product of international co-production agreements, structured across two or more territories to access combined public funding, tax credits, and broadcaster license fees that no single country's system could provide alone. Understanding how international co-production works is one of the most powerful tools a kids animation creator can develop.

At Whizzy Studios, we work with clients who are building their projects for international co-production deals. In this guide, we explain how co-production agreements work, which partnerships are most active in kids animation, what the financial benefits look like in real numbers, and how to build the creative package that attracts international partners.

What Is an International Co-Production

An international co-production is a formal agreement between production companies in two or more countries to jointly develop and produce an animation project. Each company contributes creative input, financial resources, and production services. In return, each company gains access to their own country's public funding programs as though the project were a purely domestic production.

This double-access to public funding is the core financial logic of co-production. A Canada-UK co-production can access the Canadian Media Fund and the UK Children's Television Tax Relief simultaneously. A France-Australia co-production can access CNC funding from France and ACTF or Screen Australia funding from Australia. The combined financing package is dramatically larger than either country could provide on its own.

Most co-productions are structured under official bilateral treaties, which most major animation territories have negotiated with each other. These treaties specify the minimum contribution level from each territory (typically 20 to 30 percent of total budget), the cultural content requirements, and the process for obtaining treaty co-production certification.

The France-Canada Partnership

The France-Canada treaty, active since 1984, is the most used bilateral animation co-production treaty in the world. French and Canadian animation studios have co-produced hundreds of children's series under this agreement, and the combination of CMF funding, SODEC grants, and CNC support creates one of the most financially robust structures available in kids animation anywhere globally.

France contributes its national broadcaster mandate through France Televisions and TF1, combined with CNC production support. Canada contributes CMF funding, provincial credits, and CBC Kids or other broadcaster attachments. When both national systems are operating simultaneously on a single project, the soft money available (the non-recoupable public grants and credits) can reach 500,000 to two million dollars per series before any commercial pre-sales are factored in.

UK-International Co-Production Growth

Since Brexit, the UK has aggressively expanded its non-EU co-production portfolio. UK non-EU animation co-productions grew by 34 percent between 2021 and 2024, as British studios and the British government worked to maintain the UK's position as a global animation hub outside the European Union framework.

The UK's 39 percent Children's Television Tax Relief makes it one of the most financially attractive co-production partners for any kids animation project. UK co-productions with Canada, Australia, the United States, India, and Korea have all grown significantly, with each partnership accessing their respective national funding programs alongside the UK credit.

The Financial Benefit in Real Numbers

To make the financial benefit concrete, here is a simplified illustrative example of a Canada-UK kids animation series co-production on a total budget of two million dollars.

Canadian partner contributes 1.2 million dollars of production activity in Canada. CMF grant covers approximately 400,000 to 500,000 of this. British Columbia stacked credits return approximately 580,000 to 700,000 dollars on qualifying labour. UK partner contributes 800,000 dollars of UK production expenditure. UK Children's TV Tax Relief returns approximately 312,000 dollars. Combined public money on the table: approximately 1.3 to 1.5 million dollars. The gap left to close through pre-sales and broadcaster fees: approximately 500,000 to 700,000 dollars on a two-million-dollar series budget.

This is why international co-production exists. A project that a single independent producer could never finance becomes financially viable when the public systems of two countries are working together on it. The effective subsidy from dual soft money in major co-production partnerships typically ranges from 30 to 45 percent of total production budget, which is the difference between a project that gets made and one that sits in development forever.

How to Attract an International Co-Production Partner

Co-production partnerships do not happen automatically. They need to be earned through a combination of creative appeal, professional credibility, and financial logic. Here is what international co-production partners are actually looking for when they evaluate a potential project.

Creative fit -- the project's themes, visual style, and target audience need to make sense in both territories. A series that is too culturally specific to one country will struggle to attract a partner who needs their own broadcaster to buy into the project.

Financial logic -- a potential partner needs to see that the co-production structure makes financial sense for both parties. This means understanding the funding programs in both territories and being able to articulate clearly what each partner brings and receives.

Production credibility -- no experienced international partner will commit to a co-production with a team that cannot demonstrate the ability to produce animation at broadcast quality. A professional pilot animation is the fastest and most effective way to establish this credibility.

Broadcaster interest -- a confirmed broadcaster interest or conditional license from a public broadcaster in your home territory dramatically improves the quality of co-production partners you can attract. Broadcasters attract broadcasters.

How Whizzy Studios Helps You Enter Co-Production Markets

The most common reason co-production conversations stall at the pitch stage is that the originating producer cannot demonstrate production capability convincingly enough to attract a sophisticated international partner. A strong written pitch is necessary but not sufficient. International partners want to see animation.

At Whizzy Studios, we produce pilot animations and visual development packages specifically designed to be used in international co-production pitches. We understand what Canadian, European, UK, and Australian partners are evaluating when they look at a creative package, and we build our work to meet those expectations.

Browse our portfolio to see the quality of animation we deliver, and contact our team to discuss how we can help you build the creative assets your co-production pitch needs to succeed.

International co-production is not just a financing mechanism. It is a strategic market entry tool. A successful co-production gives a kids animation creator access to broadcasters, distribution relationships, and industry credibility in a second territory that can take years to build independently. The financial benefits are significant. The market access benefits are often even more valuable in the long run.

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