SBS Unscripted is sourcing original and ambitious ideas that delve into issues of inequality and social cohesion, with entries to be considered for up to $50,000 in development funding.

The initiative was announced on Monday at the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) in Melbourne, with entries to remain open until 5 May. Head of SBS Unscripted, Joseph Maxwell, said the initiative encouraged creatives to redefine what cutting-edge means in their craft.

"You hear a lot about taking risks in our industry, but what does that really mean? At SBS, we want to genuinely break new ground in ways we haven’t seen before," he said.

Submissions must align with the SBS Charter and demonstrate scale, boldness, and ambition. They should be new, fresh, and attention-grabbing. Ideas can be genre-bending or format-flipping and should have the ability to capture a wide Australian audience, both on television and on SBS On Demand.

"This first-of-its-kind initiative in Australia is an opportunity for creatives across the country to reach for new levels of courageousness in their craft and redefine what cutting-edge means, while creating what could be a new, channel-defining factual format for SBS," Maxwell said.

SBS is specifically seeking original factual format ideas that are 3-6 x 1 hour episodes long. Project proposals should be no more than three pages, and submissions must include a title, a logline, and a single paragraph synopsis. Ideas must be submitted to the SBS factual pitching portal by emailing factual@sbs.com.au, with the subject title 'New Factual Format'. All applications need to be eligible for state/federal documentary funding programs.

"We want the biggest, boldest, and bravest ideas that get the nation-talking, and to challenge audience expectations. Surprise and even scare us through inventive approaches to help SBS unpack issues we face in society, and create must-see, talk-about TV that can create real impact," Maxwell said.