Texas Heritage Project Bonus — 2.5% TMIIIP Uplift for Texas Stories

The Texas Heritage bonus adds 2.5% to your TMIIIP base rate for productions that receive a Texas Heritage project designation from the Texas Film Commission.

What Is a Texas Heritage Project?

A Texas Heritage project is a production that substantially celebrates, depicts, or promotes Texas history, culture, heritage, or identity. The designation is awarded at the Texas Film Commission's discretion and requires an application separate from the standard TMIIIP eligibility application.

Examples of qualifying production themes:

• Historical events or figures from Texas history
• Texas cultural traditions (rodeo, music, cuisine, ranching, oil industry history)
• Texas landscapes and geography as a central story element
• Biographies of notable Texans
• Stories set in Texas that authentically portray Texas community life

Application Process

Submit a Texas Heritage designation request as part of your TMIIIP application or as a supplemental filing. Provide a synopsis, subject matter description, and evidence of Texas cultural content. The Commission reviews applications based on the substantive Texas heritage content — a production that briefly features Texas landmarks does not qualify; one that centrally depicts Texas history or culture does.

Heritage + Other Uplifts

The Texas Heritage bonus stacks with all other TMIIIP uplifts. A rural Texas Heritage documentary featuring veteran crew could access 32.5% effective rate — capped at the 31% statutory maximum.

This bonus particularly rewards documentary, historical, and culturally-specific productions that might otherwise have lower uplift eligibility.