diff --git a/opentech/apply/funds/models/submissions.py b/opentech/apply/funds/models/submissions.py
index 7ad891425f671ee2609d583c4507c95dc467a4d2..6965755c0ca18c0ffa9785d54a0af32e19ab0ffb 100644
--- a/opentech/apply/funds/models/submissions.py
+++ b/opentech/apply/funds/models/submissions.py
@@ -283,7 +283,10 @@ class ApplicationSubmission(
         editable=False,
     )
 
-    private_storage = PrivateMediaStorage()
+    if settings.DEBUG:
+        submission_storage = DefaultStorage()
+    else:
+        submission_storage = PrivateMediaStorage()
 
     # Meta: used for migration purposes only
     drupal_id = models.IntegerField(null=True, blank=True, editable=False)
@@ -356,7 +359,7 @@ class ApplicationSubmission(
 
     def save_path(self, file_name):
         file_path = os.path.join('submissions', 'user', str(self.user.id), file_name)
-        return self.private_storage.generate_filename(file_path)
+        return self.submission_storage.generate_filename(file_path)
 
     def handle_file(self, file):
         # File is potentially optional
@@ -367,11 +370,11 @@ class ApplicationSubmission(
                 # file is not changed, it is still the dictionary
                 return file
 
-            saved_name = self.private_storage.save(filename, file)
+            saved_name = self.submission_storage.save(filename, file)
             return {
                 'name': file.name,
                 'path': saved_name,
-                'url': self.private_storage.url(saved_name),
+                'url': self.submission_storage.url(saved_name),
             }
 
     def handle_files(self, files):