Expressions of Interest (EOI) in applying to Round 7 of the UK Games Fund closed earlier with this week, with 270 potentially eligible applicants registering their details.
Round 7 presents established UK-based independent games development studios with the opportunity to secure funding of up to £25,000 for the development of proprietary commercial IP.
Compared to Round 6 – which saw just over 170 applications for grant support – interest in Round 7 has jumped by more than 60%.
Of course, EOIs do not necessarily translate to full applications but the surge in demand for our funding cannot be ignored.
Delving into the data, we can reveal that more than 80% of EOIs are from companies based outside of London – testament if ever it was needed that the supply of UK games development talent and creativity is not centralised to one hub or location specifically.
Geography of EOIs
| Region of UK | Total % of EOIs |
| Northern Ireland | 3% |
| Scotland | 11% |
| Wales | 4% |
| Northern England | 20% |
| Midlands | 14% |
| South West England | 14% |
| South East England | 14% |
| London | 19% |
Paul Durrant, Director at UK Games Fund, said:
“This level of regional interest highlights the strong economic impact that the nations and regions provide through smaller, early-stage developers. Employment-centred surveys tend towards picking up the strengths in our metro cities and clusters through the larger employers but this provides the wider evidence of the UK’s creative and economic strength as a whole.”
Round 8 of the UK Games Fund, aimed at studios with less experience of professional commercial development than those that will be selected for Round 7, will be launched later this year. More details about the criteria and key dates will be shared soon.