- Grants of £25,000 awarded to companies across Scotland, England and Wales in the latest round of awards from the UK Games Fund.
- This is part of an £8 million expansion of the Dundee-based UK Games Fund, to support early-stage games development businesses and talent.
A total of 17 start-up games studios from across the UK have received Government funding to help them create new games for players at home and abroad.
The UK Games Fund has awarded individual grants of up to £25,000 to games companies in Scotland, England and Wales to support studios to produce new independent games content and grow in scale.
A wide range of games, spanning virtual reality, murder mystery and educational formats, are being allocated grants in the latest round of funding from the £8 million scheme.
More than 100 companies applied for the latest funding round and shortlisted applicants had the opportunity to speak with industry experts about their product and grant submission. Out of these pitches, 17 companies were selected for funding and will complete their games projects later this year.
In February, the Government announced the allocation of £8 million in funding for the expansion of the Dundee-based UK Games Fund to support this high growth sector. In addition to grants to support the development start-up companies, the UK Games Fund is supporting skills and talent in the UK games sector.
Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of games and interactive entertainment trade association Ukie, said:
“The UK Games Fund has played an invaluable role in growing our national sector and ensuring that the UK remains one of the best places in the world to make video games.
“Its ongoing support for start up games businesses across the country has led to both the creation of captivating video games and real value for the economy in terms of jobs, investment and tax revenues.
“We’re pleased that the Government has delivered additional support for our thriving sector and look forward to seeing the great games that emerge from this support in the coming years.”
Dr Richard Wilson OBE, CEO of games trade body TIGA, said:
“Access to finance is a challenge for many small development studios. The UK Games Fund is a vital intervention which enables start-ups and small studios to develop game prototypes, develop commercial skills and embark upon the path to growth and success. TIGA strongly supports the UKGF. We look forward to seeing how the latest beneficiaries build their businesses and scale-up their studios.”
Since its establishment in 2015 the UK Games Fund has received over 1,500 applications from studios across the UK and supported more than 200 games projects. Many of these have been able to scale up ahead of publishing deals to attract further investment and create jobs.
Edinburgh-based UK Games Fund portfolio company Ant Workshop announced earlier this year that they had secured invested a seven-figure sum investment from Chroma Ventures, the investment arm of Dundee-based 4J Studios. The deal will that enable the development of new titles as well as the funded project, Dungeon Golf.
Tony Gowland, founder of Ant Workshop, said:
“The UK Games Fund’s support during the early stages of Dungeon Golf was extremely useful in enabling us to take that initial idea and create a playable prototype. As a funded company, the UK Games Fund has been transformative for Ant Workshop and our projects – I would thoroughly recommend checking it out and considering applying if you are eligible.”
Round 9 Funded Companies
Find out more about the funded projects here.