UK Games Fund to receive a further £28.5m over the next three years for the continued support of the UK’s indie game dev sector. The funding was announced today as part of the UK Government’s Growth for Games strategy.
UK Games Talent and Finance (UKGTF) has run the UK Games Fund since 2015 when it was launched independently as a non-profit Community Interest Company. To date, the Fund has supported more than 400 games from SMEs across the length and breadth of the UK. The positive impact of the Fund across the sector was highlighted as part of a government commissioned independent economic evaluation.
The new funding streams will see three key strands of support for the wide range of games dev companies across the UK;
Starter Fund
With grants of £20,000 for university graduate companies, early-stage start-ups and those looking to build on their foundations as future-growth entities.
Prototype Fund
With grants of up to £100,000 for studios with industry and commercial experience looking to build on audience validation with own-IP development, broaching the next step of company growth with potential for leverage.
Content Fund
With grants of up to £250,000 for experienced, established companies with high growth plans and third-party investment on the table, which support from the Content Fund would help to unlock.
UKGTF CEO Paul Durrant said:
“We are thrilled to have been named by DCMS as the organisation to deliver on the Growth for Games strategy with the UK Games Fund. Our experience of running the Fund since 2015 gives us the unique insight needed in to how best to support the UK’s independent games development ecosystem via grant funding. In refreshing our offering to best meet the needs of our community, as well as building on our successes to date, we are confident that this new iteration of the Fund will continue to bolster the UK’s economic strength as a global player in video games.“
More information about calls for applications will be shared imminently!