Fourth Round of Funding Announced: UK

Key insights

6 takeaways

01
The UK government has launched the fourth round of the UK Games Fund (UKGF), offering grants of up to £25,000 to early-stage video game developers.
02
The government pledged an additional £1 million in the Autumn Budget to extend the UKGF, which has already supported over 70 development studios, through 2020.
03
A new Pitch Development Programme has been introduced to support developers who do not meet standard UKGF criteria, providing a £10,000 value package in cash and in-kind support.
04
Participants in the Pitch Development Programme will develop prototypes for a consumer games show, where they will compete for a grant of up to £25,000 after pitching to industry experts.
05
The UK video games sector is a significant economic contributor, with the broader UK creative industries generating £91.8 billion for the economy in the year prior to the report.
06
Previous UKGF recipients, such as London-based developer Roll7, have utilized the funding to reach critical development milestones, including prototype completion and technical hiring.

Summary

The UK Games Fund (UKGF) announced its fourth round of funding in January 2018, reinforcing the government’s commitment to supporting early-stage video game developers. With a total investment of £5 million, the initiative aims to provide financial grants and business support to help studios transition from conceptual ideas to viable commercial products. This funding round is part of a broader government strategy to bolster the UK’s creative industries, which contributed £91.8 billion to the national economy in the preceding year.

The program offers grants of up to £25,000 to successful applicants, building on a track record that has already supported over 70 development studios across the UK. To ensure continued growth, the government pledged an additional £1 million in the Autumn Budget to extend the fund’s operations through 2020. Previous beneficiaries, such as the London-based studio Roll7, have utilized these resources to secure technical talent and finalize prototypes, demonstrating the fund's role in facilitating professional development and industry sustainability.

A significant addition to this round is the introduction of the Pitch Development Programme, designed to expand the fund's reach to developers who do not meet standard eligibility criteria. Participants in this program receive a support package valued at £10,000, including cash and in-kind services, to refine their prototypes for presentation at consumer games events. Following these exhibitions, teams have the opportunity to pitch their projects to industry experts for further grant funding. This expansion reflects a strategic shift toward nurturing a wider pool of emerging talent alongside established studios, ensuring a robust pipeline for future British video game releases.