Screen Queensland's Games Grants facilitates the growth of the local digital games industry by supporting Queensland developers and studios.

Funding caps vary depending on the project production target such as prototype, vertical slice/early access and full game release. Grants of up to $200,000 are available with a total of $300,000 in grants available for any single project over its lifetime.

What is eligible spend?

Eligible costs include staffing costs and other costs associated with the game's development and release; licensing costs and legal fees; costs associated with marketing the project; and engagement of a highly experienced mentor to support key project personnel with creative, technical or business elements of the project.

What type of game projects can apply?

Games working towards varying stages of their development including prototype, vertical slice/early access, and full game release can apply for Games Grants.

How can I create a strong application?

You can give your application the best chance of being competitive by:

• strongly meeting the eligibility and assessment criteria
• discussing your applications with a member of the Screen Queensland team prior to submission
• employing Queensland practitioners in as many roles as possible
• spending the majority of your budget in Queensland
• demonstrating that the project is a Queensland-owned IP
• ensuring that your budget, marketing and finance plan are suited to your distribution platform/s
• pairing experienced developers with junior talent on the project and
• presenting a strong strategy to source additional financing for the project, such as publisher deals or platform funding programs.

The Games Grants are open to applications from both emerging and established games developers. At least 75% of the development team must be based in Queensland unless an exemption is granted.

This fund supports projects where Queensland-based games developers retain ownership of the subsequent intellectual property.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• be a Queensland resident game development company or individual (as defined in Screen Queensland's Terms of Trade);
• be able to demonstrate that they are the IP creator and owner of the game. Commissioned projects are not eligible;
• not be full-time undergraduate, honours or masters students;
• not propose a project designed for the education, training, advertising, marketing, tourism or media sector;
• not submit an application for a project that has been declined funding by Screen Queensland previously, except where it can be demonstrated the application has been significantly reworked prior to submitting. Projects that have been declined twice are not eligible;
• not submit an application for a project that has not acquitted previous Screen Queensland funding; and
• only submit one application per round.

The following formats are eligible for the Grants:

• premium and free-to-play games;
• live-ops development; and
• entertainment games for a mass audience.

The following are ineligible for the Grants:

• games that are not completely digital (boardgames or hybrid digital/physical games);
• games that feature gambling or exploitative pay to win mechanics;
• serious games, or games which are made for purposes other than pure entertainment;
• games that are, in Screen Queensland's opinion, likely to be refused classification under the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995 (Cth);
• games designed to, in Screen Queensland's opinion, predominantly or substantially market, promote or advertise a product or service; and
• games designed primarily for educational or training purposes.

• Phone: (07) 3248 0500
• Email: content@screenqld.com.au