The Future Leaders Delegation will support up to eight early-to-mid career Australian gamemakers to travel to Kyoto, Japan to attend BitSummit 2027 (21-23 May 2027) with a games project.

This initiative will enable the selected delegates to connect with their peers, seek out partnerships, funding and marketplace opportunities, develop their networks in a strategically relevant region and position their practice within the broader international sector. This initiative also aims to support gamemakers from under-represented backgrounds.

In addition, delegates will be provided the opportunity to exhibit their game as part of an Australia stand at BitSummit 2027, granting access to a marketplace of over 60,000 attendees.

BitSummit is a growing destination for independent gamemakers around the globe, bringing the international games sector together for a public showcase of independent games, an awards ceremony, and networking events.

All applicants and projects must meet Screen Australia's Terms of Trade and any general eligibility or other requirements listed on the agency's website (see Information for Applicants and Information for Recipients).

This initiative is open to individuals and companies. To be eligible: 

• an individual applicant must be an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident (holding a permanent visa).
• an applicant company must be an incorporated company carrying on business in Australia, with its central management and control in Australia.
• an applicant company must elect an individual to attend BitSummit 2027 on behalf of the company. 

Applicants must also:

• have an active Australian Business Number (ABN);
• be registered for the purpose of GST if required by law; and
• control the rights necessary to present the project publicly.

To be eligible for this initiative, individual applicants and company delegates (delegates) must:

• have released and/or published at least one game on a public platform (e.g. Steam, itch.io, App Store)
• be actively working on at least one game (for company delegates, this must be a company game) that is or will be ready for public presentation by the event dates
• be available to attend BitSummit 2027 (21-23 May 2027 and travel dates around these) and to participate in a pre-departure workshop in mid-April 2027 in Melbourne (domestic travel costs will be covered for successful delegates)
• must not have participated in a previous Screen Australia Future Leaders Delegation initiative

For full eligibility information, please refer to the attached guideline documents.

• Phone: 1800 507 901
• Email: games@screenaustralia.gov.au