A guide to the UK £30m Games Fund for Developers and Studios
The UK government has announced a £30 million funding package aimed at supporting the next generation of UK-based game developers. For indie developers, small studios and scaling teams, this represents a great opportunity to access additional funding in a challenging period for the games industry.
What is the new UK games funding?
The £30 million package is split between direct funding for developers and wider industry support. The majority, £28.5 million, will be distributed through the UK Games Fund to support studios in developing and bringing games to market.
A further £1.5 million has been allocated to the London Games Festival, with the aim of attracting greater investment into UK-based talent and strengthening the UK’s global position in the sector.
Who can apply?
The funding is intended to support a wide range of developers, rather than focusing on a single studio size or maturity level. The emphasis is on progression, helping teams move forward at different points in the development journey.
In practice, this means it is aimed at developers who are actively building games or working towards commercial release, whether they are starting from an early concept or refining a more established project.
How much funding can you get?
Funding is split into three tiers, depending on the stage of development and the level of support needed. This structure is designed to make sure developers can access funding throughout the lifecycle of a project, rather than at just one point.
- At the Entry Track, the Prototype Fund provides smaller grants of up to £20,000 are available to support new or early-stage developers in getting their ideas off the ground.
- An Emergent Track, for those further along, the Starter Fund provides funding of up to £100,000 is available to help develop prototypes and bring concepts closer to a market-ready position.
- At the highest level, the Content Fund grants of up to £250,000 are being offered to support studios in completing projects and scaling their operations, representing the largest awards the fund has made to date.
How this fits with tax relief and wider support
This funding forms part of a wider ecosystem of support available to UK game developers. Rather than replacing existing schemes, it sits alongside them and adds another route that studios can use depending on their stage of development and financial needs. It is expected that the UK games fund will help developers unlock additional third party investment or funding, and part of the UK games fund grant may be held back until this has been secured.
The Video Games Expenditure Credit “VGEC” (formerly Video Games Tax Relief) is also available to provide additional support to game production companies with additional tax benefits. A game production company can seek to claim both VGEC and under the UK games fund, as long as VGEC is not claimed on grant-funded costs.
What are my options?
For developers currently working on a game or planning a new project, this is a good moment to assess where you sit within the funding landscape. Different stages of development align with different levels of support, so it is key to understand which of the three grants suit your studio.
It is also worth considering how this funding fits alongside other mechanisms such as VGEC and external investment. Thinking about this early and structuring your studio right from the beginning can help ensure your studio is structured in a way that allows you to access multiple forms of support effectively.
At StarBox, we work with game developers, creators and studios to help navigate funding, tax relief and growth. If you’re considering applying, or want to make sure you’re set up properly as you scale, please do get in touch with our team.