Screen NSW has opened the second round of applications for its Digital Games Seed Development Program, which aims to provide funds to support video game development within New South Wales.
The fund is specifically targeted at “up-and-coming and small-medium enterprise digital game creators,” with grants of up to AUD $30,000 provided for successful applicants to “advance early concept original game ideas to the next stage of development or to secure investment for full-scale development.”
In its initial round of funding, the program supported an array of NSW-based developers in elevating their latest projects, with Lemonade Games being one of the major recipients.
“The Digital Games Seed Development Program was enormously helpful in providing Lemonade Games with the resources we needed to develop our Vertical Slice in NSW,” Ally McLean, Game Director and Writer at Lemonade Games said in a press release. “Making great games in Sydney is important to us, and without this funding we would not have been able to continue to invest in our local talent. This support empowers us to bring higher quality materials to the global market to secure funding for our game.”
Alongside Mystiques Haunted Antiques, the debut title of Lemonade Games, other projects supported in the first round included Doggy Don’t Care (Rotub Games), Death of a Partisan (Myshkin Entertainment), Resonant (Callum Denmead), Myndzai (Entropy Interactive), and more.
Read: Screen NSW announces new games funding recipients
“The first round of the Digital Games Seed Development Program supported a broad range of NSW talent, and we have already seen many of the projects enter the next stage of development,” Kyas Hepworth, Head of Screen NSW said.
“With support from the program, developers have begun showcasing early concepts of their games to audiences in Australia and overseas, attracting further financing and receiving vital feedback so they can continue to create exciting games for audiences to enjoy globally.”
Those eligible, and in a position to utilise funding from Screen NSW are encouraged to apply for the latest round via the Screen NSW website. Here, you can also find criteria for applying, as well as resources to support a successful application.
If you wish to know more, Screen NSW is also hosting a free information session about this funding on 23 January 2025 at 10:00 am AEDT. It will feature tips and tricks, and a Q&A with Anna Cho, Screen NSW Manager Strategy, PDV & Digital Games and Ryan Penning, Screen NSW Online and Games Investment Manager.
Entries for the latest round of applications to the Screen NSW Digital Games Seed Development Program will close on 24 February 2025 at 2:00 pm AEDT.