Screen Australia Announces 150k Grant for Games
The independent games industry in Australia is an absolute treasure trove of talent and skill. The number and quality of games that have been produced over the past decade have been mind-blowing. Some of my favourite games have been Australian indies like Armello and Objects in Space. And there are so many more notable games to mention.
It is extremely exciting and heartening to see that the industry receive some well-deserved and well-needed support from the Australian Commonwealth Government. Screen Australia has announced a new grant program called Games: Expansion Pack aimed at “small, medium and emerging independent Australian game developers working on original game ideas and seeking finance for their project”.
The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) has long been an advocate for increased government support for Australian developers. So, it is extremely rewarding to see all that hard labour bear fruit.
Grant applications for Games: Expansion Pack are now open and will close on Thursday, 28 April 2022. More details of the grant can be found here.
See below for the full press release from IGEA about this initiative.
IGEA is delighted with the initiative announced today by Screen Australia and the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, allowing Australian independent game development studios to access federal screen funding for the first time since 2014.
Screen Australia’s Games: Expansion Pack is an initiative aimed toward small, medium and emerging independent Australian game developers working on original game ideas and seeking finance for their project. Not only will the incentive allow developers to enhance the quality of their digital games, it will also enable studios to grow and scale their businesses, creating more employment opportunities locally and delivering more export-ready games content to growing international games audiences.
Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA, commented, “Screen Australia’s Games: Expansion Pack is a very welcome addition to the suite of already announced government funding for Australian game developers and signals that games are an integral part of the screen industry. The Federal Government has consulted very closely with IGEA and the Australian game development sector to commit to the introduction of the Digital Games Tax Offset (DGTO), a globally competitive tax incentive of 30% to be launched on 1 July 2022. Coupled with the new Games: Expansion Pack initiative, we expect to see accelerated growth for highly creative and skilled Australian games studios and practitioners.
“We thank Minister Fletcher, the Office for the Arts and Screen Australia for engaging positively with industry and committing to the continuation of a complete and thriving game development ecosystem in Australia. We also thank the members of the Board of Screen Australia for recognising the importance of supporting our entertainment medium. Access to equitable funding levers ensures that Australian game developers can scale their businesses locally and continue to make their mark on the world stage.”
For details of the Games Expansion Pack, please head to the Screen Australia website.
