NI Screen is offering up to £60,000 in funding and 12 months office space to three video game development companies based in Northern Ireland. The deadline for applications is February 12th.
It's been a bumper year for the game development scene in Belfast, with local studio Italic Pig securing the region's first-ever seven-figure game development deal and several other studios seeing success with funding and game releases. Fresh off the back of its success with Game of Thrones, Northern Ireland Screen also turned its attention to games throughout 2019 through the Pixel Mill game development incubator space in Ormeau Baths.
The next phase of the Pixel Mill is now underway with the launch of NI Screen's new game development accelerator programme Platform. The fully-funded programme will guide three successful game development studios through the process of producing a game based on an original IP, from developing a slate of original game prototypes all the way through to publishing and release.
Companies on the accelerator will get up to £60,000 of funding and 12 months of access to the Pixel Mill studio space to develop original games, and will fly to international trade shows EGX and Gamescom to pitch their games to prospective publishers. The three successful companies will also get access to QA and user-testing facilities, and mentors in areas such as game design, marketing, and production throughout the year.
The Platform accelerator is open to video game development companies based in Northern Ireland or which are willing to relocate to Northern Ireland for 12 months. Applicants must be limited companies (or ready to form one before the programme begins) and must consist of two or more team members (ideally three) covering key roles of programming, art, and business development. The company or at least two of its members must also have released or published a video game in the past three years.
For a full breakdown of the scheme or to apply for Platform, head over to the NI Screen website. Applications close on Wednesday February 12th at noon, after which time shortlisted companies will be invited to interview and pitch their companies to join the programme.
Source: NI Screen
