Video Games and Immersive Content Development Funding Programme

The focus of this opportunity includes increasing the capacity of European video game producers, XR studios, and audiovisual production companies to develop video games and interactive immersive experiences with the potential to reach global audiences, improving the competitiveness of the European video games industry and other companies producing interactive immersive content in European and international markets by enabling the retention of intellectual property by European developers, increased quality, appeal, feasibility and cross-border potential for selected projects, providing a stronger position on the European and international market for video games developers and companies producing interactive immersive experiences, supporting the development of works and prototypes of interactive narrative storytelling with original content or quality gameplay intended for production and global commercial exploitation via PCs, consoles, mobile devices, tablets, smart phones, and other technologies, providing funds to video game production companies and other companies producing immersive content to develop works with a high level of originality and innovative and creative value, ensuring a high level of commercial ambition and extensive cross-border potential to reach European and international markets, presenting adequate strategies to ensure a more sustainable and environmentally-respectful industry, and ensuring gender balance, inclusion, diversity and representativeness.

Eligible applicants are companies established in countries fully participating in the MEDIA strand, owned wholly or by majority participation by nationals from such countries, including European video game production companies, XR studios, or audiovisual production companies whose main objective and activity is video game production/development, entertainment software development, or audiovisual production. Publishing companies are not eligible. Coordinators must have recent experience producing internationally distributed works between 01/01/2023 and the application deadline. Applications may be submitted by single applicants or by consortia of at least two beneficiaries.

The funding supports the development (pre-production) of concepts and prototypes of interactive narrative storytelling with original content and/or quality gameplay intended for production and global commercial exploitation. Production phases, defined as starting from testing and debugging the first prototype to the Gold Master or equivalent, are ineligible. The maximum grant available per project is €200,000, provided as a lump sum grant covering 60% of the estimated project budget, with the actual amount determined by the granting authority.

Applications must be submitted through the European Commission’s Funding & Tender Opportunities Portal (F&TP), with detailed instructions on how to access and apply available on the portal. This initiative aims to strengthen the originality, innovation, and commercial potential of European video games and immersive content while fostering a sustainable, inclusive, and diverse industry.

For more information, visit Creative Europe Desk Ireland.