Programme Category
Programme Name
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
The objective of the support to Video games and immersive content development is to increase 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. The support also aims to improve 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.
Detailed Call Description
Within the specific objective of promoting competitiveness, scalability, cooperation, innovation and sustainability, including through mobility in the European audiovisual sector, one of the priorities of the MEDIA Strand is: to nurture talents, competence and skills and to stimulate cross-border cooperation, mobility and innovation in the creation and production of European audiovisual works, encouraging collaboration across Member States with different audiovisual capacities.
The MEDIA Strand shall provide support for the following measures: Development of audiovisual works by European independent production companies, covering a variety of formats (such as feature films, short films, series, documentaries, narrative video games) and genres, and targeting diverse audiences, including children and young people.
Support will be given to 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 via PCs, consoles, mobile devices, tablets, smart phones and other technologies.
The aim is to provide 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, and that have a high level of commercial ambition and extensive cross-border potential to reach European and international markets. This will allow for further investment in innovative European content and increase the competitiveness of European companies in the digital global market.
The production phase is ineligible. Production is understood as the phase starting from the testing and debugging of the first prototype until the end of the production of the Gold Master or equivalent.
The following projects are ineligible:
- puzzle games, memory games, sports games, racing games, running games, rhythm/singing/dancing games, social games, quiz games, party games, versus-fighting games, word and spelling games, number games, mind games, even if they have a narrative element;
- projects where professional education, training or therapy is the main objective;
- multimedia art projects and installations;
- immersive tours, events, music videos and immersive experiences used in retail;
- works of a promotional nature being part of a promotional campaign or advertising for a specific, destination (tourism), product and/or brand and institutional productions to promote a specific organisation or its activities;
- projects including pornographic or racist material or advocating violence;
- platforms for games or interactive experiences and websites being, or dedicated specifically to, social platforms, social networking, internet forums, blogs or similar activities;
- tools and software services aimed solely at technological development and/or used solely for further developing already existing game or interactive experience concepts;
- reference works (encyclopedias, atlases, catalogues, databases and similar),“how-to” works (instructional guides, manuals and similar) and (interactive) e-books;
- information or purely transactional services.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
60%
Project budget (maximum grant amount): €200.000 per project.
The grant awarded may be lower than the amount requested.
Thematic Categories
- Audiovisual sector and Media
- Culture
Eligibility for Participation
- Businesses
- International Organisations
- Legal Entities
- NGOs
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies)
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- Creative Europe Participating Countries:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)
- non-EU countries:
- listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Creative Europe Programme or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature (list of participating countries)
- Creative Europe Participating Countries:
- be established in one of the countries participating fully in the MEDIA strand of the Creative Europe Programme and be owned directly or indirectly, wholly or by majority participation, by nationals from such countries. When a company is publicly listed, the location of the stock exchange will in principle determine its nationality
- be European video game production companies, XR studios or audiovisual production companies
- the coordinator must demonstrate recent experience in producing internationally distributed works.
A European video game production company, XR studio or audiovisual production company is a company whose main objective and activity is video game production/development, (entertainment) software development or audiovisual production (or equivalent). Publishing companies are not eligible applicants.
Coordinator with recent experience in producing internationally distributed works — The coordinator must prove that it has produced or developed a video game or (interactive or non-interactive) immersive experience that has been commercially distributed in the period between 01/01/2022 and the deadline for submission of applications. Work for-hire, i.e. projects for which the development or production work was subcontracted to the coordinator by another company, is not eligible, nor are projects on which a member of the coordinating company has a personal credit.
Early Access works are not eligible either because they are not completed works yet and are still being developed. To prove the commercial distribution of the previous work, the coordinator must be able to provide a relevant sales report showing sales in the period between 01/01/2022 and the date of the deadline for submission.
The coordinator must provide the requested information about the previous work in the dedicated section of the application. In case the previous work in the application does not respect the eligibility criteria, the application will be ineligible even if the coordinator is able to provide information on other previous works that respect the eligibility criteria.
Consortium composition:
Applications by single applicants are allowed (single beneficiaries; affiliated entities are allowed, if needed), as well as proposals submitted by a consortium of at least 2 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities).
Eligible activities:
Only activities related to the concept development (pre-production) phase of narrative video games and interactive narrative immersive experiences, regardless of platform or expected distribution method, are eligible. The concept development (preproduction) phase is understood as the phase starting from the first idea until the delivery of the first prototype.
In order to be considered narrative, the story must be told or shown throughout the whole game (in-game storytelling) or interactive immersive experience, and not only as an introduction or an ending.
In all cases, the work must be intended for commercial exploitation.
The coordinator or, in case the application is submitted by a consortium, (one of) the eligible partner(s) must own the majority of the rights related to the project. No later than on the day of the deadline for submission of applications, the coordinator or, in case the application is submitted by a consortium, (one of) the eligible partner(s) must have a duly dated and signed contract11 covering the rights to the artistic material included in the application. If the project is an adaptation of an existing work (literary, audiovisual, comic book, etc.), the coordinator or, in case the application is submitted by a consortium, (one of) the eligible partner(s) must also hold the majority of the rights relating to the rights of adaptation to this work with an option agreement or transfer of rights contract duly dated and signed.
Projects must comply with EU policy interests and priorities.
Financial support to third parties is not allowed.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Organisation of European Programmes & Cultural Relations
Νenant Μbogntanovitz
Business Planning Coordinator
Address: Ifigenias 27, 2007 Acropolis, Nicosia
Telephone: +357 7000 1300
Email: info@epcr.org.cy/ nb@epcr.org.cy