Stephen Brenish
Public money for games exists in more places than most developers realize, but it is scattered across national film institutes, provincial agencies, tax authorities and engine makers, each with its own rules. This directory pulls 22 of the most useful programs into one place, with what each one funds, how much, who can apply and when.
Every entry was checked against the official program page or the funder’s own announcements in October 2026. Filter by region, type and stage, or search for your engine or province.
Epic MegaGrants
- Funds
- Projects built with Unreal Engine, plus open-source 3D graphics tools and education.
- Who can apply
- Individuals, teams and companies anywhere that use Unreal Engine or contribute to the open-source 3D ecosystem.
- Timing
- Two cycles a year. 2026: Cycle 1 ran Jan 12 to Mar 20 (notices Jun 15 to 19); Cycle 2 ran Jun 29 to Sep 4 (notices Dec 7 to 11).
Unity for Humanity Grant
- Funds
- Real-time 3D projects tackling social and environmental issues aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Who can apply
- Creators worldwide building with Unity.
- Timing
- Annual call. The 2026 call closed Feb 20, 2026 and winners have been announced.
UK Games Fund: Content Fund
- Funds
- Equity-free grants for commercial games-for-entertainment content.
- Who can apply
- UK-based studios.
- Timing
- Expressions of interest open.
UK Games Fund: Prototype and Starter funds
- Funds
- Equity-free support for early prototypes and first projects. Prototype rounds have run regularly since 2015.
- Who can apply
- UK-based developers and new studios.
- Timing
- Periodic rounds; check the fund's site for the current round.
Video Games Expenditure Credit (VGEC)
- Funds
- Design, production and testing costs of games intended for public release.
- Who can apply
- UK companies whose game is certified British by the BFI, with at least 10% of core costs relating to UK activity.
- Timing
- Claimed through the corporation tax return. Games starting from Apr 1, 2025 must use VGEC; the old relief (VGTR) closes Apr 1, 2027.
Creative Europe MEDIA: Video Games and Immersive Content Development
- Funds
- Development of narrative video games and immersive content with international potential.
- Who can apply
- Companies established in countries taking part in Creative Europe MEDIA. From 2026, one application per coordinator.
- Timing
- Annual call. The 2026 deadline was Feb 11, 2026; the next call usually opens late in the year with an early-year deadline.
Digital Games Tax Credit (Section 481A)
- Funds
- Design, production and testing of games. Extended in 2026 to post-release content for up to three years.
- Who can apply
- Irish-resident companies, or EEA companies trading in Ireland through a branch, with qualifying spend of at least €100,000 and a cultural certificate.
- Timing
- Ongoing; requires a cultural certificate from the Minister.
Video Game Tax Credit (CIJV)
- Funds
- Creation and development expenses for approved games. Available for expenses incurred until Dec 31, 2031.
- Who can apply
- Companies subject to French corporation tax, with a development budget of at least €100,000 and CNC approval.
- Timing
- Ongoing; starts with provisional approval from the CNC.
Video Game Aid Fund (FAJV)
- Funds
- Writing, pre-production and production of games produced in France.
- Who can apply
- Studios established in France.
- Timing
- Several committee sessions a year (2026 sessions included March 30 and June 29).
Federal Games Funding (Games-Förderung des Bundes)
- Funds
- Prototypes and production of games, including personnel, licenses, testing, community management, marketing and trade fairs.
- Who can apply
- Games companies in Germany. A draft consultation with the DLR project manager comes before the application.
- Timing
- Open call since Aug 1, 2025, with about €125 million available in 2026.
Game development and launch funding
- Funds
- Development, launch and marketing of Norwegian games.
- Who can apply
- Norwegian game companies.
- Timing
- Funding rounds through the year. The first 2026 round awarded NOK 18.6 million to 12 projects.
Games Scheme (Spilordningen)
- Funds
- Concept development, project development and production of Danish games.
- Who can apply
- Danish game developers.
- Timing
- Application rounds through the year.
Prototyping Program
- Funds
- Early-stage builds that demonstrate a product's intended functionality and design.
- Who can apply
- Canadian-owned and controlled companies; see the CMF guidelines.
- Timing
- Final closing date: Nov 10, 2026.
Innovation and Experimentation Program
- Funds
- Production of innovative interactive projects, including games, beyond the prototype stage.
- Who can apply
- Canadian-owned and controlled companies; see the CMF guidelines.
- Timing
- Two windows in 2026 (Apr 10 to 21 and Aug 25 to Sep 15), both closed.
Video Games Business Development Program
- Funds
- Business development for British Columbia video game studios.
- Who can apply
- Studios based in British Columbia.
- Timing
- 2026 window ran Aug 21 to Sep 28 (closed).
Interactive Digital Media Fund
- Funds
- Concept definition and production of interactive digital media, including games.
- Who can apply
- Ontario-based interactive digital media companies.
- Timing
- Set intake deadlines each year; check Ontario Creates.
Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit (OIDMTC)
- Funds
- Development of interactive digital media products, including games.
- Who can apply
- Ontario corporations that develop eligible products.
- Timing
- Claimed after certification by Ontario Creates.
Tax Credit for the Production of Multimedia Titles
- Funds
- Labour costs of producing multimedia titles, including video games.
- Who can apply
- Qualified Quebec corporations certified by Investissement Québec.
- Timing
- Claimed annually with the corporate tax return.
Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit
- Funds
- Labour for developing interactive digital media products, including games.
- Who can apply
- Corporations with a permanent establishment in British Columbia.
- Timing
- Permanent; claimed annually.
Digital Games Tax Offset (DGTO)
- Funds
- New games, porting to new platforms, and ongoing development of released games.
- Who can apply
- Australian companies, or foreign companies with an Australian permanent establishment, with an ABN and a certificate from the Minister for the Arts.
- Timing
- Ongoing; completion, porting or ongoing-development certificates.
Game Development Sector Rebate (GDSR)
- Funds
- Game development expenditure incurred in New Zealand.
- Who can apply
- NZ-resident businesses, or foreign businesses with an NZ permanent establishment, that have an NZ company number.
- Timing
- Annual. 2026: registration Jan 20 to Feb 27, applications Apr 1 to May 15.
Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program
- Funds
- Texas wages and in-state spending on games for PC, console, mobile, browser, handheld and arcade.
- Who can apply
- At least 35% of paid employees and contractors are Texas residents and at least 60% of production happens in Texas.
- Timing
- Applications accepted on a rolling basis; check the commission's guidelines.
No programs match those filters. Try a wider region or stage.
Every program was checked against its official page or the funder's announcements on 2026-10-06. Amounts, windows and rules change; confirm on the official page before you apply. Currency is local to each program.
Grants, tax credits and rebates: which is which
Grants are competitive. You apply, a panel or program officer assesses your project against the funder’s goals, and successful applicants receive funding, often in stages tied to milestones. The UK Games Fund, Canada Media Fund, Creative Europe MEDIA, the CNC’s FAJV, Germany’s federal games funding and Epic MegaGrants all work this way.
Tax credits and rebates are rules-based. If your company and your spending qualify, you claim a percentage of what you spent, usually after the fact through your tax return or a rebate application. The UK’s VGEC, Ireland’s Section 481A credit, France’s CIJV, the Canadian provincial credits, Australia’s Digital Games Tax Offset and New Zealand’s GDSR are in this group. They reward real spending in the country, so they do not help before you have money to spend, but they can be the largest source of public funding over a full production.
Many studios stack the two. Most programs cap the share of a project that public money can cover: Ontario Creates funds up to 50% of Ontario costs, Creative Europe up to 60% of eligible costs, and the CNC caps its fund at 50%. Every program asks you to disclose other public funding.
How to read eligibility
Three questions decide most of it.
- Where is your company based, and who controls it? Almost every public program is tied to a country, province or state, and some require local ownership and control as well as a local address.
- What stage are you at? Prototype and development funds (such as the CMF Prototyping Program or Ontario’s Concept Definition stream) need a different pitch from production funds, and tax credits only pay on money actually spent.
- Is there a cultural or content test? The UK credit requires certification as British by the BFI, Ireland’s requires a cultural certificate, and funds like Creative Europe look for cultural and cross-border value. Engine grants check what you are building with.
What open right now looks like
As of early October 2026: the Canada Media Fund Prototyping Program has a final closing date of November 10, 2026; the UK Games Fund is taking expressions of interest for its Content Fund; and Germany’s federal games funding call is open, with about €125 million available in 2026. Epic MegaGrants is between cycles, with 2026’s second-cycle decisions due December 7 to 11. Tax credits such as the UK VGEC, Ireland’s Section 481A and Australia’s DGTO are always available to qualifying studios.
Before you apply
A grant application is a production plan, a budget and an argument that your project fits the funder’s goals. Our step-by-step guide on how to apply for a game development grant covers how to write each part. Two tools help with the numbers reviewers check hardest: the indie game budget calculator for a costed plan, and the game development schedule planner for milestones a reviewer can believe.