MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
This is a press release posted in addition to our usual editorial content.
Creative England has today announced the launch of three new Accelerator programmes, offering bespoke industry-led support to early-stage businesses in the Games and Film & TV sectors. Delivered through the Creative Enterprise programme, which has been developed with National Lottery funding from the BFI, each Accelerator programme will provide expert insight and guidance to businesses looking to develop and grow.
For Accelerate: Game Developers and Accelerate: Games Tech and Services, Creative England has partnered with UK Games industry trade association Ukie. Both programmes offer business development support to early-stage UK Games businesses, while providing two distinct strands specific to the needs of developers and technology and service companies.
Accelerate: Film & TV offers strategic support and direction to early-stage content makers working in scripted or documentary Film & TV. The programme is specifically designed to address the challenges facing emerging production companies following the market disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing competition between dominant SVOD companies.
Each programme entails a series of six to eight workshops and training delivered by industry leaders over a three month period, while also providing access to one-to-one expert business coaching. With cohorts of 10-15 businesses across each programme, participating companies will have the opportunity to engage with similar businesses, sharing challenges and knowledge, as well as gaining introductions to publishers and potential future partners and clients.
The Accelerator programmes are free to participants and open to businesses from across the UK, with priority being given to those based in the English regions outside of London. Successful applicants will be expected to demonstrate how expert advice and support will enable them to develop their businesses, as well as showing that their work in some way supports or promotes to art, creative and storytelling power of the Games and Film & TV industries.
Participants across Accelerate: Game Developers and Accelerate: Games Tech and Services will also have the opportunity to apply for non-repayable grants of up to £25,000 upon completion of the programmes, to fund business support or research and development. There is also a partnership in place with InGame to support up to six Scottish businesses joining the new Games Accelerator programmes.
Haley Edwards, Programme Manager, Creative Enterprise at Creative England, said: “There is a wealth of emerging talent working in Games and Film & TV across the UK and we believe our new Accelerator programmes provide meaningful support to those ambitious businesses ready to take the next step in their development. Combining expert advice from proven sector leaders with access to industry networks and peers, companies will gain invaluable insights and opportunities to support their growth.”
Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of Ukie, said: “Small businesses make up the majority of companies in the UK games industry, creating brilliant innovative games and high value jobs across the country. Accelerate will provide targeted, hands on practical support to drive growth across some of the brightest companies in our sector.”
The deadline for applications for Accelerate: Games is 1 December 2021; the deadline for applications for Accelerate: Film & TV is 8th December 2021, with both programmes beginning in January 2022.
