Video Games: Innovation

(asked on 20th February 2023) - View Source

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what programmes and grants exist to support innovation in UK games studios.


Answered by
Julia Lopez Portrait
Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This question was answered on 27th February 2023

As part of a wider package to support the growth of the creative industries, the Government is committed to supporting the UK’s video game sector which brings economic, cultural and social benefits across the UK.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has committed to an £8 million expansion of the UK Games Fund (UKGF) (2022-25). The UKGF provides grants to support new intellectual property (IP) and talent development in the UK games sector. Its Tranzfuser programme supports graduates across the UK to develop valuable business skills. Games companies making interactive narrative games can access the International Business Development strand of the £21 million UK Global Screen Fund which provides financial support for business strategies that drive growth, as well as intellectual property support.

In addition, DCMS is delivering a £17.5 million Create Growth Programme which supports high-growth creative businesses, including games companies, to access finance across six regions in England outside of London to reach their growth potential.

The Government is also investing over £100 million to support innovation in the creative industries. This includes the £75.6 million Convergent Screen Technologies and Performance in RealTime (CoSTAR) programme to build a new national R&D infrastructure for the screen industries and the £30 million Creative Catalyst Programme to fund small and micro creative businesses to innovate.

The Government will set out interventions to support skills and workforce development in the upcoming Creative Industries Sector Vision. The Government is building a skills system that is employer-focused, high-quality, and fit for the future. This includes supporting more people to complete an apprenticeship, including the Level 7 game programmer standard, or a Higher Technical Qualification, rolling out more T Levels, and establishing our network of 21 Institutes of Technology. We are also expanding our Skills Bootcamps in 2024 and are considering how games and other creative sectors can best make use of these.

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