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The Gamecity Incubator “Games Lift” is a program for students, start-ups, and developers that offers start-up financing, workshops, coaching, and mentoring for the development of concepts for digital games and other games-related services. The next application period for the Games Lift Incubator will be announced after the completion of the first batch in December 2020. Sign up for our monthly newsletter to be up to date in terms of the Games Lift Incubator and all other Gamecity Hamburg activities.
Who can apply for Games Lift?
- Developers and developer associations
- Student teams
- Start-ups and young talent
What are the criteria?
- Max. 5 members per team
- All team members should be available to attend workshops in Hamburg on approx. 2 days per week from September to early December
What do we offer?
Services:
- Workshops and coaching from experienced professionals
- Expense allowance of up to 15,000 euros
- Interdisciplinary networking
- Provided places in a co-working space for 3 months
Professional experts and workshops, e.g. on:
- How to found a company
- Business Development
- Pitch Training
- Financing
- Marketing & Distribution
- Project Management
- ...and many more
Application Process:
1. You can submit your application online. The next application period for the Games Lift Incubator will start in June 2021.
2. Among all valid applications, an awarding committee will select teams who are invited to pitch their projects online.
3. The final decision on which teams enter the games Lift program will be made by the awarding committee right after the pitch.
Downloads
Submit application ↗
FAQ
- Who can apply for the Games Lift Incubator? ↓
Eligible to apply are developers and developer associations, student teams, start-ups, and teams in the process of founding a company. Small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) are also eligible to apply.
Please note:
• Team size should not exceed 5 members per team.
• All team members should be available to attend workshops on approx. 2 days per week for the three-month duration of the Incubator program.
• The precondition is always that the team is already based in Hamburg or can prove that they will relocate their residence to Hamburg or open a subsidiary or branch establishment in Hamburg upon entering the Games Lift Incubator program.- Can I apply if I already receive funding from another source? ↓
If de minimis subsidies are involved, yes, but these may not exceed a total volume of 200,000 Euros in three years from the first subsidy. Other public subsidies that are not subject to the de minimis regulation can be applied independently of this. Gamecity Hamburg must be consulted for a planned accumulation of subsidies for a project supported by Gamecity Hamburg.
If you are already receiving funding through the Gamecity Hamburg Prototype Funding Program, you cannot be granted funding through the Games Lift Incubator at the same time for the same project. If you are applying for the Incubator with one project while being granted the prototype funding for another project, this is generally possible if you can plausibly demonstrate how your team can handle each project and that it does not affect the timing or any other aspects of your prototype funding contract. Please make sure to discuss this in your consultation appointment before applying.- When and how can I apply? ↓
The application round for the first batch of the Games Lift Inkubator has ended on July 27, 2020. The start of the next application round will be announced on the Gamecity Hamburg Discord Server, the Gamecity Hamburg newsletter, on social media and in press announcements.
A detailed document on How to apply for the Games Lift Incubator can be found in the Download section and will take you through the application form step by step.We strongly recommend a consultation appointment before submitting the application. Please contact us at funding@gamecity-hamburg.de to set up an appointment and include the following information:
• Short project outline (max. half a page of text or a slide) of the project
• Background of the team (max. half a page of text or a slide)
• Questions regarding the application- What happens after I submitted my application? ↓
The awarding committee will review all valid applications and invite teams to an online pitch in August. Based on the pitches, the committee will give a recommendation on which five teams will enter the Games Lift Incubator program.