The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg is funding the development of computer games with 520,000 euros per year from 2020. The funds will initially be made available from 2020 to 2023. gamecity:Hamburg will be responsible for consulting and handling the new games funding. In the second half of 2020, gamecity:Hamburg as part of the Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft will launch a new prototype funding program and, for the first time, an incubator to prepare developers for the challenges of the games industry. gamecity:Hamburg is thus the only location initiative of the games industry in Germany to offer network activities, services and financial support in equal measure.

From this year on, computer game prototypes in Hamburg will be eligible for non-repayable grants of up to 80,000 euros per project. The funding rate is a maximum of 75 percent with an own contribution of at least 25 percent of the eligible costs. Developers and game studios (natural and legal persons) are eligible to apply - from young and small developer studios to established companies that have their headquarters or a permanent office in Hamburg at the start of the funding received. A total of 400,000 euros per year will be made available for the funding of prototypes.

With an incubator tailored to the requirements of the games industry, up to five teams will be supported for three months with mentoring, workshops, work stations and financial assistance of 15,000 euros each. Selected workshops of the incubator are also open to recipients of the prototype funding. The incubator will receive 120,000 euros per year.

Dr. Carsten Brosda, Hamburg’s Minister of Culture and Media: "Hamburg is one of the largest locations for the development and marketing of computer games in Germany. A total of ten private and public educational institutions also train the developers and games specialists of tomorrow. With the new games funding and the incubator, we are giving founders and start-ups an additional motivation to implement their business ideas in Hamburg. At the same time, we are further strengthening the competencies of gamecity:Hamburg with this funding and making this initiative of the Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft the central partner with extensive service offers for the games industry in Hamburg.”

Egbert Rühl, Managing Director Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft: "In recent years, the Kreativ Gesellschaft has both considerably expanded and specialized its range of services. With gamecity:Hamburg and the new tailor-made support program we can now offer the games industry, which is so important for Hamburg, the necessary support. The strategy of expanding the Kreativ Gesellschaft as the central institution for Hamburg's creative industry and combining designxport, nextMedia, gamecity and the Cross Innovation Hub here is a success. Comprehensive competence, strong synergies and sustainability are the proof of this.”

Dennis Schoubye, Project Lead gamecity:Hamburg: "With the introduction of the new prototype funding in combination with an incubator, we can support game developers on several levels and for this, we will activate the strong network of successful game studios in Hamburg. The incubator is just one format in our overall strategy to promote the knowledge exchange between companies and young talents in Hamburg. With the incubator, we aim to provide active and tailor-made support to young teams of developers in the development of concepts with high market potential.”

Hamburg is supporting the development of computer games regardless of the expected German age rating by the “USK”. gamecity:Hamburg and the new games funding understand games equally as an economic factor and cultural asset, which definitely can also be designed for an adult target group.

We will publish further information on games funding and the first submission deadline in March 2020.

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