Screen Australia

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Games Festivals and Events Fund

The Games Festivals and Events Fund supports the production, facilitation, and presentation of Australian games festivals and events that significantly benefit the Australian gamemaking community. The grant provides funding for festivals, conferences, workshops, and events that offer opportunities for showcasing, networking, speaking, and community building for Australian gamemakers.

Due to the limited nature of Games funding at Screen Australia, applicants are required to discuss the vision, scope, and outcome of their proposed event and confirm funding availability with a member of the Screen Australia games team. Contact the Program Operations team if you are unsure of who to speak with on 1800 507 901 or [email protected].   

Aims

The aim of this program is to support events that have clear benefits for the Australian games industry, that are timely and relevant to the state of gamemaking in Australia.

WHAT Funding is Available?

  • Applications may be made for a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $100,000. 
  • It is expected that events supported through this fund generally take place within Australia; however, if your event is to be staged internationally and would have significant benefits for Australian gamemakers, please raise this in your initial conversation with Screen Australia.

WhO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?

  • Organisations holding either public-facing or industry events aimed at elevating Australian games and/or gamemakers. 
  • Applicants must apply as an Australian company. Individual applicants or sole traders are not eligible to apply. You will need to read our Terms of Trade to ensure your company is eligible for Screen Australia funding.
  • This program is intended to support events and festivals of scale. As such, individual game launch events are not eligible to apply.
  • All applicants and projects must also meet the eligibility criteria under Screen Australia’s Terms of Trade.

Who is Not Eligible to Apply?

  • Events solely showcasing games that are not played on a digital device with a screen. That is, games that are not completely digital, including boardgames or hybrid digital/physical games.

  • Applications for the sole purpose of funding travel to domestic or international events are not supported through this fund. In the case of an international event, the funding must be used on the event itself (not associated travel).

  •  Events that showcase or feature games that:

  • constitute gambling activities or are gambling simulations

  • feature or link exploitative, or unethical pay-to-win or play-to-earn mechanics

  •  contain or have a relationship to high risk and volatile trading products or technology

  • contain [or link] any content or mechanic that is in breach of any law or regulation

  • are primarily for educational, training and simulation, or research purposes

  • in the reasonable opinion of Screen Australia, may have difficulties receiving an Australian classification, due to the inclusion of content such as:

  • the instruction or promotion of crime, cruelty or violence; depictions of frequent and/or very high impact violence 
  • sexual activity; sexual violence; exploitative depictions 
  • instructional illicit drug use; encouragement of illicit drug use; illicit interactive drug use 
  • any other content that contravenes prevailing community standards 

How to APPLY? 

First, please speak to a member of the Screen Australia games team by emailing  [email protected]

Then, applications can be made via the SmartyGrants application portal at least four months prior to the starting date of the activity. As part of your application, you will need to submit the following information and supporting materials:  

  • fully completed application form including contact details and confirmation of eligibility
  • a proposal document or activity plan that, at minimum, outlines:
  • the goals for the event and how they reflect the assessment criteria
  • the intended audience of the event
  • a clear timeline, including announcement date, the date tickets are on sale (if the event is ticketed), and date of the event
  • the venue, including a Letter of Confirmation from the venue, if applicable
  • overview of the team organising the event
  • intended outcomes and KPIs (should be quantifiable)

  •  a detailed budget that addresses all components of the proposed project including any co-contribution from the applicant or proposed partners

Assessment Process and Criteria

The Program Operations team will review each application to determine eligibility and ensure that required application materials have been provided. Once eligibility has been confirmed, the applicant will receive an email advising that their application has moved to assessment and an estimated timeframe of the outcome notification.

Screen Australia executives and/or industry specialists will assess all applications against the aims and assessment criteria of the Games Festivals and Events program and the strengths and capabilities of the applicant entity. 

Assessment Criteria:

  • Impact
  • The proposed activity either connects Australian gamemakers to each other and the wider industry (including internationally), informs, and/or showcases Australian games and/or gamemakers
  • The proposed activity has clear benefits to the reputation of the Australian games industry (domestically and/or internationally) 
  • The proposed activity is timely and relevant to the state of gamemaking in Australia
  • Viability
  • The strength of the supplied budget, including appropriate creative practitioner and/or speaker fees
  • The level of contributions or support from other partners or sources
  • The timeline is clear and feasible given the scope and scale of the proposed activity 
  • The experience of the applicant company and core team is suitable to successfully execute the proposed activity 
  • Value Alignment
  • The alignment of the event with Screen Australia’s strategic goals and vision
  • The alignment of the application with the diversity, equity, and inclusion aims of Screen Australia

Applicants will be informed of the outcome within four-to-six weeks of an application being made eligible.

We aim to make the application and assessment processes as transparent as possible, but given the volume of applications we receive, we may not have the resources to provide feedback on each proposal.

TERMS OF FUNDING

If you are successful with your application, you will need to enter into a Screen Australia grant agreement with specific non-negotiable core conditions.

Funding will be in the form of a non-recoupable grant.

If you have any questions after reviewing these guidelines and the application form, please contact Program Operations on 1800 507 901 or via email at [email protected]. Please note that we are unable to provide creative advice or suggestions to strengthen your application.