Screen Australia Games Production Fund

Grants of up to $100,000 for original Australian independent games
The game’s total budget must be $500,000 or less at the time of applying
The grant doesn’t need to be repaid
At least 90% of the grant must be spent on development work done in Australia
Applications close 25 February 2027

The Games Production Fund gives flexible funding to Australian independent game developers and studios whose games already have an early prototype. It's designed to support developers at different career stages and help them build a presence in the international games industry.

Applicants choose a significant milestone and explain how the funding will help them reach it. Milestones can include:

• Completing or releasing a game
• An Early Access release
• A public or private demo for events or publisher pitches
• A vertical slice good enough to attract international funding
• A prototype good enough for a major award, showcase, festival or exhibition
• Any other significant goal the applicant defines

Key Requirements

Applicant requirements

Be an incorporated company doing business in Australia, with its central management and control in Australia
Hold an ABN and be registered for GST if required
Control the rights needed to make the game, with a clear chain of title

Project requirements

Be at the pre-production or production stage, with a playable prototype
Be working towards a specific milestone, with a clear plan for tasks, timeline, budget and how the funding will help
Be under the creative control of Australian citizens or permanent residents and mostly developed in Australia. The game doesn’t need an Australian theme or setting
Be made for a digital platform such as PC, mobile, console or VR, with enough interactivity to count as a game

Application limits

Companies can submit one application per round across the Games Production Fund and the Emerging Gamemakers Fund combined
Unsuccessful projects can be resubmitted once to a later round, if the application has been meaningfully updated
After two unsuccessful applications, a project can’t apply to this fund again, though the company can apply with a different game

Projects that combine games with other media, or where interactivity is borderline, should contact Screen Australia before applying. See the Games Production Fund guidelines for full details.

What is eligible for funding?

Funding is mainly expected to cover wages for the people making the game. It can also cover:

Game development software
Creative licensing fees
Business running costs such as accounting, legal fees and digital storefront fees
Hardware needed to finish the game
Marketing, where the milestone is a public release

Games that previously received Emerging Gamemakers Fund support can apply.

Games aren’t eligible if they:

Have already received Games Production Fund or Games: Expansion Pack funding
Are applying to the Emerging Gamemakers Fund in the same round
Aren’t fully digital, such as board games or hybrid physical and digital games
Are based on third-party intellectual property under licence (licences for music, assets or software are fine)
Sit entirely within a third-party platform such as Roblox, UEFN or Meta Horizon Worlds
Are made by teams that include current games students, or that are led by or rely heavily on full-time students
Are business-to-business products, such as training simulations, educational games, research-linked games or middleware
Are mainly advertising, involve gambling, or use exploitative pay-to-win or play-to-earn mechanics
Contain content likely to have trouble getting an Australian classification

What companies are eligible for funding?

Australian incorporated companies, typically independent studios. Sole traders, trusts and public companies can’t apply. Sole traders can consider the Emerging Gamemakers Fund instead.

Is this grant competitive or entitlement based?

Competitive. Your application will be assessed among other applications by a judging panel.

How can I increase my chances of winning this grant?

By engaging a professional government grant writer consultant. Avant Group is Australia’s largest independent grants advisory firm. Find out more about our government grant writing and consulting service here.

How can I get help understanding if I’m eligible for this grant? Or know if I’m likely to win funding?

Avant Group offers a no-obligation assessment of your eligibility for funding and will assess your likelihood of a successful grant application.

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