The Italian government recently has launched a €4 million (£3.57 million) fund for game developers in a broader effort to provide a healing boost to the nation’s crumbling economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic (via GamesIndustry.biz).
The concept for the grant comes from the Italian Interactive Digital Entertainment Association, although the country’s Ministry of Economic Development will help determine which studios will receive the money. The aim seems to be to assist small businesses and dev teams, rather than larger studios.
Grants of between €10,000 and €200,000 are available to studios with concept and pre-production video games in prototyping, which will cover 50% of eligible expenditure.
While neither grants for video-game developers nor post-COVID stimulus funds are a new concept, it’s interesting to see Italy – which remains one of the worst-hit countries in the world – put so much emphasis on the industry so early on
The Ministry of Economic Development will be involved in the selection process and distribution of these grants, with the goal of helping small businesses and entrepreneurs gain funding “without cumbersome procedures.
The association hopes this fund will lead to the creation of new IPs and successes that can grow small Italian businesses to the point where they can work with international publishers and investors.