IGDA Finland and fresh devs
We’ve been working with and for the community that the Finnish game industry has and is for over two decades through our monthly Meetups for people, collaborations ranging from the Finnish Game Awards to the Finnish Game Jam and organising seminars/events (Leadership Day anyone?) to share knowledge.
Now the next step is here with the IGDA Finland Grant!
We’ve all been there, in the beginning, as you are about to take a dive into the deep waters that game development is. The difference is that now we have a chance to do something to help those first forays of fresh devs and their games into the industry.
So that’s what we’re doing.
A bold new step
This is the first time we’re doing anything like this and we’re going full in, which is exciting but it is also a little scary.
As mentioned, we’re doing this with and for the community. The people behind this are both old and new faces within the industry/community and we made this together from many different perspectives in mind. This is the first iteration and we wanted to make it count: this full package of industry feedback, visibility, guidance, marketing and a little nest egg will guide you to a port called "Released Games".
We hope to get as much feedback as possible because we are doing this with you and the whole community is a part of this. And as we want this to grow and happen again, we need the help of all of you so that we can make it grow, yeah? So please hit us up with any and all feedback at grant@igda.fi.
Other than that, let’s hoist the sails and get out there! ⛵
If you’re wondering something, remember to check the FAQ at the bottom!
Sponsors
We are in an incredibly fortunate position that we have studios in Finland who want to be a part of something like this.
With this first run we are collaborating with Supercell, one of our longtime partners. Just like us, they believe in investing in the future of this community and our industry.
A massive thank you for helping us make this possible!
WHO CAN APPLY
If you’ve a game cooking, it’s more than likely that you can apply, there are only some restrictions below. If you don’t tick those below boxes, carry on reading!
WHO CAN’T APPLY
Teams with:
IGDA Finland Board members
This includes partners or family members of IGDA Finland Board members.
A publishing contract
You've already made it if you've a publisher to support you, so no need for the Grant.
A published game with existing revenue of 5 000€ or more per person in the team
You're not cooking, you’re already serving in this case, so no need for the the Grant.
REQUIREMENTS
A company with a Business ID (y-tunnus)
Giving money to a private person is difficult and it sets a small barrier so that only those who are serious about it will apply.
A vertical slice/demo
This is for games that are closer to finishing than not, thus a vertical slice/demo is mandatory to show that the game is far enough.
A solid Pitch Deck
This alongside the vertical slice/demo will be our initial consideration if the game goes forward.
A credible Game Design Document
This will be reviewed after we’ve seen the Pitch Deck and the demo, to see that the team has a clear vision and really knows what they're doing.
A realistic schedule
We want games that have a believable timeframe for completion, with the release an absolute maximum of 12 months from being chosen.
A strong team
We want to know about each team member: expertise, experience, role in the team & their portfolio/github/artstation.
IGDA Finland membership
At least 50% (rounded up) of the team has to be members of IGDA Finland.
GRANT
NOTE
The idea of the Grant is to be more than just money, the idea is to embed the studio and the game within the community. From visibility to support, from expert feedback to post-launch marketing. Instead of trying to amass a large sum to give, we decided to make a more comprehensive package to help the chosen devs/teams with.
💰 The Grant money itself
For the first ever IGDA Finland Grant, we are starting with a smaller sum because we want to bring more to the table: we aim to give full support to the chosen devs, which means connections within the industry, expert feedback on the game, visibility and marketing.
The Grant money is 5 000 €.
We will keep the possibility open for more sponsors to join us before July.
As they say, the more the merrier!
🧡 Support from IGDA Finland
Fast lane to present your game at each hub
The dev/team gets priority to go and speak about/present their game at our Meetups across our 15 hubs. This is not only great visibility for the game and the dev/team but also a wonderful way of getting feedback and to grow your network.
Feedback from industry veterans
Halfway through the project there will be a day of feedback by industry experts from the studios that we collaborate with to give the team honest and constructive feedback.
When the game is released, a marketing push from IGDA Finland
We will market the game in our social media/our website/our Meetups across Finland. We're rooting for them and want to see them succeed after all!
Who knows, maybe even getting the Global IGDA to market the game internationally?
GIVING BACK
Once a certain threshold of revenue is reached, you agree to sponsor future IGDA Grants for the sum that you received
We want to put the good forward: Once the company has made enough revenue to operate they will sponsor IGDA Finland so we'll have money for future IGDA Grants.:
When the following threshold of revenue is reached:
5 000 € in revenue per person in the team
- Become an IGDA Finland Studio Affiliate
[3 x the Grant sum] in revenue per person in the team
- Sponsor future Grants for 50% of the sum that you received
- In this case, once 3 x 5 000€ = 15 000€ in revenue per person in the team has been reached
[6 x the Grant sum] in revenue per person in the team
- Sponsor future Grants for the remaining 50% of the sum that you received
- In this case, once 6 x 5 000€ = 30 000€ in revenue per person in the team has been reached
Add IGDA Finland logo to the splash screen
Representation goes both ways. We push the dev/team up and forward, they fly our colours.
TIME FRAME
MARCH 1st
Releasing our first IGDA Finland Grant!
The application period has started, the online form is open and you can now apply!
JUNE 1st
End of the application period.
We close the form and start going through the applicants.
JULY 1st
The jury will choose who gets the Grant, we will contact the devs/team and go public with it on social media/our website/Meetups.
THE JURY
With multidisciplinary expertise and years of experience in the industry, the Board will be going through the applications and voting to find the best team to get the Grant. On top of the Board, the Board Advisors bring even more experience and knowledge to the table to cover as many bases as possible.
FAQ
Does the company need to be registered already when the application is submitted, or can it wait until a possible positive decision has been received?
Yes, there has to be a company with an active Business ID (y-tunnus) when applying.
What if there is a conflict of interest, for example, one of the jury members has been or currently is a teacher of a team or some of the people in the team?
In this case that member of the jury will abstain from voting for that particular team.
What if our game doesn’t reach the required amount of revenue?
Don’t worry! You will not be liable to pay back anything if revenue thresholds are not met.
Does this count towards my company’s de minimis?
This is not a governmental grant, so no, it will not count towards your de minimis.
If a team acquires a publishing contract after applying but before the selection process is completed, does this disqualify them?
If you are in the middle of publishing deal discussions, we assume you will inform us of this in your Pitch Deck/GDD.
Do I have to produce receipts of how we spend the money?
Absolutely not.
I have a great idea for a game, can I use the Grant to get started?
Hey, that’s great to hear but unfortunately, the Grant is meant for games that are already well underway, not for those that are at the idea stage. No demo, no Grant.
What if we have team members who are members of other IGDA Chapters than IGDA Finland, does that count towards the 50% membership rule?
This is a Grant for the Finnish game industry and community by the Finnish game industry and community, therefor the rule applies only to IGDA Finland memberships.
Will the grant be given to only one team/dev?
As this is our first Grant we are giving it out to one dev team. It will go to a legal entity (with a valid Business ID/y-tunnus), not to an individual person.
Does the application require on-location participation? If so, where and when?
No.
The only on-location that is requested (by at least part of the team) is once a game project is chosen:
- When we make a public announcement of it
- When we organise the feedback mentorship evening
- When the game is released
If you have any feedback or questions, please contact us at: grant@igda.fi
Volunteers of IGDA Finland Grant
Project Lead
JJ Häll
Design / Graphics
Sabine M. Heyne, Venni Kauppila, Tanja Heikkinen & Pihla Kuhlman
Communications/Website
Emma Vantaa
Communications Aide
Niko Pyrhönen
Video Editing
Kristófer Knutsen
The Noun Project
Lastspark