.png?width=690&quality=85&format=jpg&auto=webp)
BFI announces recipients of IBD awards, launches new funding stream for UK devs
The BFI has awarded £2.07 million in International Business Development grants across the screen sector, with five UK game studios among the recipients. The grants are non-recoupable and range from £50,000 to £200,000, but the real value is that they’re tied to business plans for international growth, IP development, and go-to-market work rather than just content creation.
The five funded studios are Dlala Studios, Draknek & Friends, Friday Sundae, INCISIV, and Newfangled Games. Their plans include hiring QA, publishing, marketing, community, localisation, and business development staff. Separately, the UK Global Screen Fund has launched a Video Games Release funding stream that can cover marketing, promotion, and localisation costs during release campaigns, with grants up to £50,000 and rolling applications. The fund’s annual budget has also jumped from £7 million to over £18 million for the 2026–2029 plan, which suggests this is becoming a much more serious support channel for...
“The ambition of these companies... is exciting to see”
- what
- BFI announced £2.07 million in IBD awards and launched a new Video Games Release funding stream.
- who
- Recipients include Dlala Studios, Draknek & Friends, Friday Sundae, INCISIV, and Newfangled Games.
- when
- The UKGSF budget increase applies to the 2026–2029 strategic plan; the Challenger award was introduced in April.
- impact
- UK devs can now seek non-recoupable support for hiring, localisation, marketing, publishing, and international sales.
More non-recoupable support for growth and release costs
Follow funding updates
See relevant stories in your personalized news feed.
Discussion