UK Games Fund — Starter Fund

What it is

Grants of £20,000 for newly formed UK games studios building their own-IP first game — solo developers with commercial experience, early-stage graduate companies and early-stage startups; currently between rounds (May 2026 window closed, next round unannounced).

⚠️ ingest normalisation 2026-08-21: games-only fund — heavy confirmed-games preferred rule added (wizard has no games question yet, so unconfirmed tech/creative businesses honestly score ~58%, never 100%). Verified 2026-08-21 on starterfund.ukgamesfund.com: £20,000 per applicant for own-IP development; three routes — solo developers with commercial experience (plus contractor teams), early-stage university graduate companies, early-stage startups needing audience validation; Tranzfuser teams without prior Prototype Fund grants may apply via the Head Start Pathway only; previously UKGF-funded companies are NOT eligible. Currently CLOSED for new applications ('We will be in touch with all applicants soon') — timeline on page: May 2026 applications, Jun–Jul review, Aug–Sep selection, Oct 2026 fund commences, Jan 2027 second tranche. Next window unannounced (annual cycle); rolling:true is the between-rounds convention, not an open route. Games-only restriction is a proxy via creative/technology sector — the wizard has no games question. ⚠️ Overlaps existing seed row uk-games-fund (combined Content/Prototype/Starter) — merge or supersede before ingest to avoid double-listing.