Creative BC | Video Games Early Stage Growth

Description

he Video Games Early Stage Growth Program is designed to support the success and growth of B.C.-based game studios. This pilot program supports new video game companies establishing their foothold in the market, providing them with a strategic boost to enhance their prospects for long-term success.

Aims + Objectives 

• Support B.C.-owned and -controlled companies developing their own creative IP.

 • Help new companies enter and expand into the market and build for long-term growth and sustainability.

 

Applicant Eligibility Applicants must meet the following requirements to apply:

 • Be a for-profit company incorporated in British Columbia or Canada with its head office in British Columbia. Companies extra-provincially registered in B.C. are not eligible. Applicants who are not yet incorporated may still apply, but must incorporate if selected for funding. 

• Be Canadian-owned as defined in the Investment Canada Act and Canadian-controlled as determined for the purposes of Sections 26 to 28 of the Investment Canada Act. 

• The majority of the common interest voting shares of the company must be held by B.C. residents, defined as either a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident who has resided in B.C. for at least 200 of the 365 days prior to application and have filed income tax returns in B.C. for the taxation year prior to the application. • Applicants and any related or associated parties must be in good standing with Creative BC.

 

Funding Eligibility This program is designed for companies with titles in development, and/or no more than one released title (i.e. commercial titles made available for purchase or download through various game publishing platforms). 

Companies with two or more titles are eligible to apply for the Video Games Business Development program. 

If a company qualifies for both programs (see VGBD guidelines), it may only access funding from one Video Games development program per intake year.

 

Eligible Costs At least 75% of total costs must be spent on goods and services sourced from within British Columbia (i.e. paid to B.C.-based individuals, companies, or entities).

 Eligible costs include but are not limited to: 

• Promotion and marketing

 • User acquisition strategies 

• Labour and personnel

 • Technology, content and design 

• Expenses required to put content online or to create applications, including copyright clearance, documentation, design and development 

• Technical and administrative expenses

 • Travel costs (i.e. accommodation, airfare, per diem) to a maximum of 10% of the total allocation

 • Legal, accounting, or other consulting fees 

• Activities to open foreign markets 

• Playtesting for QA and usability

 

Ineligible Costs: The following are not eligible: 

• Any expenses, activity or phase of work that are already directly supported by another Creative BC program 

• Capital projects such as the purchase, renovation or improvement of land and buildings 

• Working capital replenishment, repayment of loans or debt, operating deficits, capital losses and capital buybacks. 

• Any expenses related to the production of content that is not 100% owned and controlled/optioned (or intended to be optioned should the application be successful), by the applicant for a minimum of 12 months.