This year, Gamecity Hamburg is offering €400,000 of prototype funding for games. Applications are open until 30 March. Eligible applicants include founders, start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) registered in Hamburg.
From 23 February to 30 March, founders, start-ups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can apply for Prototype Funding from GameCity Hamburg. Successful applicants can receive up to €80,000 for the development of digital games. This funding is non-repayable. Gamecity Hamburg, which is part of Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft, is providing game developers with a total of €400,000 in Prototype Funding on behalf of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Karsten Schwaiger, Head of the Media and Digital Economy Department at the Hamburg Ministry of Culture and Media, has joined the Awarding Committee.
"Since 2020, Gamecity Hamburg's Prototype Funding Program has been a reliable and important source of financing for developers in Hamburg. In this funding round, our Awarding Committee is once again determined to select teams and games with high market potential. We are impressed by the quality of the applications in recent funding rounds, which underscore Hamburg's status as a games location," explains Dennis Schoubye, head of Gamecity Hamburg.
Eligible applicants for Prototype Funding include developers and developer communities, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in Hamburg, or those relocating their headquarters or opening a branch/business premises in Hamburg. Applicants must consult with Gamecity Hamburg at least two weeks before the submission deadline to prepare for the application process (see FAQs).
The Awarding Committee comprises Valentina Birke (Director of Indie Arena Booth), Jonas Hüsges (COO of Daedalic Entertainment), Nina Müller (Goodgame Studios' VP of Publishing & Development Services), Michael Schade (CEO and Co-Founder of Rockfish Games), Karsten Schwaiger (Head of the Hamburg Ministry of Culture and Media's Media and Digital Economy division) and Dennis Schoubye (Head of Gamecity Hamburg). After the application phase ends, the Awarding Committee will decide on the allocation of funding, meeting on 27 April to review the applications and subsequently hearing pitches from selected applicants on 6 May.
Several recipients of Prototype Funding have recently published games funded by Gamecity Hamburg, including Octofox Games with Wild Woods, Tiny Roar with Into the Emberlands, and Best Jack Entertainment with the Skatfreunde app.
