The Malta Digital Games Fund aims to provide young developers with access to financial support and the opportunity to showcase their artistic and technical skills. The fund forms part of Arts Council Malta’s development funding portfolio

The programme
The programme aims to encourage the creation of digital games by small companies, small teams and groups of individuals based in Malta, support Malta-based creative talent that demonstrates long-term potential, strengthen digital games as a cultural product and promote Malta as a hub for digital design and innovation. The programme shall be managed in two phases as explained further down and in the Fund Guidelines.

What Digital Games will be funded?
The fund will support casual games on mobiles, online, PC, social and short-form console games and browser games.

Who can apply?
The Grant is open to small companies and groups of individuals.

Companies must be registered in Malta under the MFSA Act. 

Groups of Individuals should be based in Malta and have at least one member being a Maltese citizens or be in possession of a Malta residence permit or of a Maltese citizenship certificate or of a Maltese passport.

Selection criteria

Criterion 1 : Innovation & Creativity
Criterion 2:  Aesthetic content & Storyline
Criterion 3:  Audience Engagement
Criterion 4: Feasibility in the set time-frame
Criterion 5: Capability of the Team
Criterion 6: Financial Plan
Criterion 7: Market Potential

After you apply
Proposals will first be screened in terms of eligibility. Proposals that are not eligible in terms of the procedure stipulated by the guidelines and the application form will not be processed further and will not undergo evaluation.

Eligible applications will be evaluated by an independent evaluation board. A pitching session will be organised for all applicants. Successful projects shall be awarded funding as follows:

Phase 1:  Development of a Game Slice
The grant requested/awarded for Phase 1 shall not exceed €10,000 and should be used towards the development of a playable Game Slice and obtaining age classification rating.  At the end of Phase 1, all Game Slices will be pitched in a competition with the best game proceeding to Phase 2.

Phase 2: Development of a complete Digital Game
The winning game shall be awarded a grant of up to €35,000 for the continuation of the development of the game with the aim of producing a complete game. The remaining participants of the Game Competition may be awarded a grant of up to €2,500 towards marketing the Game Slice for alternative sources of funding (finding potential publishers, sponsors, or putting the game on a crowd-funding platform).

This fund is competitive and will be evaluated according to established criteria. 

The final game competition will be organised in collaboration with the University of Malta during the hosting of the Malta Global Game Jam.