Open Call Game Sector Professionalisation and Practice Development

With this open call, the Creative Industries Fund NL is offering game professionals, game studios and collectives in the Netherlands and the Dutch Caribbean the opportunity to strengthen and future-proof their practice.

The call focusses on reflection, positioning and development, with an emphasis on issues or themes specifically related to the game sector, such as sustainable revenue models, scaling up games for a wider audience, collaborations between junior and senior professionals and the influence of technological developments, like AI, on work processes and roles within the industry. With this call, the Fund is encouraging both individuals and collectives who contribute to the development of the sector.

This open call is for game designers, game developers, independent makers, small or medium-sized game studios and temporary or established collectives within the Dutch game sector.

Applications may be submitted by:

• individual makers or studios with an independent practice in the game industry
• temporary or established collectives, set up around a shared issue or development goal
  

Applicants must be able to demonstrate, in a CV and/or portfolio, that they have at least three years’ professional experience within the game sector, for example at various studios or through projects. If you are an individual applicant, you have to provide a recent extract from the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) that shows that you are registered as an independent entrepreneur. For collectives, all makers involved or studios have to demonstrate that they are registered as an independent legal person.

The call offers scope for game professionals to set up processes to work on shared issues, exchange knowledge and experiences and explore new strategic or creative set-ups.

Applications may focus on various forms of professionalisation, including:

• gaining a further understanding of working methods by means of coaching or knowledge sharing;

• investigating new collaboration set-ups;

• developing or refining revenue models and strategic plans for scaling up or visibility;

• repositioning your practice or studio within the domestic and international game sector

• developing a long-term collective vision or strategy, for example within a cooperative venture or a network of smaller studios;

• strengthening the commercial side of the studio, such as business operations or publishing strategies;

• exploring the impact of technological developments, such as AI, on the division of roles, working methods or creative processes.

The following will not be funded:

• the direct development or production of new games, prototypes or other commercial end products;
• regular business operations or recurrent expenses, such as studio rent, maintenance or software licences;
• standard marketing activities and corporate identity development which are not part of a strategic professionalisation process;
• legal advice;
• financing current activities.

This open call is open to both individual game professionals and studios, but also for collective processes where several parties work together on shared issues. We distinguish two categories:

1. Individual applications, including studios

• aimed at one independent game professional or one game studio
• the maximum amount to apply for: € 10,000
• the applicant is an independent entrepreneur or a studio with legal personality who has been professionally active in the game industry for at least three years.

2. Collective applications

• aimed at cooperative projects between several independent professionals or studios that together focus on a shared professionalisation issue
• the maximum amount to apply for: € 25,000 per collective application
• one of the participants acts as the lead applicant / coordinator The collaboration is set out in a collaboration agreement

In order to prepare the application, it is important to acquire the right information based on the following documents:

Open Call Game Sector Professionalisation and Practice Development

Applications are assessed on the basis of the Open Call Game Sector Professionalisation and Practice Development, which describes the reason and objective, design challenges, phases, criteria and procedures.

Open Call Grant Scheme

Applications are also assessed on the basis of the Open Call Grant Scheme, which describes the general conditions, grounds for rejection, manner of publication, submission procedure, assessment, the award and any grant obligations.

Applications will be assessed on the basis of the Open Call for Professionalisation and Practice Development in the Games Sector and the Open Call Grant Scheme.

assessment criteria

1. the astuteness of the reflection on the development of your own practice up to now and how this step could be of added value to a more future-proof practice
2. the quality of the plan of action in relation to the intended result
3. the artistic quality of the portfolio
4. the quality of the contribution of the advisers/mentors/coach involved

acceptance

When you have submitted your application, the Fund will check if your application complies with the formal requirements of the Open Call Grant Scheme.

assessment

An independent advisory committee will assess your application on the basis of the Open Call Grant Scheme and the Open Call Game Sector Professionalisation and Practice Development. The committee advises the Fund’s Board.

decision

The Board takes account of the committee’s advice in its decision on the rejection or provision of the grant. You will be notified about the result in a decision.

accountability

If you receive a grant from the Fund, then you will have to comply with the obligations. Two weeks before the conclusion of your project, you will be asked by email to submit your accountability form in the application environment.

Open Call Game Sector Professionalisation and Practice Development
Open Call Grant Scheme
Budget and Funding Plan Template