Video games developers with EU funding

The National Research and Development Centre has launched a funding program for R&D carried out by the developers of video games. It aims at popularizing the commercialization of research results. The amount that can be obtained in the first competition is PLN 80 million.

GAMEINN is a program providing funds for research and development (R&D) conducted by video game developers, and it is a response to the needs of affiliated businesses operating in this sector and representative for the sector. The program was launched by the National Research and Development Centre within the OP ID Activity 1.2., and the amount for the aid under the first competition of the GAMEINN program is PLN 80 million.

The aid: For whom and for what purposes?

GAMEINN is based on Regulation No. 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty (GBER Regulation) within the permissible aid for research and development projects. It is recognized that the aid granted under the exemption provided for in GBER Regulation under the law is considered admissible provided it satisfies the requirements laid down in the GBER Regulation. Then there will also be no obligation of prior notification about the aid to the European Commission.

The aid under the GAMEINN aims, among others, at a more effective commercialization of R&D in this sector and will create the possibility for the sector of becoming known outside the national market. Both SMEs and so called large companies can be applicants. Consortia may also apply. The funds within GAMEINN are intended exclusively for R&D activities.

The aid available within GAMEINN can be used for the development of technologies, such as building cross-platform graphics engines, mapping real images, 3D modelling for vast virtual worlds, or the use of artificial intelligence in games. It is not possible to combine industrial research and experimental development within the same task, understood as a separate piece of work carried out under the project.

Applications for funding under GAMEINN can be submitted until August 16, 2016.

Projects with a chance for aid

The project financed within GAMEINN must relate to only one of the topics listed on the competition document: “The scope of the competition”, i.e. in particular including:

• Design in the video games field;
• Platforms, engines and processing techniques;
• Applications of Artificial Intelligence;
• New tools and mechanisms of interaction;
• Digital distribution and multiplayer online games;
• Tools and knowledge supporting the process of games development
• Extension of technology applications and tools to other areas.

The minimum value of eligible costs of the project co-financed within the framework of the competition is: PLN 500,000 The maximum value of the eligible costs of the project co-financed within the framework of the competition is: PLN 20,000,000 The level of funding for the execution of different categories of R&D within the project (intensity of support) are determined by separate regulations.

As part of the aid, it is allowed to increase the level of funding in relation to the project:

– within the so-called effective cooperation between entrepreneurs

Or:

– due to the commitment to the wide dissemination of project results; detailed conditions for the grant of the incentive for the wide dissemination of the results of the project is determined in the “Guidelines for the project selection criteria for Activity 1.2.”.

The applicant can start the project before the adjudication of the competition, provided that the eligible costs may be incurred at the earliest on the day following the date of the application for funding.

If the applicant starts the project execution before this date, all expenses of the project are not longer eligible for the aid. The execution of the project can not go beyond the final date of implementation of the OP ID, i.e. December 31, 2023, and the duration of the project can not exceed three years.

Subcontracting and eligible costs

The entrepreneur may entrust the execution of some of the R&D in the project to a subcontractor. The value of the work carried out on the basis of subcontracting may not exceed:

1) 60% of eligible costs in the case of a project carried out independently by the entrepreneur;

2) 50% of eligible costs – in the case of a project carried out by a consortium of companies.

The eligible costs of R&D projects are allocated to a specific category of research and development activity, and they include, among others:

1. costs of personnel: researchers, technicians and other supporting staff to the extent to which they are employed in the project;
2. costs of instruments and equipment to the extent and for the period in which they are used in the project;
3. costs of buildings (depreciation costs) and land (costs of commercial transfer or actually incurred capital costs) to the extent and for the period in which they are used in the project;
4. costs of research carried out based on an agreement, the knowledge and patents purchased or used under a license granted by external entities under conditions of full competition and costs of consulting and equivalent services used exclusively in the project;

The eligible costs in the case of the feasibility study are the costs of its implementation.

Applications submitted to the National Research and Development Centre involve a lot of – not always pleasant – formalities. However GAMEIN is not the only possibility of obtaining financing for a game. What are the others? We will write about this soon, and those interested are invited to read our previous blog posts regarding the gaming sector – e.g. about what a Central American dictator has in common with a virtual sword