IGDA Foundation launches Diverse Game Developers Fund
The grant will distribute $300,000 to marginalised developers
The IGDA Foundation announced the launch of its Diverse Game Developers Fund, a $300,000 grant for marginalised devs.
The fund was created in partnership with Grant for the Web, and aims at exploring monetisation options outside the traditional boundaries, which have been "built by and for a western audience," the announcement said.
At least $200,000 of the Diverse Game Developers Fund will go towards indie developers and studios so they can continue working on their prototypes, while $50,000 has been earmarked for academic scholarships. The rest of the funds will be used as prizes for game jams.
Developers and students interested in applying can do so on this page, from today until March 15, 2021, at 12pm PT.
A steering committee will head the fund, including former Microsoft game publishing vice president Edward Fries, Vlambeer co-founder Rami Ismail, founder of Curran Games Agency Cassia Curran, Patreon head of policy Laurent Crenshaw, Game Jolt CEO Yaprak DeCarmine, Shark Tank consultant Brandon Andrews, former Crystal Dynamics lead producer Shana Bryant, Games and Learning CTO Mark DeLoura, HBCU direct gaming CEO Rod Chappell, and former PAX content director Guy 'Yug' Blomberg.
A team of academics will also be tasked with reviewing student pitches and "award international academic scholarships," in partnership with the Higher Education Video Game Alliance.
Nika Nour, executive director of the IGDA-F, commented: "Grant for the Web and the IGDA Foundation both seek to empower devs and users in the realm of technology. In a world where traditional investment funding isn't equally available to all, this initiative will allow us to support marginalized game developers around the globe while educating the community on alternative monetization models they may not have considered."