Currently 3 active game design grants, fellowships and residencies open to applicants in Australia. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Almost every entry is funded; a few notable unpaid open calls and festival submissions are included as clearly flagged exceptions. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.
Subscribe: RSS feed · Calendar (.ics)
Screen Australia's Future Leaders Delegation sends up to eight early-to-mid career Australian gamemakers to BitSummit 2027 in Kyoto, Japan (21-23 May 2027), one of Asia's leading independent games festivals. SUPPORT: AUD 6,000 per delegate towards flights, accommodation, event tickets, ground transportation and meals; travel costs for a mandatory pre-departure workshop in Melbourne (mid-April 2027) are covered separately; delegates can exhibit their game as part of an Australia stand. ELIGIBILITY: Australian citizens or permanent residents (individuals) or incorporated Australian companies with an active ABN and GST registration; must have released and/or published at least one game on a public platform; must be actively developing a game ready for public presentation by May 2027; must be available for both the workshop and event dates; must not have previously participated in a Screen Australia Future Leaders Delegation. Assessment weighs project quality, career relevance, anticipated impact, and commitment to diversity and inclusion. HOW TO APPLY: via Screen Australia's funding portal. Decisions announced by 11 December 2026. DEADLINE: 5 November 2026 at 5pm AEST.
Screen Australia's Emerging Gamemakers Fund backs early-career Australian game makers with small grants to build a prototype or to finish and release a micro-scale original game. WHO: Australian citizens and permanent residents applying as individuals, or incorporated companies carrying on business in Australia with central management and control in Australia; all applicants need an ABN and must control the rights to the project with a clear chain of title. Projects must have budgets of up to AUD 500,000 at the time of applying. WHAT YOU GET: up to AUD 30,000. APPLICATION: via SmartyGrants; the next round opens 14 December 2026 and the fund is scheduled to run as rounds until financial year 2026/27. DEADLINE: 5pm AEDT, Thursday 25 February 2027.
Screen Australia's Games Production Fund supports Australian independent studios whose game already has an early-stage prototype and needs funding to reach a significant development milestone: completion or release, Early Access, a demo, a vertical slice or an accolade-ready prototype. WHO: incorporated companies carrying on business in Australia with central management and control in Australia, holding an ABN; sole traders, trusts and public companies are excluded. Games must be original Australian independent games with budgets of up to AUD 500,000 at the time of applying. WHAT YOU GET: up to AUD 100,000. APPLICATION: via SmartyGrants; the next round opens 14 December 2026 and the fund is scheduled to run as rounds until financial year 2026/27. DEADLINE: 5pm AEDT, Thursday 25 February 2027.