The BFI has announced recipients of its International Business Development (IBD) awards, distributing £2.07 million across the UK screen sector, including non-recoupable grants of £50,000–£200,000 to five independent games studios: Dlala Studios, Draknek & Friends, Friday Sundae, INCISIV, and Newfangled Games. Funds will support hiring in QA, marketing, publishing, and business development roles. Alongside this, the UK Global Screen Fund has launched a new Video Games Release funding stream offering grants up to £50,000 for marketing, promotion, and localisation costs during release campaigns, assessed on a rolling basis. A new Challenger award offering £50,000 plus optional mentorship for earlier-stage companies was also introduced in April. These initiatives follow a budget increase for the UKGSF from £7 million to over £18 million for 2026–2029.
