Indielab’s South Yorkshire games accelerator programme opens for applications

Indielab Games has announced that the Indielab South Yorks Games Accelerators application process is open as of today. 

The two South Yorkshire based programmes intend to support the UK games industry’s next generation of talent, and are set to ‘facilitate and accelerate the growth of South Yorkshire’s burgeoning games sector.’ 

These latest Indielab accelerator programmes are delivered in partnership with TEAM SY,  Barnsley Council and Capital Enterprise with support from the Screen Industries Growth Network (SIGN), using public funding by Research England. The accelerator programmes are also sponsored by companies including Barclays Bank PLC and Harbottle & Lewis LLP. 

Companies that apply for Indielab’s South Yorkshire games accelerator programme must meet certain criteria. Developers that apply for the Games Developer Accelerator must be developing their own intellectual property. The Games Tech Accelerator programme is open to companies whose core activities support or service the games industry. To be eligible for either program, a companies’ headquarters must be based in South Yorkshire.

“We are very excited to be partnering with Indielab Games to deliver two targeted Games Accelerator programmes for the SY region. Yorkshire’s digital industry continues to grow rapidly and TEAM SY is committed to providing the knowledge, support and expertise to enable start-ups and SMEs in the region to succeed.” said Laura Bennett, Programme Lead and Super Connecter at TEAM SY.

Those that take part in the Indielab South York’s Games Accelerator programmes will get to attend masterclasses taught by industry experts like Oscar Clark and Ella Romanos, and listen to speakers drawn from the publishing, streaming, investment, legal and financial sectors, as well as founders of leading games studios. They will also get to pitch to potential investors at specialised events that have in the past led to investment deals for creative businesses in the UK.

“We’re really excited about enabling this growth for the games sector in South Yorkshire and working with partners from across the industry to help supercharge the potential of the region’s local studios. South Yorks is home to one of the UK’s top 10 games hubs and it’s a sector that’s growing rapidly. However, the picture for small developers is tough and there’s a real need to support emerging studios. For the region’s games companies, this is a fantastic opportunity to access masterclasses, seminars, contacts and market insight that will really help them grow their businesses.” said Victoria Powell, Indielab Games’ founder and programme director.

If you or your company would like to apply for one of Indielab’s South Yorkshire games accelerator programmes, you can do so here. Applications will be only accepted between August 9, 2022 and September 14, 2022, so don’t delay!

MCV/DEVELOP spoke to Indielab CEO Victoria Powell about their accelerator programmes earlier this year. If you’d like to read that article, you can find it here.