Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what Government schemes are available to video game development studios wishing to (a) recruit, (b) employ and (c) train university graduates.

The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector which brings economic, cultural and social benefits across the UK.

This Government is investing over £100 million to support research and development across the creative industries, which video games developers are able to apply for. This funding supports groundbreaking programmes including Innovate UK’s £30 million for the Creative Catalyst Programme and the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s £75.6 million CoSTAR programme. Video games developers are able to apply for funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) via Innovate UK competitions, and through the upcoming digital twinning research investments from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

The Government’s Export Strategy sets out financial support for exporters, including video games developers. The Internationalisation Fund provides co-investment to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with high international growth potential. The Government also provides support at two leading global video games trade shows, Gamescom in Cologne and Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, which enables UK games exporters to engage with potential investors. Financial support is also available to eligible businesses wishing to attend or exhibit at trade shows through the UK Tradeshow Programme pilot.

This Government is working with industry to deliver a new generation of highly skilled workers, and will articulate these plans as part of the upcoming Creative Industries Sector Vision. For video games, the £8 million expansion of the UK Games Fund is providing valuable support to early stage games development businesses and talented graduates throughout the UK. This includes its Tranzfuser programme which mentors teams of talented and entrepreneurial graduates in regional hubs across the UK.