The BFI National Lottery Innovation Challenge has revealed it will provide £510,000 in funding to support four groundbreaking projects within the UK games industry.

This funding is intended to assist independent game developers in creating open data sets for industry use, alongside developing new tools, technologies, and strategies aimed at helping underrepresented developers.

The first four funded projects are:

• The Games Insight Database (Into Games CIC)
• UK Video Games Econometrics (UKIE and Open Knowledge across Research and Entertainment)
• Business development accelerator Aurora (Code Coven)
• Access to Market: Self-Publishing Toolkit (Film London)

The Games Insight Database is a collaboration between Into Games, Games Jobs Live, and learning designers/researchers Birds Eye View. It aims to assist independent developers and studios by offering access to crucial information on workforce, skills, salary benchmarks, and funding opportunities.

UKIE and OKRE’s UK Video Games Econometrics project will deliver insights into the UK games sector’s economic, social, and cultural impact, compiling data “to articulate its value.”

Code Coven’s Aurora will focus on empowering underrepresented developers by enhancing their business acumen and financial knowledge, while also fostering connections between developers, publishers, and investors.

The Access to Market: Self-Publishing Toolkit, led by Games London under Film London, is a two-year initiative supporting up to 12 independent game companies through business development workshops, with the insights compiled into a toolkit.

“We’re thrilled to be backing these four projects, which propose innovative approaches to a range of challenges facing the UK’s video games industry,” said BFI director of research and industry innovation, Rishi Coupland.

“Together, these projects promise to deliver further creative and commercial success for the video games industry, through a focus on data, insights, market access, and diversity.”