The Digital Games Fund offers grant funding to eligible South Australian game developers to aid in the development of digital games through to their next milestone.

The objectives of this program align with the South Australian Film Corporation Strategic Plan for 2025-2028:

• To assist South Australian game creators in reaching development milestones for
  new and upcoming games.
• To build a sustainable, long-term model of support for South Australian game creators that fosters new and innovative projects with commercial, critical, and artistic merit, fuelling SA company growth and helping local teams to thrive and
  expand.
• To grow the number of South Australian digital game titles released each year, and to assist more teams in qualifying for the SA VGD rebate.
• To advance diverse SA game development teams, and to give them opportunities to thrive in the global games marketplace.

What is on offer?

Grants of up to $100,000 are available for digital game development teams who are looking to develop their game towards its next significant milestone, including final release. This funding will come in the form of a one-off grant, which must be spent on the development of the game that the applicant has applied for.

Funding must help the applicants to develop their game to a significant milestone stage. The application must clearly define the stage the funding will support, and outcomes. Depending on the amount requested, milestone stages may include:

• Prototype
• Demo
• Vertical slice
• Early Access (Steam)
• 1.0 release
• Significant post-launch content updates (i.e. new levels, new modes, new characters)
• Porting to console, PC, Mac, VR or mobile

For more detailed information including eligibility and other requirements, term definitions, application instructions and evaluation criteria, please download the guidelines (linked below).

Guidelines & Downloads

• Guidelines – Digital Games Fund – effective January 2026 (208kb PDF)
• Digital Games Fund Budget Template (55kb .xlsx)

Please contact us if you require these guidelines in an alternative format – see contact details for this program below.

Key dates

• Application Round Open — Open 23 October, 2025
• Deadline to apply — 5 December, 2025
• Eligibility Decision — 19 December, 2025
• Panel Decision — 23 February, 2026

Application process

Applications for the Digital Games Fund are open once a year and must be made via the SAFC’s online grants platform safilm.smartygrants.com.au.

Before applying, all applicants must read the SAFC’s Terms of Trade and speak to the SAFC regarding their intended SAFC grant request.

For more information, including eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria and application instructions, download the guidelines.

Contacts

Please direct all phone enquiries to the relevant staff below via
SAFC Reception on +61 8 8394 2000.

For initial enquiries, please contact SAFC Program Coordinator Julia Light, [email protected]

For other enquiries, please contact SAFC Acting Game Development Executive Neil Rennison, [email protected]

SAFC Commitment to Access, Diversity & Inclusion

The SAFC is committed to supporting increased participation of people from groups under-represented in the SA screen industry which include:

• First Nations practitioners,
• Female identifying writers and directors,
• LGBTQIA+ practitioners,
• Practitioners residing in Regional or Remote areas of SA,
• Practitioners from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse background,
• D/deaf and/or disabled practitioners.

The SAFC recognises that barriers may prevent practitioners from under-represented groups from accessing our programs.

For a confidential discussion about your individual circumstances and/or access needs, please contact SAFC Program Coordinator Julia Light via SAFC Reception on +61 8 8394 2000 or email [email protected]

The SA Video Game Development Rebate (SA VGD Rebate) enables video games studios to claim a percentage of costs incurred to develop a video game in South Australia (SA).  The SA VGD Rebate is paid by the South Australian Government and administered by the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC).

A minimum of AUD $250,000 must be spent and retained in SA on Eligible Expenditure on an Eligible Project.

The Rebate seeks to be responsive to the needs of the games industry and to establish SA as a leading location for games development by encouraging established South Australian games studios to scale and by incentivising other games studios to establish a base or undertake work in SA.

What is on offer?

A discretionary rebate equivalent to 10% of Eligible Expenditure on video game development work undertaken in South Australia on an Eligible Project, subject to available funds.

For more detailed information including eligibility and other requirements, term definitions, application instructions and evaluation criteria, please download the guidelines (linked below).

Guidelines & Downloads

• Guidelines – SA VGD Rebate – effective January 2026 (215kb PDF)
• SA VGD Rebate – Qualifying Expenditure Principles – effective February 2022 (190kb PDF)
• SA VGD Rebate – Audit and Statutory Declaration Proforma – effective June 2021 (250kb PDF)

Please contact us if you require these guidelines in an alternative format – see contact details for this program below.

Application process

Applications for the SA VGD Rebate can be made throughout the year at regular intervals, and must be made via the SAFC’s online grants platform safilm.smartygrants.com.au

Applications will be processed in two stages:

• Stage One is assessment of Provisional Approval.
• Stage Two is Final Approval.

For more detailed information including key dates and application instructions, please download the guidelines.

Before applying, all applicants must read the SAFC’s Terms of Trade and speak to the SAFC regarding their intended SAFC grant request.

Contacts

Please direct all phone enquiries to the relevant staff below via
SAFC Reception on +61 8 8394 2000.

For initial enquiries, please contact SAFC Program Coordinator Julia Light, [email protected]

For other enquiries, please contact SAFC Acting Game Development Executive Neil Rennison [email protected]

SAFC Commitment to Access, Diversity & Inclusion

The SAFC is committed to supporting increased participation of people from groups under-represented in the SA screen industry which include:

• First Nations practitioners,
• Female identifying writers and directors,
• LGBTQIA+ practitioners,
• Practitioners residing in Regional or Remote areas of SA,
• Practitioners from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse background,
• D/deaf and/or disabled practitioners.

The SAFC recognises that barriers may prevent practitioners from under-represented groups from accessing our programs.

For a confidential discussion about your individual circumstances and/or access needs, please contact SAFC Program Coordinator Julia Light via SAFC Reception on +61 8 8394 2000 or email [email protected]

Held annually at the SAFC’s Adelaide Studios, SAGE: SA Game Exhibition is a super showcase of South Australia’s video game development sector, with dozens of locally made games on show to see and play, information on games education and careers, and more.

Since the inaugural SAGE in 2023 the event has grown each year to become South Australia’s biggest and most exciting video games event. SAGE 2025 attracted record crowds of more than 3,000 people to enjoy games ingenuity and innovation from 35 local studios and developers across two exhibition spaces, informative displays and information from education providers and employers, and a two-day “talks “SAGE Advice” talks program with speakers from around Australia and the world.

What is on offer?

SAGE provides South Australian video game developers and studios the opportunity to exhibit their game to an audience of video game enthusiasts, peers, media and other industry stakeholders.

The event also features the SAGE Awards including:

• The SAGE: Elevate Award for the best game in the Elevate section, which in 2025 featured a prize of $1,000 of legal services provided by SAGE partner Cam Rogers Legal,
• The SAGE Award for Best in Exhibition, with a $2,000 cash prize for the best game overall, provided by the SAFC

Key dates

SAGE 2026 will be held on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 February, 2026 at Adelaide Studios.

How can I apply?

Exhibitor applications are now closed for 2026. Stay tuned for program announcements.

Where can I find out more?

Check out sagameexhibition.com for more information, or contact the SAFC Communications team on 8 8394 2011 or [email protected]

SAFC Commitment to Access, Diversity & Inclusion

The SAFC is committed to supporting increased participation of people from groups under-represented in the SA screen industry which include:

• First Nations practitioners,
• Female identifying writers and directors,
• LGBTQIA+ practitioners,
• Practitioners residing in Regional or Remote areas of SA,
• Practitioners from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse background,
• D/deaf and/or disabled practitioners.

The SAFC recognises that barriers may prevent practitioners from under-represented groups from accessing our programs.

For a confidential discussion about your individual circumstances and/or access needs, please contact SAFC Program Coordinator Julia Light via SAFC Reception on +61 8 8394 2000 or email [email protected]

The Export Market Travel Fund is a limited fund that supports international travel for the final packaging of world-class South Australian projects to move into production. Funding recipients will be focused on gaining market attachments, raising export finance and securing partners to enable their projects to move into production.

What is on offer?

Travel funding is available for:

• up to $3,500 for an individual,
• up to $5,000 for a team of two or more.

Travel funding is targeted at the following international markets:

• American Film Market (AFM),
• Cannes Film Market,
• Content London,
• European Film Market (Berlin) including Berlinale Co-Production Market,
• Frontières International Co-Production Market,
• Gamescom,
• Game Developers Conference (GDC),
• IDFA Forum,
• KidScreen Summit,
• MIP TV,
• MIPCOM,
• SeriesMania,
• Sunny Side of the Doc,
• Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) including CONNECTIONS Co-Production Market.

The SAFC will consider other markets or events on a case-by-case basis.

For more detailed information including eligibility and other requirements, term definitions, application instructions and evaluation criteria, please download the guidelines (linked below).

Guidelines

• Guidelines – Export Market Travel Fund – effective January 2026 (172 KB PDF)

Please contact us if you require these guidelines in an alternative format – see contact details for this program below.

Application process

PLEASE NOTE: Applications for the Export Market Travel Fund will re-open via the SAFC’s SmartyGrants portal on Tuesday 20 January, 2026. For any enquiries in the meantime, please see the contacts list below.

Applications may be made at any time through the SAFC’s online grant portal safilm.smartygrants.com.au

Before applying, all applicants must read the SAFC’s Terms of Trade and speak to the SAFC regarding their intended SAFC grant request and expectations.

For more information, including eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria and application instructions, download the guidelines.

Contacts

Please direct all phone enquiries to the relevant staff below via
SAFC Reception on +61 8 8394 2000.

For initial enquiries, please contact SAFC Program Coordinator Julia Light [email protected]

For other enquiries, please contact SAFC Talent Development Manager Jessica Giacco [email protected]

SAFC Commitment to Access, Diversity & Inclusion

The SAFC is committed to supporting increased participation of people from groups under-represented in the SA screen industry which include:

• First Nations practitioners,
• Female identifying writers and directors,
• LGBTQIA+ practitioners,
• Practitioners residing in Regional or Remote areas of SA,
• Practitioners from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse background,
• D/deaf and/or disabled practitioners.

The SAFC recognises that barriers may prevent practitioners from under-represented groups from accessing our programs.

For a confidential discussion about your individual circumstances and/or access needs, please contact SAFC Program Coordinator Julia Light via SAFC Reception on +61 8 8394 2000 or email [email protected]