Creative England has, for the third year running, partnered with Microsoft to develop Greenshoots, a programme of financial and business support intended to stimulate the commercial development and growth of the games industry in the English regions, outside of Greater London.

The programme provides investments of between £25,000 and £50,000 to games companies that demonstrate high growth potential, and in addition to the funding companies selected for the Greenshoots programme will receive the following additional benefits:

• Access to Greenshoots mentors and associates
• Enrolment on the ID@Xbox programme for Xbox One Development Kits
• Access to Windows 10 devices for testing purposes (subject to availability and at the sole discretion of Microsoft)
• Bespoke technical guidance and support directly from Microsoft
• Access to select Microsoft tools and services for free, through the Bizspark Microsoft programme
• Introductions to investors and publishers

To be eligible to apply to Greenshoots companies must fulfil the following criteria:

• Be a games company based in any of the English regions outside of Greater London (please refer to this map)
• Have previous, demonstrable game development experience
• Qualify as an SME and be registered at Companies House
• Be able to provide £1 for £1 match funding to any investment awarded by Creative England
• Have an idea for an innovative new entertainment game that can be available for commercial release no later than January 31st 2017

To see a selection of games that have been funded through previous Greenshoots programmes, take a look at the showreel.

You can apply to the Greenshoots programme here. All submissions must be received by 9am on 8th February 2016.

Please ensure you read the Greenshoots 2015/2016 guidelines at the bottom of this page thoroughly before applying.