Deadline: 01-Sep-2025
The Pro Helvetia – Swiss Arts Council is requesting applications for the Emerging Talents – SwissGames Showcase Mentorship Programme where a selection of game developers or game studios receive online coaching from an international expert for one year to finalise a prototype.
The development of the prototype is supported by a financial contribution. In addition, participants gain access to input talks, international platforms and a large international network of publishers and investors.
Pro Helvetia promotes the professional contemporary Swiss art and cultural production (without film) with a view to diversity as well as national and international reach. It supports the creation of new artistic works and productions, the exchange between Switzerland’s various linguistic regions, the dissemination of Swiss art and culture outside Switzerland and international cultural exchange.
Funding Information
- Grant amount: CHF 6,000
- Duration: the selected projects will be developed within 12 months; the programme will start in January and finish in December.
Benefits
- Individual coaching and input talks for project development, business strategy and finances, marketing & PR and pitch training
- Curated matchmaking and access to international trade fairs.
Eligibility Criteria
- Emerging Talents’ are game developers who were trained in a specific field or who founded a company (as a legal entity) less than seven years ago.
- To be eligible for support, projects must:
- have a clear connection to Switzerland
- be of nationwide importance
- be adequately co-funded by other public or private means
- respects/guarantee fair working conditions.
Ineligibility Criteria
- The following are excluded:
- commissioned work and projects that are part of an advertising campaign or for promotional purposes
- purely technological projects without an obvious narrative and/or aesthetic content.
Selection Criteria
- Digital content for devices such as computers, game consoles, mobile devices or devices for mixed reality that require a high level of interaction and have a major impact on the content
- Clearly defined objectives for participation
- Originality, feasibility, degree of innovation and marketability of the project
- Copyright and rights of use are held by the project owner.
Application Requirements
- Short description of the game, including information on type and genre, gameplay, platform, development status and target audience (max. 10 A4 pages)
- Expectations and goals of participation in the showcase
- Playable prototype and relevant images
- CV of the individuals involved
- Proof of status as an Emerging Talent: diploma or proof of company registration
- Press kit
- All documents must in principle be submitted in English.
For more information, visit Pro Helvetia – Swiss Arts Council.
