Ukie and TIGA call for more investment ahead of UK Budget

TIGA and Ukie, the trade bodies representing the British games industry, have submitted detailed proposals to the UK government ahead of the Budget announcement on March 16.

Both organisations are seeking to build on the progress made in the last few years, a period that has seen the introduction of tax relief for the British games industry, among other notable victories. TIGA and Ukie have submitted nine proposals each to be considered by Chancellor George Osborne as he prepares to announce the Budget next week.

TIGA's headline proposal is the introduction of a Creative Content Fund, which would address the difficulties around connecting creative talent to finance. Should TIGA's guidelines be followed, the fund would award grants or loans on, "a pound for pound, matched funded basis, up to a maximum of £200,000."

According to TIGA CEO Dr. Richard Wilson, 53 per cent of participants in a recent survey pointed to financing as the single biggest challenge facing British developers. Wilson was inspired by the success of a similar scheme operated by Tekes in Finland, which ultimately helped 20 per cent of the country's studio population.

Ukie's lead proposal is also a call for new investment, albeit a less structured investment than the idea put forward by TIGA. Jo Twist, CEO of Ukie, said that the organisation wants an additional £8 million in new public investment for the games industry, funded by National Lottery receipts, with the goal of nurturing and supporting UK games talent.

"We are already a world-class sector," Twist said in a statement, "but with the right support we can secure our talent pipeline, maintain a stable regulatory environment, and help companies continue to innovate and scale so we can be a true global leader for games and interactive entertainment."

TIGA nine proposals can be found here. Ukie's proposals can be found here.