24 studios find funding through new UK Games Fund

The UK Government has named the first 24 recipients of the new UK Games Fund.

Scheduled to run until 2019, the fund provides grants worth up to £50,000 ($71,500) to support video game projects, create jobs, and develop new talent. 

The £4 million ($6.1 million) fund was launched in October 2015, and will offer grants of up to £25,000 ($35,700) to help small studios turn concepts into working prototypes. A limited number of applicants will then be given another £25,000 to take their game beyond the prototype phase.

The winners of the first funding round are as follows: Atomicom, Cardboard Sword, Clever Beans, Coatsink Software, Fallen Tree Games, Futurlab, Hewson Consultants, Noble Games, Nosebleed Interactive, Paw Print Games, Plug-in Media, Roll 7, Ruffian Games, Rumpus Animation, Semaeopus, Sensible Object, Six to Start, Slug Disco Studios, Spilt Milk Studios, Tag Games, The Secret Police, Two Way Media, White Paper Games and Yakuto.

According to Paul Durrant, managing director at UK Games Talent and Finance CIC, a record number of applications were received during the first round of funding, a fact he believes shows "the UK's games development sector is running at record levels."

Those who missed out during the first window can apply for the second round of grants by visiting the UK Games Fund website. Applications for the second round are open until April 18, 2016.