MATCH - SpielFabrique

Q: What is the deadline for applications?

The call for applications closes after 10 June 2024, 23:59 CET.

Q: Who can apply for the program?

Anybody who is representing an Indie videogame studio in Europe or another country partner (list to be confirm). Your studio needs to be a registered company, and you need to be ready to pitch a project of your own or be prepared to collaborate on another project with a potential MATCH.

Q: What does the program cost?

The program itself is free of costs for candidates from partners countries (official list of countries to be announced).Please note, however, that we are not covering any travel or accommodation costs for the in-person activities and events. For the workshop in Strasbourg, accommodation prices are on the studios discretion.For more details on the list of countries, please reach out to olympe@spielfabrique.eu to learn more.

Q: I am not based in an EU-country, can I still take part?

Yes! During the call for application, we will officialise the full list of country partners that support the program for studios. If you are not based in any of the countries listed, we can offer support in finding partners who can enter the program to support you. Please reach out to olympe@spielfabrique.eu for more information.

Q: Where does the program take place?

Most of the program takes place online (Zoom, Discord, MeetToMatch…). However, we do run a Gamescom meetup in Düsseldorf, Germany on 22 August 2024, and an in-person training in Strasbourg, France on 14 – 15 October 2024.

MATCH is a yearly program started in 2018 and powered by SpielFabrique. Originally Franco-German, it now includes the majority of the European continent and additional country partner every year.

The objective is to support studios in their coproduction project, to match them with compatible indie studios and foster interaction between studios from different countries. After the meetings and intentions settled, we facilitate the process of coproduction development by bringing expertise in the field during exclusive workshops.

Join our discord server to get notified when the next program starts!

Applications for this program will open again in 2025.

Apply now for MATCH 2024

Reminder to submit your application by June 10th, 2024 at 23:59 CET. You can do it! Let us know if you need help.

Program stages

Online Recruitment Phase

Apply and present your experience as a studio and current pipeline of projects.

Online Coproduction Mentoring Sessions

Join a webinar to learn about coproduction opportunities and prepare for Stage 3, matchmaking session.

Online pitching session

SpielFabrique organizes the Online Pitching Session to end up the European Games Co-production Market. The Online Pitching Session represents the final event of the program. The teams are now ready to pitch their coproduction! Publishers and financiers are present to the event

Online matchmaking session

Participate in the 2 days kick-off meeting on MeetToMatch with every other indie studios participants in early June. Pitch your projects and meet other European studios to find the perfect Match. You will then have time to continue the discussions with the studios you matched with!

On-site coproduction training

SpielFabrique organizes two days of training for the co-producers couples that will start a project together. High class international mentors and experts of the video game industry will be invited to coach the studios to prepare a co-production pitch and define the co-production agreement frame.

Topics

When people collaborate, they benefit from each other’s experience, skills, and knowledge. They go further in the development of the game on a conceptual level, but also on a technical level, and can offer a bigger, more mature game to the publishers and be more attractive. They are also more competitive for a project with strong European intellectual properties.

We want to offer an alternative way between the classic publishing possibilities and the indie video game studio that is on its own.

Project/Studio Management and Organisation

Publishing Strategies

Long-term financial strategies

Pitching methods

Indie Video Game Coproduction Case Studies

Business Intercommunication

Annual event schedule

The program runs annually from June to October. It ends with an online pitching session to publishers and financiers.

During the on-site coproduction training session in Strasbourg, for 2 days in October, keynotes, case studies, and one-to-one meetings with our experts in publishing, law, co-production and networking events are organized.

May - June

Start

Virtual onboarding and webinars on the program and its structure

Monday 6th May (11am CET) - Join Meeting
Tuesday 14th May (2pm CET) - Join Meeting
Thursday 16th May (10am CET) - Join Meeting

20 - 21

June 2024

Matchmaking sessions

Online matchmaking sessio nto meet the other teams and their projects/studios. This is the first step in the selection of the program. The best pitch and presentation will find the best MATCH

August 2024

Gamescom Meetup

A Gamescom meet-up, for coproducers who have already matched to meet, and a last chance speed-dating session for the remaining studios.

🔓

14 -15

October 2024

Co-production training

Studios who have found coproductions unlock an on-site training in Strasbourg with 1-on-1 mentoring and support for building their co-productions.

12 - 13 -14

November 2024

Publisher connect

In partnership with Games Ground (14-16 Nov) in Berlin and Soren Lass' Tugboat Interactive, this exclusive event pulls in dozens of publishers from across the world and hand-match them with studios. It's a hybrid event (12-13 Nov online, 14 Nov onsite in Berlin) and available to take part either online, offline, or both!

Who can apply?

Video game studios of all sizes and specializations situated in Europe or within our partner countries can apply for the MATCH coproduction program. This inclusive opportunity welcomes studios regardless of their scale, thus fostering collaboration, growth and innovation within the whole gaming industry’s diverse landscape.

If you want to participate, you need to meet the following criteria:

Studio must be established (or in progress)
Studio must be located in one of our country partners*
Project must not be too advanced (looking for a publisher only)
Pitch deck presenting the game and/or your team is required
You are able and motivated to share your expertise
You can communicate in English

*We are still developing new partnership with various countries that will be officialised on our social media and Discord, follow us to learn more about the updates.

Our current list of official country partners are: Brazil, Canada and Turkey. If you are located in one of these country, the program is completely free of charge.

For European studios, please reach out to learn more about your country specific situation.

In cooperation with the program BRIDGE, studios located in any of the countries on the African continent are eligible to partake in joint activities. Please look for the BRIDGE program for complementary information.

Please reach out to olympe@spielfabrique.eu for more information.

Costs

The program is entirely cost-free for studios. Our partners generously cover the program’s financing, meaning no charges will be incurred by participating studios. This commitment underscores our dedication to providing valuable opportunities without any financial burden, allowing studios to fully engage and benefit from the program’s offerings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the deadline for applications?

The call for applications closes after 10 June 2024, 23:59 CET.

Who can apply for the program?

Anybody who is representing an Indie videogame studio in Europe or another country partner (list to be confirm).

Your studio needs to be a registered company, and you need to be ready to pitch a project of your own or be prepared to collaborate on another project with a potential MATCH.

What does the program cost?

The program itself is free of costs for candidates from partners countries (official list of countries to be announced).

Please note, however, that we are not covering any travel or accommodation costs for the in-person activities and events.
For the workshop in Strasbourg, accommodation prices are on the studios discretion.

For more details on the list of countries, please reach out to olympe@spielfabrique.eu to learn more.

I am not based in an EU-country, can I still take part?

Yes! During the call for application, we will officialise the full list of country partners that support the program for studios.

If you are not based in any of the countries listed, we can offer support in finding partners who can enter the program to support you.

Please reach out to olympe@spielfabrique.eu for more information.

When is the program taking place?

The program begins with online webinars to present the program during the call for application in May 2024, see on our Discord server for more informations.

The first activity will be the matchmaking event on the 20th of June, more informations will be communicated with the candidates during the introductionary webinars.

The program will finish in November with a Pitching session organised by SpielFabrique with publishers and investors.

Where does the program take place?

Most of the program takes place online (Zoom, Discord, MeetToMatch…). However, we do run a Gamescom meetup in Düsseldorf, Germany on 22 August 2024, and an in-person training in Strasbourg, France on 14 – 15 October 2024.

What happens if I cannot find a match?

The matchmaking session of the 20th of June will be the first opportunity for studios to find a good match to coproduce with.

Another opportunity will be the last-chance session held during Gamescom at the SpielFabrique booth on the 22nd of August. If the studio still does not find any match, they are encourage to come back to the next edition with a revised/new project to pitch or to look for a project.

How do I know if my application has been received?

You know that your application has been received when you get a confirmation email. Please make sure to check your spam folders, too.

After receiving a confirmation email, you can still go back and edit or complete your application until the application deadline.
Please reach out to us, if you have not heard back from us by the 10th of June 2024.

In what language will we communicate?

The program’s language, in both verbal and written communication, will be English.

Most people in the program are not native English speakers, so we are not expecting perfection. However, your mentor and other studios in the program may not speak your local language, so please make sure that your studio’s contact person can comfortably converse in English.

Am I guaranteed an opportunity to pitch in front of publishers or investors?

As part of our program and through our partner network, we offer a host of opportunities, many involving pitching in front of potential financiers through activities online. Most of these opportunities are reserved to selected collaborating teams, in case there are more interested applicants than spots available.

Other questions? Please reach out to olympe@spielfabrique.eu to ask for more details.

Supported by

Country Partners

On-site training 2023

During 2 days in Strasbourg, we had the opportunity to meet and get-to-know each other, to share experience and projects and most important, learn how to successfully plan the coproduction projects with other experts.

In 2022 - Cofunded by

In 2022 - Country Partners

Questions? Let's talk!

Reach out to us anytime, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Legal

Pattents

Join our discord server to get notified when the next program starts!

Apply now for MATCH 2024