The Irish Game Makers' Association (IMIRT) and Screen Ireland's Digital Games Portfolio have relaunched the Irish Games Fund for 2026 as three separate funding strands, with the first — the Development Fund — offering €50,000 to each of four teams moving from validated concepts into production.

The restructure splits support across the production cycle. The Development Fund is live now; the Prototype Fund and Release Fund will follow, with IMIRT promising details in the near future.

The Development Fund targets projects that have already cleared concept validation. "The Development Fund is specifically intended for established projects that have moved beyond concept validation and are progressing towards production and commercial release," reads IMIRT's explainer. Four teams will each receive €50,000 to push production toward commercial release.

Who can apply?

Eligibility rules require applicants to be a registered Irish game studio meeting at least one of three conditions:

• Operating for a minimum of one year
• Previously filed accounts
• Previously released a commercial project

IMIRT will also consider studios developing original IP or holding "a defined concept or prototype with a clear understanding of their intended audience."

What is the generative AI policy?

The most operationally significant change sits in the AI disclosure requirements. Applicants must declare any use of machine learning or generative AI within their project or application, and specifically explain how Development Fund support will replace generative AI assets.

Past use won't disqualify a studio — but continued use will. "Due to unresolved copyright, intellectual property, ownership and commercialisation risks, the Development Fund will not support projects that intend to commercially release with art, audio, writing or other creative assets that have been substantially generated through ML or generative AI systems," IMIRT said.

The organization added a compliance warning: failure to disclose or accurately represent material use of ML or generative AI may result in the application being removed from consideration. For studios, that means an AI audit of pipelines and asset provenance before filing anything.

How does the application process work?

The process runs in two stages. Prospective applicants must first submit an Expression of Interest, then file a full application. IMIRT frames the EOI stage as triage rather than bureaucracy.

"The Application Form is dense, and we don't want people to take the time to apply for a fund that doesn't suit their needs. We aim to guide people towards the fund that's right for them," the explainer continues.

The deadlines are fixed: Expressions of Interest close on October 8, 2026, with full applications due by October 22, 2026.

What changes for Irish studios?

For established Irish studios, the Development Fund offers meaningful non-dilutive capital — €50,000 per team across four teams — at the stage where production costs typically escalate. For earlier-stage developers, the pending Prototype Fund and Release Fund will fill coverage gaps across the cycle, though amounts and headcounts remain unannounced.

The AI policy carries broader signal value. A national funding body tied to Screen Ireland is now formally withholding support from projects shipping substantially AI-generated creative assets, citing unresolved IP and commercialisation risk. Studios building workflows around generative tools now face a concrete funding trade-off in the Irish market.

Watch for the Prototype Fund and Release Fund details — their AI terms and grant sizes will show whether the Development Fund's restrictions represent fund-wide policy or a strand-specific rule.