The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is a statutory body established to promote and develop the South African film and video industry, including animation and interactive media.
The NFVF invites South African gaming studios with a game that already plays to apply for the Market Readiness Programme. This ten-week incubation programme takes a working build to a technically validated pilot or published release. Three studios will be selected.
Each selected studio receives a grant of R240,000 from the NFVF, released against milestones, to pay for the launch costs a studio at this stage usually cannot cover. Each studio also works with two dedicated mentors and attends eight hands-on mentor clinics, delivered with Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct at Wits University. The programme is supported by the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC).
Programme overview
Focus area: Taking a playable game to a pilot or published release
Duration: 10 delivery weeks
Programme dates: 11 January to 19 March 2027
Location: Tshimologong Gaming Hub, 41 Juta Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Number of studios: 3
Grant: R240,000 per studio, paid by the NFVF in three tranches
Demo Day: Thursday, 18 March 2027
What selected studios receive
- A grant of R240,000: paid directly by the NFVF in three tranches (R96,000, R96,000 and R48,000) against verified milestones, for QA and playtesting, platform fees and certification, localisation, marketing and user acquisition, and contract technical or production talent.
- Two dedicated mentors: a business development mentor and a technical validation mentor, each giving 20 hours to your studio and working from one shared Market Readiness Plan.
- Eight mentor clinics: four on the business of taking a game to market and four on the technical side of building for it. Each studio applies the topic to its own game, numbers and plan.
- Studio days at the Gaming Hub: production days in Braamfontein with access to the Tshimologong Gaming Hub, equipment and connectivity.
- Demo Day: a platform to present your game to publishers, platforms, funders and investors.
- A next-step application: at least one funding, publisher or distribution application prepared to submission standard.
- Full ownership of your IP: the NFVF takes no equity and no intellectual property rights.
Who should apply?
Apply if your studio has a playable game at beta, vertical-slice-plus or soft-launch stage and a clear plan to pilot or publish it within the programme. A game that is already published may apply if the programme can help it reach a clear next step, such as a new platform, a major update or a new market, within the ten weeks.
This programme is not for studios still working on an idea, a design document or an early prototype.
Eligibility criteria
Applicants must:
- Be a company registered in South Africa with CIPC, in good standing.
- Be at least 51% black-owned and managed.
- Be wholly owned by South African citizens or permanent residents.
- Hold a valid SARS tax compliance status.
- Hold a valid B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit, not older than one year.
- Have a playable build at beta, vertical-slice-plus or soft-launch stage that the panel can access.
- Hold confirmed rights to the intellectual property they will take to market.
- Set a defined pilot or release target that is achievable within ten weeks.
- Have a core team of at least two people available for the full programme.
- Have at least twelve months of operating or development history.
- Disclose all other funding received or applied for, with no double funding of the same costs.
- Be able to attend studio days at the Gaming Hub in Braamfontein. Studios from other provinces may use part of their grant for travel, as set out in their approved plan.
The following are not eligible: individuals or unregistered teams, co-productions or companies with foreign shareholding, studios whose main business is not game development, studios at idea or early prototype stage, and products that are unlawful or primarily real-money gambling.
How to apply
Download the application form at the link below, complete it in Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) and save it. Annexure A lists the questions so you can prepare your answers before you start.
| DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION FORM: https://nfvf-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/lerona_nfvf_co_za/cQoqS43LGQXkSoh657K0jgNXEgUCNHjyczgbM7IqYPslsHUo6A SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TO: training@nfvf.co.za |
Applicants must submit:
- The completed application form (link above), including a launch readiness brief, a proposed use of the grant and the signed declarations in section 9 of the form.
- CIPC company registration documents and a shareholder register.
- Certified copies of the South African IDs of all shareholders and directors.
- A valid SARS tax compliance status PIN or certificate.
- A B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit, not older than one year.
- A link to the playable build (or access instructions) and a gameplay video of up to three minutes.
- Team profiles and basic financial information for the last twelve months.
Email the completed application form and all supporting documents to training@nfvf.co.za with the subject line “Market Readiness Programme: [Studio name]”. Submit one application per studio, for one game. Send large files and builds as download or access links. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Application dates
Applications open: Friday, 6 November 2026
Closing date: Friday, 4 December 2026 at 17h00
Late applications will not be considered.
Selection process
Selection runs in five stages:
| Stage | What happens |
| 1. Compliance check 7 to 9 December | The NFVF checks every application against the eligibility criteria and required documents. |
| 2. Scored evaluation 9 to 11 December | The adjudication panel of the NFVF, Tshimologong and independent reviewers scores each compliant application out of 100. An application needs at least 65 overall and at least 18 out of 30 on product and technical readiness to be shortlisted. |
| 3. Pitch and build review 14 to 15 December | Shortlisted studios pitch to the panel: a fifteen-minute pitch, a live build demonstration and fifteen minutes of questions. |
| 4. Verification 14 to 17 December | The NFVF verifies the company, ownership, tax, IP, finances, references and build of shortlisted studios. |
| 5. Final selection By 18 December | Three studios are selected. All applicants are notified of the outcome. Grant agreements are signed by 8 January 2027. |
Applications are scored on the following criteria:
| Criterion | Weight |
| Product and technical readiness | 30 |
| Commercial plan and market fit | 25 |
| Team strength and capacity | 15 |
| Use of the grant and ability to manage funds | 15 |
| Transformation and impact | 15 |
| Total | 100 |
The final ranking combines the scored evaluation (50%) and the panel score (50%). At least one of the three selected studios will be female led, meaning women own at least 51% of the company and a woman holds the most senior executive role. Ownership and leadership by women, youth and persons with disabilities are scored under Transformation and impact.
Panel members declare conflicts of interest before scoring. Unsuccessful applicants may request written feedback. The NFVF’s decision is final.
Conditions for selected studios
- Sign the NFVF grant agreement before the programme starts.
- Attend the mentor clinics, mentor sessions, gate reviews and Demo Day, and share the data needed for monitoring and reporting.
- Spend the grant only on the approved uses and submit itemised spend reports with proof of payment at each gate. Funds spent outside the agreement must be repaid to the NFVF.
- Acknowledge the NFVF in launch materials, as set out in the grant agreement.
Cost
The programme is free of charge for selected studios. The grant is paid by the NFVF against milestones. It is not a loan, and the NFVF takes no equity or IP. Salaries, rent, debt repayment and other overheads cannot be paid from the grant.
Personal information
Applicant information is processed in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). Access is restricted to the NFVF and the adjudication panel, and information is kept only as long as reporting and audit require.
Enquiries
For questions about the programme and this call, please contact:
Leron Adonis
Industry Training and Development Manager
lerona@nfvf.co.za
Tel: +27 11 483 0880
ANNEXURE A: APPLICATION FORM
These are the questions in the application form. Complete every section. Word limits apply. Letters in brackets show the scoring criterion each section feeds.
| DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION FORM: https://nfvf-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/lerona_nfvf_co_za/cQoqS43LGQXkSoh657K0jgNXEgUCNHjyczgbM7IqYPslsHUo6A SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TO: training@nfvf.co.za |
| Section | Question or field | Limit |
| 1. Company | Registered name, registration number, date registered, physical address, contact person, website | Fields |
| 1. Company | Ownership and management: shareholders, percentages, citizenship, race, gender and age band of shareholders and directors | Fields and upload |
| 2. Game | Game title, genre, platforms, current stage and engine. Build link or access instructions, plus gameplay video of up to three minutes | Fields |
| 2. Game | Describe the game and what makes it different | 200 words |
| 3. Technical readiness (A) | What is the state of the build today? List known blockers to a pilot or release, and testing completed | 250 words |
| 3. Technical readiness (A) | Platforms and devices supported, and any platform certification or classification already done | 100 words |
| 3. Technical readiness (A) | Your pilot or release target: what, where and by when within the ten weeks, and the steps to get there | 250 words |
| 3. Technical readiness (A) | Previous games, updates or client projects delivered, with links | Table |
| 4. Market (B) | Who are your players and what comparable games are in your market? What evidence do you have of demand? | 250 words |
| 4. Market (B) | Monetisation model, price point, platforms and storefronts, and publisher or distributor plans | 250 words |
| 5. Team (C) | Core team members, roles, experience and the time each can commit to the programme | Table and 150 words |
| 6. Grant (D) | Proposed use of the R240,000 grant by category (QA, platform fees, localisation, marketing, contract talent, contingency) and the launch blocker each address | Table and 150 words |
| 6. Grant (D) | Financial information for the last twelve months and other funding received or applied for | Upload and 100 words |
| 7. Impact (E) | Jobs sustained and expected, transformation profile of the team and ownership, and contribution to the local gaming sector | 200 words |
| 8. Declarations | Signed IP declaration; signed declaration of interest and availability; POPIA consent; confirmation of accuracy | Uploads |