Introducing Unreal Dev Grants

General Announcements
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Unreal Dev Grants have concluded - we are humbled by all of the amazing work we’ve seen over the past 5 years.

At GDC 2019 we announced our new program Epic MegaGrants.

I am extremely happy to announce a new program that Epic has kicked off, Unreal Dev Grants. Unreal Dev grants is another way Epic is giving back to the development community and rewarding outstanding projects centered around Unreal Engine 4. Read 's blog post on the subject here.

From the website.

WHAT ARE UNREAL DEV GRANTS?
Epic has created a $5,000,000 development fund to provide financial grants to innovative projects built in and around Unreal Engine 4.
Awards range from $5,000 to $50,000, and there are no strings attached: you continue to own your IP, are free to publish however you wish, and can use the funds without any restrictions or obligations to Epic.

[SIZE=20px]WHY WOULD WE GIVE AWAY FREE MONEY?[/SIZE]
Simply put, we succeed when you succeed. Unreal Dev Grants can give you the boost you need to take your project beyond working prototype. Epic wants to help you focus more on creation and worry less about keeping the lights on.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
ANYONE MAKING COOL THINGS WITH UE4
We like games, of course, but we also want to see animated features, architectural visualizations, Marketplace content, mods- anything that will make us say “Whoa.” Please send us as much as you can, and working prototypes are best. If you’re only at the design doc or scriptwriting stage, keep going.

STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS
We’d love to see class projects, engine extentions, curricula, tutorials, or any other creative or innovative work related to UE4 and education.

CROWDSOURCING FUNDRAISERS
If you’re using any of the crowdsourcing sites like Kickstarter or Indie Go-go, don’t worry, you can still apply for an Unreal Dev . When both work out, you’ll be that much further along.

I’M IN! WHAT’S NEXT?
Head over to the Unreal Dev Grants page and tell us about your project. Send us videos, links, and any other info you think will help us see why you and your project are awesome. Remember, things in the design or idea phase are still too early, and working prototypes are best.

Feel free to discuss the program with other Unreal Engine developers here.

F.A.Q.s! (and growing!)

Is there a deadline for submission?
The deadline for submission is directly dependent on the funds remaining in the program. At this point, there is no deadline.

Is this limited to just U.S. Developers?
No! If we can get funds to your country, you are eligible.

Can I apply for more than one project?
Absolutely. If you’re making more than one stellar Unreal Engine product, we certainly want to know about it.

Can I apply more than once for the same project?
Sure thing. Don’t think of Unreal Dev Grants as a competition, though spamming us probably isn’t the best idea either :stuck_out_tongue:

Does it have to be a game?
Absolutely not. Anything in the engine or relating to the engine is eligible.

So it doesn’t even have to be a digital product built in the engine?
Correct. Many ways exist to build something incredible in the Unreal Engine universe. Doing classes, books, etc.? Sounds awesome!

Do I have to be a legal business to receive an Unreal Dev ?
No. Individuals are eligible.

Do I have to pay the money back at a later date?
Absolutely not. This is not an investment on Epic’s part or a loan - This is our way to give back to the incredible community and reward excellence. No strings attached means no strings attached :slight_smile:

Will single developer teams be treated differently than AAA studios?
We strive for fairness and treat every project equally, regardless of who you are.

When will I hear back from Epic? What can I expect?
With the overwhelming number of applications we receive each day, we simply cannot respond directly to each and every submission for Unreal Dev Grants. If we choose your project for an Unreal Dev or If we require more information, you’ll certainly be hearing from us!

Is my non-UE4 project eligible?
The Unreal Dev Grants are only for Unreal Engine 4 related products and projects. If your project is built in another engine or toolset, it will need to be moved to Unreal Engine before it will be eligible for an Unreal Dev .

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This is fantastic news. I love that you guys are so willing to bet on the indie community.

Will we get a confirmation that our submission was received? I received a note about my application being too long for its Trello card (seems I was verbose). I sent a follow-up with a link to a doc; I’m wary of spamming you guys.

Thanks again for this incredible opportunity.

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I didn’t even get a Trello email :frowning: I hope that they at least received my application! I hope that they enjoyed the lengthy read on my educational stuff and how I want to continue to serve the community :slight_smile:

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This was an error on our end, disregard the Trello note :slight_smile:

We’re still working through the details for responses for all of the submissions (I’ve got yours, :wink: ), stay tuned for more info!

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Woo boy! Cheers :wink:

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This is awesome news! Is there any deadline / set duration for this project? Or is it basically “as long as the money lasts”?

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Someone needs to make a mario kart type game for html5 with multiplayer support… Just sayin.

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Already had this in mind for a future project, but that’s a story for another day :wink:

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This campaign has spread out to the whole internet. I suspect Epic will receive a million emails, even from the kids working on their first Flash games :slight_smile:

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Wow! How neat is that?

Answer

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Nah, Just a million from me :wink:

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It’s not HTML5 (yet), but it is multiplayer and definitely inspired by mario kart:

watch?v=-M4NkwsLQ4A

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This is amazing! We’re making the jump to lightspeed on this one!

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Loving it! One of our team members will see you at GDC :wink:

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For freedom of imagination!

Submitted one of our shorter term products (plugin) before the Twitch Broadcast went live and we are eagerly awaiting a reply.

This announcement has also been a real motivation booster for us and we look forward to putting in a submission for a larger once our game related project has come together to a state that we are happy with for a tech demo worthy showcase to Epic Games and soon after the at large :smiley:

To Epic Games: You’re truly putting emphasis on the word epic in the dictionary once again (thumbsup)

To the community: I very much look forward to seeing what my fellow members of this great community can create when the shackles of debt, publishers, investors, etc. are no longer an issue for you to be truly creative with your craft in the early stages of creation. Because outside forces should never play a factor into the direction of your vision until it can stand on its two feet with a growing community behind it :cool:

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Alright, my project will be ready for application in 3 months. It will be too late then? ^^ Hope the budget pool won’t be drained really fast.

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Is there a deadline for submission? We’re working on something and should have a prototype ready in about 3 weeks. Is it OK or should I rather sent something we have now? :slight_smile:

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No deadline :slight_smile:

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This kind of initiative is just amazing, as if the engine itself wasn’t enough as it is right now.

Great work guys :smiley:

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For a project that mostly needs art resources, how far along should it be? I know “working prototype” is mentioned, I’m just wondering how far along it needs to be? Is it enough if the general idea of the game and gameplay is apparent, or should it be basically full-beta minus assets?