Grumpy Game Grant Consultant Thread (not specific to current projects, but just generally). Some basic things to think about before applying:

1. Do I meet the criteria?: Does it meet the required definitions? Can I meet timelines? Is it creative/innovative?

Is my product a game or something else that's kinda sorta, maybe gamey? Am I just rehashing old content?

2. Is my application meant for people outside my organisation to read? Assessors for these programs read a stack of docs, is it easy to read and conveys what it needs to?

Is it just an internal document you're handing in?

3. Does it sell my project well? One of the best things that can happen is that the exec or assessor reading the application gets excited for the project. One does not get excited by having to skip passed asset lists and to-dos.

4. What are you doing to make your project successful? If you're a small team, are you using your labour to its best uses? Are you getting onto the right platforms? If you're setting yourself to talk to publishers, why are you attractive?

5. Is your application as visual as possible? Assessors who are reading 20 or 30+ applications are going to suffer some fatigue as they plod through it all. Use diagrams to show gameplay loops, controls etc. We're visual creatures and we're tired.

6. This is going to seem really basic, but does your application have the required info and sections? So many times, I've picked up applications and they're missing info that could have made the application score higher and possibly lead to success,.

7. Have you left enough time to write your doc? Are you really going to let tens of thousands of dollars go because you haven't given yourself time to write the doc, got someone else to look over and edit it and then cycled it through so it's as good as it can be.

8. What are your expectations? Never ever assume that your application will be automatically funded. Don't get grumpy with the funding org if you get knocked back because someone else delivered a stronger application. Particularly if a section isn't well-filled out on your app.

These are all opinions from someone who has assessed a lot of projects and worked on a bunch of funds. YMMV.

Don't be the person who the execs & assessors cringe when they see an application with your name on it.

Also, I'll do another thread on budgets some other time. That's a whole different can of worms.