Applications Now Open for the Irish Games Talent Incubator 2025
Posted: 24th July 2025
Imirt and Ardán are delighted to confirm that their incubation programmes (formerly Imirt Dublin Games Springboard and Wild Galway Games Initiative) are returning in September 2025, and applications are now open for Galway and Dublin participants!
New format: all-in-one coast-to-coast Irish games talent incubator
Managed by Imirt and Ardán as a part of the Screen Ireland Digital Games Portfolio, these East and West coast games talent incubation programmes – under the title Irish Games Talent Incubator – are the next step in our support of the Irish games sector.
The Irish Games Talent Incubator 2025 (with the former Dublin Springboard and WGGI now all under the one umbrella) aims to develop the creative and entrepreneurial skills that video game developers will require to navigate the professional games industry.
How the 12 week incubator programme will work
The programme will provide game devs with support in both Development and Business Modelling, participants will have access to dedicated working space at Guinness Enterprise Centre in Dublin and CREW in Galway for the duration of the programme, to work alongside like-minded, early-stage businesses. The programme will develop participants’ entrepreneurial skills, game development skills and portfolios, which will help them on their journey towards sustainable careers in the Irish video game industry.
Participants will leave the programme with the experience necessary to turn their creative skills into a revenue-generating business endeavour. Each of the 24 participants (12 in Dublin and 12 in Galway) will be paired with an industry mentor, who will meet with them throughout the programme and guide them through the experience, using their professional insights to advise them.
Please note: participants are expected to attend all in-person workshops.
The Guinness Enterprise Centre and CREW will provide dedicated working space for each participant for the duration of the programme. Start-up workspaces are essential for driving innovation and cooperation among entrepreneurs and are hugely beneficial for incubation programme participants. Topics covered during this programme range from business models in the games sector, understanding markets, advertising and social media, to game development disciplines such as fast prototyping, choosing the tools that are right for you, and how to pitch your game. These modules will sit alongside mentoring and presentations throughout the 12 weeks.
How to apply
You can apply for the Irish Games Talent Incubator 2025 at this link
Applications are currently open and will close on Monday, August 11th, at 5 pm GMT. Assessment will conclude and applicants will get a response by August 20th. The programme will commence on the week starting September 1st, 2025, and run for 12 weeks.
Info Session
Ardán and Imirt will be hosting an Information Session online on Wednesday, July 30th, 2025, at 3:00 pm. Register to attend here via Eventbrite
The Irish Games Talent Incubator 2025 is managed by Imirt and Ardán with the support of Screen Ireland’s Digital Games Portfolio, in collaboration with CREW and GEC.
Please email eoin@ardan.ie or eoghan@imirt.ie if you have questions.
Please email kathryn@ardan.ie if you have press queries.