Applications for Digital Content Grant 2022 now open

KUALA LUMPUR: Applications are now open for Digital Content Grants under the Malaysian Creative Industry Stimulus Package 2022 (Digital Content Grant 2022) through the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).

Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa (pic) said the grant, introduced last year, is aimed at promoting the continuity and sustainability of the country's creative industry practitioners, in line with the new norms following the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I see this Digital Content Grant 2022 as very important in helping digital content creators turn their ideas into ready-to-market products.

"Content creators have a variety of interesting ideas but they are having a hard time getting started and getting funding.

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"Therefore, I am confident that through the Digital Content Grant 2022, MDEC will not only provide access to funding but also assist them in producing marketable digital content as their ideas will be evaluated by a panel of industry experts," he said in a statement on Wednesday (June 15).

The Digital Content Grant 2022 offers financing of up to RM50,000 to companies, enterprises and sole proprietorships or limited liability partnerships to develop digital content in the marketplace in the form of animation, comics, interactive media and games.

Annuar said selected applicants will be invited to a presentation session in August, before approval is announced by September.

"Upon approval, grant recipients will be given a period of six months to complete their digital content in the areas of Short Animated Films, Pilot Episodes, Short Trailers, Public Service Announcements, Digital Games/Complete Interactive Media (demo or prototype) or Digital Comics/Complete Mobile Comics," he said.

He said last year, through the Digital Content Grant 2021, MDEC received 111 applications with a total of RM1.9mil in grants approved, which benefitted 39 applicants.

The Digital Content Grant 2022 is part of a series of funding initiatives designed for the creative content industry for this year.

"The digital creative content industry is one of the fastest-growing industries and one of the focus industries under Malaysia Digital. Therefore, MDEC is committed to ensuring that the industry receives the support it needs to remain viable, sustainable and competitive," he said.

Since 2016, MDEC has approved 94 projects worth RM36.4mil to digital creative content companies to fund their ideas at the development stage and ensure they are investor-friendly.

Registration for the Digital Content Grant 2022 is open until July 29. – Bernama