The video game development accelerator program will now run for two years
The 2026 edition of the Bologna Game Farm video game development call for proposals is now open. Bologna Game Farm is a public accelerator for the video game industry conceived and coordinated by the City of Bologna and supported by the Emilia-Romagna Region.
Focused exclusively on the regional level, the sixth edition of the call for proposals is open to companies, freelancers, and—for the first time—associations and individuals. This is intended to tap into the enormous creative and design potential of professionals, students, and enthusiasts who make up Emilia-Romagna’s gaming ecosystem, whose diversity and enthusiasm were evident during the numerous acceleration days open to the public in previous editions.
The 2026 Call for Proposals: A Two-Year Horizon for a Two-Phase Program
The first phase of Bologna Game Farm will take place from May to October 2026 and will support up to eight projects through a pre-acceleration program aimed at developing a professional vertical slice; a pitch and presentation deck; a budget plan for the video game’s development; and a concrete release strategy.
The second phase of the program will take place in 2027 and will aim to support two teams—selected at the end of the pre-acceleration program—in the actual development of their video games and the implementation of their publication strategies. The two selected teams will each receive a non-repayable grant of 15,000 euros under the de minimis rule for the production and market release of their respective video games.
As in previous editions, Bologna Game Farm’s pre-acceleration activities will be held at the Serre di ART-ER space in Bologna’s Giardini Margherita, a hub dedicated to innovative startups and the regional ecosystem that supports business creation.
During the pre-acceleration program, several “open days” and Open events will be held to share highly professional mentoring sessions with the entire gaming ecosystem of Emilia-Romagna.
How to Apply for the 2026 Call for Proposals
To participate in the selection process for the eight projects that will advance to the pre-acceleration program, applicants must submit a B2C video game prototype, even if it is at an early stage of development.
The application must be completed in its entirety and submitted no later than 1:00 p.m. on April 29, 2026, via this link.
During the call for proposals, two introductory webinars will be held, with ample time for questions and answers. The dates of these online events will be announced shortly on the Bologna Game Farm website and communication channels.
To access the call for proposals and its attachments, please visit the website:
For more information, please write to:
The First Five Editions
Since 2021, Bologna Game Farm has been a project dedicated to the development of video game prototypes and product commercialization plans, promoted by the Emilia-Romagna Region and the City of Bologna, coordinated by the City of Bologna, and implemented with ART-ER as part of initiatives to support the cultural and creative industries, in collaboration with IncrediBOL!.
The objectives of Bologna Game Farm are to foster the growth of new professional skills and the development of video game products, while promoting collaboration between the gaming sector and other productive sectors across the country within the innovation ecosystem.
After five editions—three regional and two national—Bologna Game Farm has established itself as a well-established, nationwide project that has so far facilitated the production of 26 accelerated video games, some of which have already been released on the market and others are nearing release.
Thanks to its consistent participation in the industry’s most important international trade shows, the project has also gained a foothold at the European level as a partner in networks composed of gaming incubators and accelerators.