The New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and the NY Media Center by IFP announced the creation of a new grant for New York City-based projects. The Made in NY entrepreneur innovation grant will award several grants ranging from $5,000-$10,000 each to projects in early development focused on innovative approaches to content and delivery. The grants are open to projects and companies within media/technology, including virtual reality, gaming, filmmaking, animation and postproduction.
“Funding is an important and necessary stage in the creative process,” said Media and Entertainment Commissioner Cynthia López. “With the Made in NY entrepreneur innovation grants, New Yorkers will have the access and opportunity they need to better focus on the work at hand and bring their unique vision to life.”
The grants are open to individual content creators or businesses residing in or operating primarily in New York City. Media and technology companies must be in the beginning funding stages at the time of application. A range of projects will be considered, for example, from new ways to create and distribute virtual reality to new platforms and media projects leveraging mobile devices to innovative films and interactive documentaries. The grants look to support those who are engaging new technologies that create and disseminate media.
“The Made in NY Entrepreneur Innovation Grants are a rare opportunity for a small business or early stage project to receive equity-free funding,” said Joana Vicente, executive director of IFP. “This cash injection will allow entrepreneurs and innovators to kick start the progress of their businesses in their nascent stages. In a climate where investment and funding within the media/technology sectors are increasingly scarce and expensive, the grants provide equity and stake-free support to those pushing the boundaries of creative innovation.”
Grant awardees will become members of the Made in NY Media Center by IFP, a DUMBO, Brooklyn-based incubator developed through a partnership between Independent Filmmaker Project, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
For more information, visit http://bit.ly/madeinnygrant.
