MDEC PRISMA Grants Open For M'sian Digital Content Creators To Apply

It’s an opportunistic month for creatives in Malaysia. Previously, Clubhouse announced their first ever accelerator programme to support creatives, and recently, MDEC just updated the 5 key programmes under their recent PRISMA and BATIK Digital grants.

PRISMA (Malaysian Creative Industry Stimulus Package) is an initiative by the Malaysian Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (KKMM) worth RM89.2 million in total and targeting to benefit about 9,000 creative industry players in Malaysia.

BATIK Digital and PRISMA will each offer up to RM40,000 and RM50,000 respectively. There will be a few cycles taking place and each cycle will only be accepting 40 applicants, with a total of 200 to 250 slots available for both programmes.

These 5 key programmes are:

Digital Creative Content Market Access and Business Matching (2Ps)
Digital Content Enterprise Development (EDP)
Creative Content Streaming
Digital Content Technology Infrastructure Support (BATIK Digital)
Digital Content Grant PRISMA (DCG PRISMA)

1. Digital Creative Content Market Access and Business Matching (2Ps)

Objective: To provide assistance to companies who are offering digital creative content services and IP commercialisation.

What It Does: Exposes companies to the international market, creates business opportunities for their IP and/or services, and creates sales and commercialisation of their IP and/or their services.

Eligible Applicants: (B2B) Digital creative content companies and studios that are involved in animation, interactive games, news media, and digital comics.

Duration of Programme: February to December 2021.

How To Apply: Through this form, but you’ll have to wait for the next cycle which you can inquire for more information on through Michelle (michelle@mdec.com.my) or Pow (hoiyee@mdec.com.my).

2. Digital Content Enterprise Development (EDP)

Objective: To minimise skill gaps in the digital creative content industry covering components such as technical, business acumen and educator development.

What It Does: Enables studios to recruit and onboard new hires by lowering the amount of in-house training required, encourages community-sharing through the formalisation of instructions from industry seniors, and benefits cross-training business skills involving creative knowledge.

Eligible Applicants: Institute of higher learning students, fresh graduates (diploma or degree), unemployed talents, as well as semi-skilled and skilled talents.

Duration of Programme: March to December 2021.

How To Apply: Through here. Registration will be opened at least two weeks before every session.

3. Creative Content Streaming

Objective: To help Malaysians, especially the youths, who are interested in deepening their knowledge in the online streaming industry and the production of creative video content.

What It Does: Encourages new live streaming activities for digital games made by Malaysians, establishes promotional and training platforms for local digital games on social media, and encourages the generation of new content and revenue through online video platforms.

Eligible Applicants: Malaysians 16 years old and above who are interested in digital games and creative content. Applicants with no development and streaming experience will be prioritised.

Duration of Programme: March to July 2021.

How To Apply: Through this form. The deadline for registration is April 11, 2021.

4. Digital Content Technology Infrastructure Support (BATIK Digital)

Objective: To maintain content quality, data security and consistency of deliverables in adapting to the new norm through the reimbursement of incentive for technology solutions.

What It Does: Reduces companies/studios’ additional software and hardware cost, intensifies local studios’ readiness to capture global opportunities and be on par with international studios, and ensures business operation continuity for local creative studios that are affected by the pandemic.

Eligible Applicants: Companies or studios involved in the development and creation of animation, digital games, interactive media, and digital comics. They also need to have a proven track record and portfolio in IP creation or work-for-hire services in digital creative content.

Duration of Programme: March to July 2021.

How To Apply: Through this form. There are three batches, so the closing dates are April 15, April 30, and May 25, 2021.

5. Digital Content Grant PRISMA (DCG PRISMA)

Objective: To help local creative industry players adopt and adapt to the new norm through the creation of new and compelling Intellectual Properties (IP), create opportunities for companies to keep developing quality creative content, and provide digital marketing and distribution activities.

What It Does: Encourages the creation of new digital creative content that can be accepted, marketed and showcased globally, provides opportunities and platforms for industry players to develop and create digital creative content, and supports digital creative content creators in digital marketing and the promotion of existing digital creative content.

Eligible Applicants: Companies or studios involved in the development and creation of animation, digital games, interactive media and digital comics, with more than 50% equity owned by a Malaysian. Members in the programme are also required to have more than 1 year of experience and a proven portfolio in creative content management.

Duration of Programme: March to December 2021.

How To Apply: Through this form. There are three batches, so the closing dates are April 15, April 30, and May 25 2021.

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The PRISMA initiative is meant to realise some of the goals of MyDIGITAL, which includes producing 200 IPs (from animation to games) for this sector, achieving an 8% annual growth rate for digital content exports as well as attaining a top 20 ranking for Knowledge and Technology under the Global Innovation Index.

According to a MIDA Insights report, the country’s digital games sector contributed US$100 million in revenue for 2018 and will be experiencing a compound annual growth rate of 10.9% (2018 to 2023), MDEC CEO Surina Shukri pointed out.

“These five MDEC-led programmes are now aligned with PRISMA and updated to ensure that they can continue to meet the growing demands of the digital workforce and keep up with industry trends. In fact, some of these programmes have been industry mainstay initiatives and have enabled the animation and digital games sectors to flourish,” she concluded.