Applicants must meet the definition of a NY Digital Gaming production company and be structured in that fashion.

New York State production costs must be at least 75% of the project’s total production costs.

Upstate Bonus: a 10% bump on qualified expenses incurred in certain Upstate counties, including Albany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates. This means that for Upstate spending, the full credit is 35%.

Projects must first submit an initial application, including a project summary, game design document, estimated budget, estimated schedule, and diversity plan, in order to determine eligibility. Initial applications are due prior to the start of production but no more than 90 days prior.

Once the initial application is approved, projects must submit a final application, including a finalized project summary, employment report, related persons report, proof of screen credit, ledger reports, and diversity report. Final applications are due after the project has been completed and all costs have been incurred.