Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment and Made in NY Media Center by IFP Announce Launch of Made in NY Entrepreneur Innovation Grants

New Grant Will Support Multi-Disciplinary Projects in Media/Technology, Filmmaking, Gaming

September 9, 2015 - Media and Entertainment Commissioner Cynthia López and Made in NY Media Center by IFP Executive Director Joana Vicente have 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 post production.

“Funding is an important and necessary stage in the creative process,” said Commissioner Cynthia López, Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. “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. This is yet another example of how the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment is committed to helping our creative community thrive.”

“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 and the Made in NY Media Center by 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.”

“The Made in NY Media Center by IFP is home to dozens of creative media and technology innovators, and this grant strengthens the City’s commitment to helping emerging businesses succeed and thrive,” said NYCEDC Senior Vice President Kate Daly. “This grant will provide recipients with some financial flexibility, allowing them the opportunity to take risks, make necessary investments, grow, and create more jobs for New Yorkers.”

The Made in NY Entrepreneur Innovation Grants are open to individual content creators and/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. 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. To apply or for more information on eligibility requirements, visit http://bit.ly/madeinnygrant.

Applications are due by 11:59pm Eastern time on October 13, 2015. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to present in front of a review panel made up of Made in NY Media Center and IFP Staff and industry leaders, including Joana Vicente; Sabrina Dridje, Director of the Made in NY Media Center by IFP; Tom Constabile, Associate Director of Verizon Ventures; Noah Harlan, Founder of Two Bulls; and Julie Motto, Founder of Motto Pictures.

Recipients will be named in October in conjunction with the second anniversary of the Made in NY Media Center by IFP.