Creative Europe - Innovative tools and business models

Deadline :
January 15, 2026 5:00 PM

Brussels time

Project Duration:
36 months
Funding available:
EUR 10 500 000
Partners required:
Single applicants are allowed

Funding programme

Creative Europe is the EU’s funding programme for providing support to the culture and audiovisual sectors.

Call overview

This call aims to support the development and/or the spread of innovative tools and business models to improve the visibility, availability, audience and diversity of European works in the digital age.

Objective

The Innovative tools and business models action is aimed at encouraging the development and/or the spread of innovative tools and business models to improve the visibility, availability, audience and diversity of European works in the digital age and/or the competitiveness and/or the greening process of the European audiovisual industry.

Expected results

  • Improve the competitiveness of the European audiovisual industry and seize the benefits of the innovative developments in technology and business models;
  • Improve the adaptation of the European audiovisual industry to the opportunities offered by Artificial Intelligence and the development of virtual worlds (also called Metaverse(s));
  • Improve the greening process of the European audiovisual industry;
  • Improve the production and circulation of European audiovisual works in the digital era;
  • Increase the number and diversity of European works available online and increase their visibility in order to allow them to reach more audiences.

Activities to be funded

The projects can include in particular:

  • Subtitling or accessibility/discoverability/recommendation tools to be widely used across borders and across platforms in order to improve the visibility, the availability and the audience potential of European audiovisual works;
  • Business tools improving the efficiency and the transparency of the audiovisual markets: automated rights management system, technology for data gathering and analysis;
  • Business models seeking to optimise the synergies and complementarities between the distribution platforms (festivals, cinemas, VOD…);
  • Business tools exploring new modes of production, financing, distribution or promotion enabled or enhanced by new technology (AI, big data, blockchain, Virtual worlds / Metaverse, NFT, etc.);
  • Innovative tools and business models improving the greening process of the audiovisual industry.

The action does not cover the development of hardware (e.g. cameras, virtual headsets...).

Applications should present adequate strategies to ensure more sustainable and more environmentally-respectful industry and to ensure gender balance, inclusion, diversity and representativeness.

Special emphasis will also be placed on attracting private investment and on own investment. Project’s ability to apply for a sound and reasonable level of EU public funding below the 80% authorised will be assessed.

Read more in the call document.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:

+ be legal entities (public or private bodies)

+ be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.: Creative Europe Participating Countries

  • EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories(OCTs))
  • non-EU countries: listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Creative Europe Programme (list of participating countries)

+ be established in one of the countries participating fully in the MEDIA strand of the Creative Europe Programme and owned directly or indirectly, wholly or by majority participation, by nationals from such countries. When a company is publicly listed, the location of the stock exchange will in principle determine its nationality.

Consortium composition

Applications by single applicants are allowed (single beneficiaries), as well as proposals submitted by a consortium of at least 2 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities).

Project duration

Max. 36 months.

Budget

The estimated available call budget is EUR 10 500 000.

Apply now

Deadline :
January 15, 2026 5:00 PM

Brussels time

Project Duration:
36 months
Funding available:
EUR 10 500 000
Partners required:
Single applicants are allowed