Creative alliances: Fostering global partnerships in cultural policies and CCI innovation

The HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-05 grant opportunity, titled "Creative Alliances: Fostering Global Partnerships in Cultural Policies and CCI Innovation," is part of the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically under the Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society call for 2026. This is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (RIA), focusing on engaging diverse stakeholders in cultural policies and creative industries across geographical boundaries.

The application process is a single-stage open call, set to open on May 12, 2026, and close on September 23, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The total budget for this opportunity is €15 million, with an expected number of four grants, each ranging from €3 million to €3.75 million.

Eligible applicants include research organizations, policy think-tanks, representatives from the creative industries, artist organizations, individual artists, tech communities, and cultural organizations from Europe and partner world regions. Notably, the opportunity encourages the inclusion of legal entities from Africa, the Far East, South-East Asia, and Latin America in consortia, which is a requirement. Proposals must include at least three entities from these regions as beneficiaries.

The focus of this grant is twofold. The first focus area examines how collaborations in the creative industries can foster economic growth, innovation, and social inclusion, supporting projects that highlight good practices and develop replicable models. The second area explores how cultural diplomacy and international relations can enhance mutual understanding and cooperation, addressing challenges like conflict and promoting cultural partnerships that emphasize diversity and inclusion.

Projects should aim to implement pilot initiatives demonstrating cross-regional collaboration, and proposers are expected to deliver comprehensive proposals that detail their plans and budget. The outcome of the funded projects should include actionable strategies for policymakers and stakeholders to enhance global cultural ties through creative industries.

Co-funding is not required; the lump sum grant will cover eligible costs. There are no specified success rates, but given the competitive nature of such funding, it is expected that there will be a limited number of successful applicants. The grant supports the European Commission's commitment to utilizing culture and creativity as tools for sustainable development and diplomatic engagement on a global scale.

This EU grant opportunity, HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-05, falls under the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society 2026 call. It is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with a lump sum grant type. The call is a single-stage process, with a planned opening date of May 12, 2026, and a deadline of September 23, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget for the topic is 15,000,000 EUR, and the indicative contribution per grant ranges from 3,000,000 to 3,750,000 EUR. Approximately four grants are expected to be awarded.

The project aims to achieve the following outcomes:

Deepened understanding and comprehensive evaluation of cultural policy models, creative industry ecosystems, and strategies for promoting creative industries across world regions, identifying good practices, success stories, and replicable models.

Identification of innovative practices, policy approaches, shared challenges, and opportunities for cross-regional collaboration and global development of creative industries.

Establishment of international equal partnerships and collaborations to exchange cultural policy approaches, boost creative industries, and/or support collaborative production or co-creation, facilitating knowledge transfer and capacity building among participating actors.

Availability of actionable strategies to policymakers, businesses, and stakeholders for cross-regional collaborations that strengthen cultural ties, leverage creative industries, culture, and the arts as central to Global Europe, and support global culture- and creativity-driven innovation and resilience.

The scope of the grant focuses on how international partnerships can strengthen cultural policies and creative industries innovation, promote cross-cultural collaboration, and support sustainable development and global relations. Proposals should examine innovative approaches that benefit partners worldwide while enhancing Europe's global standing through cultural cooperation. The topic has two distinct but interconnected focuses, and proposals should select one but may also consider complementarities and synergies with the other:

Focus 1: Cultural and creative industries’ innovation beyond borders: This focus area recognizes the growing global importance of creative industries in driving economic growth, job creation, and opportunities for various groups, including youth, women, and persons with disabilities. It emphasizes the potential of the EU's approach to creative industries, which involves investing in digital and green transitions, adopting ethical and open AI, and leveraging cultural heritage, as a model for other regions. Proposals should establish pilot projects to demonstrate the potential of cross-regional cooperation in creative industries, addressing specific regional challenges and opportunities. They may leverage the EU Global Gateway strategy to foster resilient, inclusive, and innovative global partnerships, with Africa, the Far East, South-East Asia, and Latin America being particularly promising regions for cooperation.

Focus 2: International cultural relations for global resilience: This focus area addresses the importance of cultural diplomacy, international cultural relations, and soft power in enhancing mutual understanding, building trust, and fostering dialogue and cooperation across borders. Proposals should establish pilot projects to test innovative forms of international cultural relations, such as initiatives fostering intercultural dialogue among communities experiencing tension or affected by conflict; collaborative artistic projects promoting mutual understanding and countering nationalism, xenophobia or conflict; cultural partnerships that avoid asymmetric power dynamics; or joint activities demonstrating how culture can strengthen societal resilience through inclusion, diversity, openness and how arts, design and cultural practices contribute to social cohesion. Africa, the Far East, South-East Asia, Latin America are regions of particular interest for this focus area as well.

Projects should establish mechanisms for ongoing collaboration that leverage each region's cultural assets and industry innovations to address global and local challenges. Proposals addressing either focus may also explore ways to address unequal access to global markets and imbalances in partnerships within the creative economy, with attention to gender and other intersectional aspects shaping opportunities and participation. Research organisations, policy think-tanks, creative industries representatives, artist organisations/artists, tech communities, and cultural organisations from Europe and partner world regions are encouraged to participate. Proposals should involve CCSI representatives from the outset to ensure their central role. Proposals need not cover all CCSI but may focus on a specific area for in-depth analysis to develop a strong knowledge base and highlight strategic directions and routes to improvement. Proposals should explore synergies with other EU programmes supporting international cultural and creative partnerships, including the European Spaces of Culture, and may seek complementarities with projects funded under the topic HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-07. International cooperation is encouraged to achieve the topic’s expected outcomes.

The general conditions for this grant include:

Admissibility Conditions: The proposal page limit for Part B of the Research and Innovation Action (RIA) application using lump sum is 50 pages. A detailed budget table must also be submitted using the template available in the Submission System.

Eligible Countries: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions may exist for non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Other Eligible Conditions: The consortium must include at least three entities from at least one of the world regions identified (Africa, the Far East, South-East Asia, Latin America). Legal entities from these regions must take part in the project as beneficiaries. Legal entities established in these regions are exceptionally eligible for Union funding.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: As described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds: As described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes: As described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: As described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Legal and financial set-up of the grants: Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. The granting authority may object to a transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results for up to 4 years after the end of the action.

Specific conditions are as described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including a standard application form (HE RIA, IA).

Evaluation form templates will be used with necessary adaptations, including a standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA).

Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.

Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the Lump Sum MGA.

Call-specific instructions include a detailed budget table (HE LS) and guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include:

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 5. Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes

HE Programme Guide

HE Framework Programme 2021/695

HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764

EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509

Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme

Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment

EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement

Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual

Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions

Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

There are partner search announcements available for collaboration on this topic. The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

This Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action grant seeks to foster global partnerships in cultural policies and creative industries innovation. It encourages projects that explore how international collaborations can strengthen cultural policies, promote cross-cultural collaboration, and support sustainable development. The grant focuses on two main areas: fostering innovation in creative industries beyond borders and promoting international cultural relations for global resilience. Applicants must form a consortium with at least three entities from Africa, the Far East, South-East Asia, or Latin America. The EU provides funding as a lump sum, and projects should aim to create actionable strategies for policymakers and stakeholders to leverage culture and creativity for global impact.

Eligible Applicant Types: Research organisations, policy think-tanks, creative industries representatives, artist organisations/artists, tech communities, and cultural organisations from Europe and partner world regions are encouraged to participate.

Funding Type: Grant. Specifically, it is a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required. The consortium must include at least three entities from at least one of the world regions identified (Africa, the Far East, South-East Asia, Latin America). Legal entities from these regions must take part in the project as beneficiaries.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The opportunity is open to entities from Europe and partner world regions, with a specific requirement for entities from Africa, the Far East, South-East Asia, and Latin America to be included in the consortium.

Target Sector: Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society, Cultural Policies, Creative Industries, Arts, Digital transition, Green transition, Ethical and open AI, Cultural Heritage.

Mentioned Countries: Africa, the Far East, South-East Asia, Latin America, East Timor, Portuguese-speaking African countries, European Union.

Project Stage: The project stage is expected to be at the pilot project stage, focusing on demonstration and validation of cross-regional cooperation in creative industries and innovative forms of international cultural relations.

Funding Amount: The funding range is variable, depending on the specific topic within the call, but generally ranges from around 3,000,000 EUR to 6,000,000 EUR. For the specific topic HORIZON-CL2-2026-01-HERITAGE-05, the contributions range from 3,000,000 EUR to 3,750,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated, but can be inferred from the indicative number of grants for each topic and the overall budget.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is not explicitly mentioned as a requirement.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society pillar, aims to foster global partnerships in cultural policies and creative industries innovation. It encourages cross-cultural collaboration and supports sustainable development and global relations through innovative approaches. The call has two main focuses: promoting cultural and creative industries' innovation beyond borders and fostering international cultural relations for global resilience. Eligible applicants include research organizations, policy think-tanks, creative industries representatives, artist organizations, tech communities, and cultural organizations from Europe, Africa, the Far East, South-East Asia, and Latin America. Projects should establish pilot projects, mechanisms for ongoing collaboration, and actionable strategies for policymakers and stakeholders. Funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and consortia must include at least three entities from Africa, the Far East, South-East Asia, or Latin America. The call emphasizes international cooperation and synergies with other EU programs supporting cultural and creative partnerships.