European Cooperation Projects Medium Scale

Creative Europe — Culture strand CREA-CULT funds medium-scale transnational projects in the cultural and creative sectors (excluding exclusively audiovisual content) addressing either transnational creation and circulation of European works or capacity-building and innovation. Projects must form a consortium of at least five independent entities from five different eligible countries and may run up to 48 months. The maximum EU contribution is €1,000,000 per project at a funding rate of up to 70% under a lump-sum grant model, with financial and operational capacity checks during grant preparation. The call opens 5 March 2026 and the submission deadline is 5 May 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time, submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the official templates.

European Cooperation Projects Medium Scale (CREA-CULT-2026-COOP-2)

What it funds

Scope and objectives

Transnational cultural and creative projects that strengthen cross-border creation and circulation of European works (Objective 1) or build capacity and innovation in the cultural and creative sectors (Objective 2). Activities include co-productions, mobility of artists and professionals, audience development, capacity-building, experimentation with new practices or models, inclusion and green/digital transitions.

Programme and grant type:Creative Europe — Culture strand. Action grants under CREA Lump Sum Grants. Proposals must present a clear cross-border cooperation dimension ¹.

Who can apply

Consortia of legal entities active in the cultural and creative sectors. Applicants must be established in eligible Creative Europe countries and registered in the Participant Register. Natural persons are not eligible except self-employed persons where permitted.

Consortium composition:Medium scale projects require at least 5 independent entities from 5 different eligible countries. The coordinator must have existed for at least 2 years. Organisations may participate as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners or subcontractors.

Money and funding rules

Maximum EU grant per project €1,000,000. Funding rate up to 70% of eligible costs. Grants are lump sum based on the detailed budget table; eligible costs and lump sum calculation rules apply.

1. 1Maximum grant: €1,000,000 per project
2. 2Funding rate: up to 70% of eligible costs
3. 3Form: CREA Lump Sum Grant (CREA-LS)
4. 4Estimated available budget for Medium Scale topic: approx. €36,163,904 (call-level budget €60,273,174 across topics)

Key deadlines and timetable

Selection and practical notes

Proposals are evaluated against relevance, quality of content and activities, project management and dissemination (total 100 points; pass = 70 overall and minimum per-criterion thresholds). Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal; Part B is limited to 50 pages. Financial and operational capacity checks apply during grant preparation.

1. 1Admissibility: submit complete application using Portal templates; Part B page limit applies
2. 2Eligibility: legal entities established in eligible countries; consortium minimums apply
3. 3Reporting and payments: lump-sum structure; prefinancing normally paid after grant entry into force; no interim payments
4. 4Financial support to third parties allowed under conditions (open calls, transparency, max per third party as specified in the call)

Further details, eligibility lists, application templates, evaluation criteria and administrative rules are in the official call documents and annexes available on the Funding & Tenders Portal. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Call fiche and full call document (call CREA-CULT-2026-COOP) on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: CREA-CULT-2026-COOP call page

European Cooperation Projects Medium Scale - CREA-CULT-2026-COOP-2

This is an open call for proposals under the Creative Europe Programme, Culture strand. It funds transnational European Cooperation Projects of medium scale that strengthen the transnational creation and circulation of European works and artists or enhance innovation and capacity building in the cultural and creative sectors. The action uses a lump sum grant model with a maximum EU contribution of €1,000,000 per project at up to 70 percent funding rate. The call is managed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and follows a single-stage submission and one-step evaluation process via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.

Primary sources:Topic page and submission EU Funding and Tenders Portal - CREA-CULT-2026-COOP-2. Call fiche and rules Call fiche PDF. Application templates and MGA references are provided on the topic page and Portal Reference Documents.

Opportunity Summary and Core Parameters

• Programme and action: Creative Europe, Culture strand; European Cooperation Projects Medium Scale
• Topic code: CREA-CULT
• Type of action: CREA-LS CREA Lump Sum Grants; Model Grant Agreement: CREA Lump Sum Grant [CREA-AG-LS]
• Submission model: Single-stage
• Opening date: 05 March 2026
• Deadline: 05 May 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time
• Maximum EU grant per project: €1,000,000
• Funding rate: up to 70 percent of lump sum
• Indicative topic budget: €36,163,904 for Medium Scale; overall call budget €60,273,174 shared with Small Scale
• Expected number of projects supported under the action: approximately 150 across the call
• Maximum project duration: normally up to 48 months
• Deadline model: single stage; one step evaluation

Objectives, Scope, and Expected Impact

Mandatory choice of one objective:Applicants must select exactly one of the two objectives in Part C of the application and explain alignment in Part B section 1.1.

• Objective 1 - Transnational creation and circulation: Strengthen cross-border coproduction, creation, distribution, and circulation of works and artists; integrate new and creative ways of producing and disseminating content.
• Objective 2 - Innovation: Capacity-building to nurture talents, innovate, prosper, and generate jobs and growth; includes technological, artistic, social and societal innovations such as audience engagement, improved working conditions, gender equality, inclusion, climate action, digitisation and AI for the benefit of creators, and culture’s contribution to health and well-being.

Activities in scope (non-exhaustive):Transnational mobility of artists and professionals; audience development and improved access to works; capacity building and new skills for cultural professionals and emerging artists; innovative approaches to creation, revenue, management, and marketing; inclusion, gender equality, intercultural dialogue, EU values; active involvement of youth in innovation and co-creation; awareness-raising on shared European history, values, and cultural diversity.

Expected impact:Transformative impact on Europe’s cultural landscape via cross-border partnerships, greater global presence and access to European art, diffusion of cutting-edge practices, enhanced competitiveness of the sector, and new avenues for professional skills and careers. Transnational exchanges are expected to increase the European dimension of creation, circulation, and uptake of innovative practices.

Eligibility and Consortium Rules

• Eligible applicants: Legal entities (public or private bodies) established in Creative Europe participating countries. International organisations are eligible. Entities without legal personality may participate if conditions are met. EU bodies (except JRC) are not eligible. Natural persons are not eligible, except self-employed persons where the company lacks separate legal personality.
• Geographic eligibility: EU Member States including overseas countries and territories, and non-EU countries associated to Creative Europe as listed in the programme’s list of participating countries. Participation of organisations from EU outermost regions, overseas countries and territories, peripheral and rural areas is encouraged. Ukrainian organisations are encouraged and supported due to the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression.
• Consortium composition for Medium Scale: Minimum 5 independent entities from 5 different eligible countries. The coordinator must have legal existence for at least 2 years by the deadline.
• Participation caps: An organisation can apply once as coordinator across COOP-1 and COOP-2 and can be part of a maximum of 3 applications in this call, regardless of topic. Affiliated entities and associated partners do not count toward these limits.
• Sectors: Open to all cultural and creative sectors and interdisciplinary projects. Projects exclusively involving the audiovisual sector or producing exclusively audiovisual content are not targeted under this action (dedicated MEDIA support exists).

Financial Framework and Grant Model

• Form of funding: Lump sum grant. The lump sum is fixed by the granting authority based on the project’s detailed estimated budget and the applicable funding rate.
• Funding rate: Up to 70 percent for Medium Scale projects.
• Co-funding: Required. At least 30 percent of the total eligible project budget must be covered by non-EU sources.
• Cost basis: The detailed budget table provided at submission underpins the lump sum fixing and must respect eligibility principles applicable to actual cost grants, including best value for money for purchases and subcontracting, and absence of conflicts of interest.
• Financial support to third parties: Allowed. Grants or prizes to third parties must follow EU transparency and fairness standards, with calls open at least two months, and a maximum €60,000 per third-party recipient. The European dimension of such calls must be clear.
• Ineligible elements to consider: Volunteer costs are not eligible; costs relating to associated partners and beneficiaries from ineligible countries are not eligible; travel, accommodation, and subsistence must adhere to Commission Decision C(2021)35 parameters when using unit costs.
• Payments: Prefinancing normally 80 percent after signature; no interim payments; balance payment at end based on assessment of deliverables and results. Prefinancing guarantees may be required in specific cases.

Evaluation and Award

• Evaluation process: One-step evaluation by an expert panel after checks for admissibility and eligibility.
• Award criteria and points: Relevance 30 points (threshold 15), Quality of content and activities 30 points (threshold 15), Project management 20 points (threshold 10), Dissemination 20 points (threshold 10). Overall threshold 70 points out of 100.
• Tie-breaking: Priority to themes not otherwise covered, then higher Relevance score, then Dissemination, then Quality of content and activities, followed by portfolio considerations for geographical and thematic balance.
• Indicative timeline: Evaluation May to October 2026; information to applicants November 2026; grant agreement signature February 2027.

Administrative Conditions and Submission

• Admissibility: Part B page limit 50 pages. Use only the Part B template downloaded from the Portal’s Submission System for this topic.
• Submission: Electronic only via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal; paper submissions not accepted.
• Application package: Part A online admin data and summary budget; Part B technical description (uploaded PDF); Part C online KPI and additional data; mandatory annexes including the detailed budget table and list of previous key projects for the last 4 years.
• Participant registration: All beneficiaries, affiliated entities, and associated partners must be registered in the Participant Register and validated for legal status and origin.
• Project duration: Normally up to 48 months; extensions possible via amendment if duly justified.
• Ethics and EU values: Projects must respect EU values, ethics, applicable EU, international and national law; no pornographic or racist material or advocacy of violence.
• Exclusion and conditionality: Entities subject to EU restrictive measures under TEU Article 29 and TFEU Article 215 are ineligible. Entities affected by EU conditionality measures (e.g. certain Hungarian public interest trusts and entities they maintain under Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506) are ineligible in funded roles.

Work Plan Structure and Deliverables

Proposals must group activities into coherent Work Packages linked to relevant deliverables. Deliverables should show scope, reach, progress, and success. The call document provides non-exhaustive examples of horizontal and implementation work packages and typical deliverables.

• WP Management, administration and coordination: planning, meetings, reporting, monitoring gender equality and diversity, eco-sustainability agreements; deliverables include agendas, minutes, progress and quality reports, planning reports.
• WP Communication and dissemination: communication plan, website, newsletters, publications, social media, PR, statistical analysis, branding, visibility of EU funding.
• WP Artistic and creative expression: rehearsals, co-productions, concerts, exhibitions, festivals, translations, circulation of works, digitisation with accessible interfaces; deliverables include schedules, prototypes, artworks, performances, technology-based products, publications.
• WP Capacity building: residencies, apprenticeships, mentoring, training, master classes, incubators; deliverables include schedules, evaluation reports, presence lists.
• WP Networking and knowledge sharing: conferences, workshops, seminars, research, studies, policy analysis, surveys, market access; deliverables include programmes, attendance lists, conclusions, analysis and policy papers.

What the Opportunity Covers by Category

Eligible Applicant Types

Eligible applicants are legal entities established in Creative Europe participating countries. This includes, but is not limited to: SMEs and larger enterprises active in cultural and creative sectors; nonprofit organisations and NGOs; universities and higher education institutions; research and cultural institutes; foundations; museums, libraries, archives and cultural heritage bodies; festivals and cultural venues; local, regional, and national public authorities and public bodies; international organisations. Natural persons are not eligible, except self-employed persons where their enterprise has no separate legal personality. Creative Europe Desk host organisations may apply if they can demonstrate strict separation of costs and functions between the Desk and project roles.

Funding Type

Grant. Specifically a lump sum action grant under Creative Europe.

Consortium Requirement

Consortium required. Minimum 5 independent entities from 5 different eligible countries for Medium Scale projects. The coordinator must exist for at least 2 years at deadline.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

Applicants must be established in Creative Europe participating countries: EU Member States including overseas countries and territories, and non-EU countries associated to Creative Europe as listed by the programme. Participation from outermost regions and overseas countries and territories is encouraged, as is collaboration with Ukrainian organisations. Cooperation with European Neighbourhood Policy countries not associated to the programme is possible via associated partners without funding.

Target Sector

All cultural and creative sectors, including architecture; archives; libraries and museums; artistic crafts; tangible and intangible cultural heritage; design including fashion; festivals; music; literature; performing arts including theatre and dance; books and publishing; radio; visual arts. Interdisciplinary projects are welcome. Projects exclusively audiovisual or limited to the audiovisual sector are not targeted under this action.

Mentioned Countries

EU Member States; European Economic Area associated countries to Creative Europe; overseas countries and territories linked to EU Member States; Ukraine is explicitly encouraged. The call also references European Neighbourhood Policy countries in the context of associated partners. Conditionality measures currently apply to certain Hungarian public interest trusts and entities they maintain.

Project Stage

Projects can cover development, production and co-production, capacity building and skills development, mobility, audience development and access, dissemination and circulation, awareness-raising, and networking. Emphasis is on implementation and transnational cooperation rather than idea-only concepts. Validation, demonstration, and diffusion of innovative practices are in scope.

Funding Amount

Up to €1,000,000 per project at a maximum 70 percent funding rate for Medium Scale. The call allocates indicatively €36,163,904 for Medium Scale and €60,273,174 across both Small and Medium Scale in 2026.

Application Type

Open call with single-stage submission through the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support

Money. Beneficiaries receive a lump sum grant disbursed as prefinancing and balance payment upon delivery of agreed outputs and results.

Application Stages

1. Single-stage submission; one-step evaluation. Grant preparation follows for successful proposals.

Success Rates

Not specified in the call documentation. No historical success rates are provided.

Co-funding Requirement

Yes. The EU contribution is capped at 70 percent, requiring at least 30 percent co-funding from the consortium through own resources, third-party contributions, or income generated by the action. The no-profit rule applies as per the Model Grant Agreement unless otherwise indicated in the Data Sheet.

Timeline and Process

Evaluation Criteria Details

Application Templates and Structure

Applicants must use the official templates available in the Submission System for this topic. Do not use the for-information-only forms on the public page for submission.

Part A - Administrative forms (online):General information; participant details for coordinator, beneficiaries, and affiliated entities; budget summary; declarations; ethics and security tables where applicable.

Part B - Technical description (uploaded PDF, 50-page limit for this call):Recommended structure mirrors the provided template: 1) Relevance: background and objectives, needs analysis, complementarity and innovation, EU overarching priorities; 2) Quality of content and activities: concept, methodology and design; partnership and consortium; target groups and audiences; 3) Project management: governance and decision-making; project teams and roles; cost effectiveness and financial management; project management, QA, risk management, monitoring and evaluation; 4) Dissemination: impact and ambition; communication, dissemination, and EU visibility; 5) Work plan: work package descriptions with objectives, tasks, roles, milestones and deliverables, events and trainings, timetable; 6) Other: ethics and security (if applicable); 7) Declarations.

Mandatory annexes:Detailed budget table for lump sum calculation; list of previous key projects over the last 4 years. Additional documents such as CVs may be required if indicated. All annex templates are available in the Submission System under Download Part B templates.

Operational and Compliance Notes

• Lump sum fixing: The detailed budget must reflect real, eligible costs as per Annotated Model Grant Agreement Article 6 for actual cost grants. Ineligible cost elements in the estimate may lead to lump sum reduction.
• Purchases and subcontracting: Must ensure best value for money or lowest price when appropriate, with conflicts of interest avoided. Public buyers must apply national public procurement rules.
• Financial support to third parties: Describe necessity, management, selection criteria, eligible activities, recipient types, calculation of amounts, and expected results. Publish outcomes on participants’ websites, including selected projects and recipients.
• Associated partners: May participate without funding; their costs are not eligible. Useful for involving organisations from non-associated ENP countries.
• Exclusions and sanctions: Entities under EU restrictive or conditionality measures are ineligible in funded roles. Misrepresentation can lead to rejection under Article 143 of the Financial Regulation.
• Green and digital: Integrate environmental sustainability and human-centric digital practices in line with EU priorities, including the European Green Deal, New European Bauhaus, and the EU Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles.
• Inclusion and equality: Projects must incorporate inclusion and gender equality in design and delivery, aligning with EU strategies on gender equality, anti-racism, Roma inclusion, LGBTIQ equality, and rights of persons with disabilities.
• Communication and EU visibility: Use the European emblem and standard funding statement in all communications, with prominence at least equal to other logos.

Support and Contact

• Topic page and submission: CREA-CULT-2026-COOP-2 Topic
• General call page: Calls list for CREA-CULT-2026-COOP
• Helpdesk and manuals: Funding and Tenders Portal Online Manual; IT Helpdesk via the Portal; general FAQ on submissions
• Email for call-related questions: EACEA-CREATIVE-EUROPE-COOPERATIONPROJECTS@ec.europa.eu
• Creative Europe Desks: National contact points can help identify partners and interpret call priorities.

Comprehensive Answers to Categorisation Questions

Eligible Applicant Types:Legal entities in Creative Europe participating countries including SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, nonprofits, NGOs, foundations, cultural institutions such as museums, libraries, archives, festivals, cultural heritage bodies, public sector bodies at local, regional, national level, and international organisations. Natural persons are not eligible except self-employed persons without separate legal personality. Creative Europe Desk host organisations may apply subject to strict cost separation and functional segregation.

Funding Type:Grant in the form of a lump sum action grant under Creative Europe.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium. Minimum 5 independent entities from 5 different eligible countries for Medium Scale projects. Coordinator must have at least 2 years of legal existence at deadline.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU Member States including overseas countries and territories; non-EU countries associated to Creative Europe as per the official list of participating countries. Collaboration with organisations from ENP countries not associated to the programme can occur as associated partners without funding. Involvement from outermost regions and rural or peripheral areas is encouraged. Ukrainian organisations are encouraged to participate.

Target Sector:Cultural and creative sectors broadly defined: architecture, archives, libraries, museums, artistic crafts, cultural heritage, design and fashion, festivals, music, literature, performing arts, theatre and dance, books and publishing, radio, visual arts, and interdisciplinary combinations. Projects exclusively audiovisual or focused solely on the audiovisual sector are not targeted under this action.

Mentioned Countries:EU Member States; EEA and associated countries to Creative Europe; overseas countries and territories linked to EU Member States; Ukraine. References also include European Neighbourhood Policy countries for associated partners and specific conditionality measures affecting certain Hungarian public interest trusts and entities they maintain.

Project Stage:Implementation-oriented projects covering development and coproduction, capacity building, mobility, audience development, dissemination and circulation, and awareness-raising. Suitable for development, validation, demonstration, and scale-up of innovative practices across cultural and creative sectors.

Funding Amount:Up to €1,000,000 per project from the EU, at a maximum of 70 percent funding rate. Indicative topic budget for Medium Scale is €36,163,904 within an overall 2026 call budget of €60,273,174.

Application Type:Open call, single-stage submission via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.

Nature of Support:Money. Lump sum grant disbursed as prefinancing and final balance based on deliverables and results. Non-financial services are not the primary instrument under this topic.

Application Stages:1 stage. Submit full proposal once; evaluation and ranking; invitation to grant preparation for successful proposals.

Success Rates:Not provided in the call documentation. No quantified success rate is available.

Co-funding Requirement:Yes. Applicants must secure at least 30 percent co-funding to complement the EU’s maximum 70 percent contribution.

Templates and How the Application Forms Look

• Part A online administrative forms: Topic and call data; consortium composition; legal status; SME data; contacts; overall duration and abstract; declarations; ethics and security tables.
• Part B technical narrative (uploaded PDF; 50-page limit for this call): Relevance; Quality of content and activities; Project management; Dissemination; Work plan with Work Packages, tasks, roles, milestones and deliverables; Events and trainings; Timetable; Ethics and security if applicable; Declarations.
• Annexes: Detailed budget table for lump sum calculation; list of previous projects over the last 4 years; any other annexes requested by the call. Model templates and guidance are provided in the Submission System and Portal Reference Documents.
• Work Package tables: For each WP include objectives; tasks with participant roles; milestones with means of verification; deliverables with type, level of dissemination, due month, and description including format, languages, expected volume; estimated resources in the detailed budget table.
• Events and trainings table: For each event provide type, topics, location, duration, and estimated attendance or audience size with realistic figures that align with risk mitigation measures.
• Timetable: Use project month numbering for up to 24 months or yearly quarters for longer projects to show sequencing of tasks per WP.
• Ethics and security: Complete ethics issues table and self-assessment if applicable; confirm any security issues related to sensitive or classified information are managed per EU rules.

Key Compliance and Risk Points

• Page limit: Part B is strictly limited to 50 pages. Excess pages are disregarded by evaluators.
• Generative AI policy: Applicants remain fully responsible for content. If AI tools are used to prepare the proposal, verify accuracy, provide sources, ensure no plagiarism, and disclose tools and usage.
• Multiple participation control: Organisations must monitor inclusion across proposals and address any unauthorised use of their PIC; a formal complaint route exists via the Portal Helpdesk.
• Lump sum reliability: Since lump sums are proxies for actual costs, ensure estimates are realistic, eligible, and reflect best value for money for procurement and subcontracting.
• Associated partners vs beneficiaries: Associated partners do not receive EU funding and their costs are not eligible. Use them to widen reach, including partners from non-associated ENP countries.
• Green, inclusion, and digital mainstreaming: Proposals should explicitly integrate green measures, inclusion and gender equality, and human-centric digital approaches including accessible digitisation and appropriate use of AI.
• EU visibility and disclaimer: All communications and results must display EU emblem and the standard funding statement and disclaimer.

General Summary

European Cooperation Projects Medium Scale under Creative Europe funds ambitious, transnational cultural collaborations that either strengthen the creation and cross-border circulation of European works and artists or drive innovation and capacity building across cultural and creative sectors. Projects must form a consortium of at least five independent organisations from five different eligible countries and align clearly with one of two objectives: Transnational creation and circulation or Innovation. Activities can span mobility of artists, co-production, audience development, upskilling and mentoring, experimentation with new business models, inclusive practices, green transition, and human-centric digitisation including the beneficial use of AI for creativity. The grant uses a lump sum model with up to €1,000,000 in EU support per project at a maximum 70 percent rate, requiring at least 30 percent co-funding. Applicants submit a single-stage proposal via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal using the official templates, with a rigorous 50-page limit for Part B and clear structuring into Work Packages, deliverables, milestones, dissemination, and evaluation. Proposals are evaluated on Relevance, Quality of content and activities, Project management, and Dissemination with minimum thresholds and an overall 70-point threshold. The call strongly encourages inclusion, gender equality, youth engagement, environmental sustainability, and participation by organisations in outermost regions, rural and peripheral areas, and Ukrainian organisations. Successful projects are expected to enhance the European dimension of cultural creation and circulation, increase international visibility and access to European culture, and disseminate innovative practices that build resilience and competitiveness across the sector.

European Cooperation Projects Medium Scale (CREA-CULT-2026-COOP-2)

This call under the Creative Europe Programme (Culture strand) supports transnational projects involving organisations from the cultural and creative sectors (excluding exclusively audiovisual content) from different eligible countries. Projects must demonstrate a clear cross-border cooperation dimension and address one of two objectives: strengthening transnational creation and circulation of European works and artists (Objective 1), or enhancing capacity-building and innovation in the cultural and creative sectors (Objective 2). The call aims to foster innovation, improve access to European culture, promote creativity, and contribute to EU priorities such as digital and green transitions, inclusion, gender equality, and international relations.

Key Dates and Budget

Opening Date:5 March 2026.

Deadline:5 May 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time (single-stage submission).

Evaluation Period:May to October 2026.

Information to Applicants:November 2026.

Grant Agreement Signature:February 2027.

Call Budget:€36,163,904 for medium-scale projects (part of total €60,273,174 for small and medium-scale). Expected to support approximately 150 projects overall.

Funding Details

Maximum Grant per Project:€1,000,000.

Funding Rate:Up to 70% of eligible costs.

Grant Type:Lump Sum Grant (CREA-AG-LS). Budget categories include personnel, subcontracting, travel/subsistence, equipment, other goods/services, financial support to third parties (max €60,000 per recipient), and indirect costs (7% flat-rate). Detailed budget table required.

Project Duration:Up to 48 months (extensions possible if justified).

Eligibility and Consortium Requirements

Applicants must be legal entities (public or private) established in Creative Europe participating countries: EU Member States (including OCTs), EEA countries, and associated third countries (e.g., Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Ukraine). Natural persons are generally ineligible (except self-employed sole traders). EU bodies (except JRC) cannot participate.

• Minimum consortium: 5 independent entities from 5 different eligible countries.
• Coordinator must have existed for at least 2 years at deadline.
• One organisation (by PIC) can coordinate only once per call and participate in max 3 applications (as coordinator/partner). Affiliated entities and associated partners do not count towards limits.
• Proposals limited to 50 pages (Part B). Submit via Funding & Tenders Portal.

Ineligible Entities

• Entities subject to EU restrictive measures or conditionality measures (e.g., certain Hungarian public interest trusts).
• Exclusively audiovisual sector organisations or projects.

Objectives and Eligible Activities

Projects must select ONE objective in Part C of the application form and describe alignment in Part B (section 1.1). Activities must be grouped into coherent Work Packages with deliverables. Non-exhaustive examples include:

• Transnational mobility of artists/professionals.
• Audience development and access to cultural works.
• Capacity-building (skills for professionals/emerging artists).
• Inclusion, gender equality, intercultural dialogue.
• Youth involvement in cultural activities.
• Awareness-raising on EU history/values/diversity.

Projects should integrate EU priorities (digital/green transitions, inclusion/gender equality, international relations) and Culture Compass principles. Encourage participation from outermost regions, rural areas, and non-EU associated partners.

Evaluation Criteria

Overall threshold: 70/100 points. Priority for thematic/geographical balance.

Application Process and Documents

1. 1Register in Participant Register (PIC required).
2. 2Submit via Portal: Part A (admin/budget), Part B (technical, max 50 pages), Part C (project data/KPIs), detailed budget table, list of previous projects (last 4 years).
3. 3Download templates from Submission System only.
4. 4Contact: EACEA-CREATIVE-EUROPE-COOPERATIONPROJECTS@ec.europa.eu for call questions; IT Helpdesk for technical issues.

Primary source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Call document: Call Fiche. Model Grant Agreement: CREA Lump Sum Grant (CREA-AG-LS).

Additional Considerations

• Financial capacity check (exemptions for public bodies/cultural entities with >50% public revenue).
• Operational capacity assessed via staff profiles, previous projects.
• Ethics, security, data protection compliance required.
• Partner search available on Portal.

Footnotes

1. 1Subject to final 2026 budget adoption by EU authorities.