European Cooperation Projects Small Scale

The Creative Europe Culture strand CREA-CULT funds transnational small-scale cultural and creative projects via lump-sum grants to consortia of at least three independent legal entities from three eligible countries, addressing either transnational creation and circulation or capacity-building and innovation. The maximum EU grant is €200,000 at up to 80% co-financing, projects may run up to 48 months, and financial support to third parties is permitted under conditions. Applications must be submitted electronically through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the prescribed Part A/Part B/Part C and annex templates; the call opens 5 March 2026 with a deadline of 5 May 2026, 17:00 Brussels time. Proposals are evaluated on relevance, quality of content and activities, project management and dissemination with an overall threshold of 70/100.

European Cooperation Projects Small Scale (CREA-CULT-2026-COOP-1)

What it funds

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 can include co-productions, mobility of artists and professionals, audience development, capacity building, experimentation with new practices or models, inclusion measures and digital/green transition actions.

Who can apply

Legal entities (public or private) established in eligible Creative Europe participating countries, organised in a consortium. Projects must be submitted by a consortium: minimum 3 independent entities from 3 different eligible countries for this Small Scale topic. Associated partners, affiliated entities, subcontractors and financial support to third parties are allowed under the conditions in the call.

Funding available:Maximum EU grant per project €200 000; funding rate up to 80%; estimated topic budget approx. €24 109 270. The call aims to support around 150 projects in total across topics ¹.

1. 1Opening date: 05 March 2026; Deadline: 05 May 2026, 17:00 Brussels time
2. 2Project duration: normally up to 48 months
3. 3Form of grant: CREA lump sum grants (use Submission System Part B template)

Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal using the CREA Lump Sum Grant model and the Part B template in the Submission System. Proposals must address one objective (Transnational creation and circulation OR Innovation) and show clear cross-border cooperation.

Footnotes

1. 1Call documentation, detailed conditions, budget and application templates are available in the official call fiche and call document on the Funding & Tenders Portal Call fiche and documents.

European Cooperation Projects Small Scale (CREA-CULT-2026-COOP-1) — Funding Opportunity Overview

This is an open call for proposals under the Creative Europe Programme (Culture strand) supporting European Cooperation Projects — Small Scale. It provides lump sum action grants to transnational consortia in the cultural and creative sectors to foster cross-border creation and circulation of European works and artists, and to reinforce innovation and capacity-building across the sector. The call is managed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).

Official sources:Topic page: European Cooperation Projects Small Scale EU Funding & Tenders Portal — Topic CREA-CULT-2026-COOP-1; Call fiche and conditions: Call document (PDF); Application templates: Application Form templates; Model Grant Agreement: CREA Model Grant Agreement.

Opportunity Essentials

Scope, Objectives and Expected Impact

Objectives (choose exactly one in the application):Objective 1 — Transnational creation and circulation: Strengthen the transnational creation and circulation of European works and artists, including co-productions, innovative production and dissemination models, and artist and content circulation across borders. Objective 2 — Innovation: Enhance capacity to nurture talent, innovate, prosper, and generate jobs and growth, with projects of a capacity-building nature. Innovation is understood broadly, encompassing technological, artistic, social and societal dimensions (e.g., audience development, fair working conditions, gender equality, inclusion of persons with disabilities and minorities, climate action, digitisation and AI for the benefit of creativity and creators, and culture’s contribution to health and well-being).

Expected impact:Transformative impact on Europe’s cultural landscape via cross-border partnerships that enrich exchange of ideas and techniques; increased global presence, visibility and access to European art; accelerated dissemination of cutting-edge practices; stronger competitiveness and resilience of the cultural and creative sectors; boosted skills and career growth for cultural professionals.

Eligible activities (non-exhaustive):Transnational mobility of artists and professionals; audience development and improved access to European cultural and creative works; capacity-building and upskilling for cultural professionals and emerging artists; innovative approaches to creation, revenue, management and marketing; actions for inclusion, gender equality, intercultural dialogue and EU values; active involvement of young people for innovation, co-creation and intergenerational dialogue; awareness-raising on common history, values and cultural diversity and reinforcing a sense of belonging to a common European space.

Proposals must present a clear cross-border cooperation dimension and should articulate contributions to overarching EU priorities: digital transition (including responsible AI and copyright compliance), green transition (sustainable practices aligned with Creative Europe greening guidance), inclusion and gender equality, and international relations.

Budget, Funding Rate and Financial Model

Eligibility and Consortium

• Applicant entities: Legal entities (public or private) established in eligible countries; international organisations are eligible; EU bodies are not eligible (except JRC). Natural persons are not eligible, except self-employed where the company does not have separate legal personality.
• Geographic eligibility: Creative Europe participating countries: EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories, OCTs) and non-EU countries associated to Creative Europe (including listed EEA countries and others as per the official list).
• Consortium composition for Small Scale (COOP-1): Minimum 3 independent entities from 3 different eligible countries.
• Coordinator requirement: Legal existence of at least 2 years by the submission deadline.
• Participation limits: An organisation (per PIC) can coordinate only once under the call (across both topics) and can appear in a maximum of 3 applications as coordinator and/or partner.
• Associated partners: Entities from non-associated ENP countries may be involved without funding (associated partners). Their role must be clearly described; their costs are not eligible.
• Audiovisual scope: Projects involving exclusively audiovisual sector organisations or exclusively audiovisual content are not targeted under this Culture strand action.

Evaluation and Award

Proposals are checked for admissibility and eligibility, then evaluated in a single-step evaluation by independent experts against the four award criteria. Ex aequo priority considers coverage of uncovered themes, higher scores on Relevance, then Dissemination, then Quality of content and activities; further portfolio balance may be considered as documented by the panel.

Administrative Requirements and Templates

• Submission package: Part A (online admin data and summary budget), Part B (Technical Description; PDF from template), Part C (online KPIs and additional data), and mandatory annexes.
• Mandatory annexes: Detailed budget table for lump sum calculation; List of previous key projects over last 4 years (template in Part B).
• Part B formatting: Maximum 50 pages; use the specific template downloaded in the Submission System.
• Work package structure: Group activities into coherent WPs linked to deliverables. Typical WPs include: Management and coordination; Communication and dissemination; Artistic and creative expression; Capacity building; Networking and knowledge sharing.
• Budget formation for lump sum: The detailed budget must follow eligibility principles of actual cost grants (value for money, no conflict of interest). Ineligible elements may trigger grant reduction even post-award.
• Ethics, values, and legal compliance: Projects must respect EU values (Article 2 TEU) and applicable EU, national and international law; include proportionate green and inclusive measures.
• Consortium agreement: Required (recommended standard practice and indicated in the call) to regulate internal roles, IPR, decision-making, payments, and dispute mechanisms.

Application form structure (Part B — Technical Description):Project summary; 1) Relevance: background, chosen objective, needs analysis, complementarity and European added value, alignment with EU overarching priorities; 2) Quality of content and activities: concept, methodology and project design; partnership and roles; target groups and audiences; 3) Project management: governance, team and outside resources, cost-effectiveness and financial management, quality assurance, risk management, monitoring and evaluation; 4) Dissemination: expected effects (short-, medium-, long-term), sustainability and use of results, communication and dissemination and EU visibility; 5) Work plan and WPs with tasks, milestones, deliverables, events and timetable; 6) Ethics and security; 7) Declarations. See the official template for detailed headings and tables Application Form templates.

Categorisation and Structured Information

Eligible Applicant Types:Legal entities active in cultural and creative sectors including, but not limited to: nonprofit organisations and NGOs; cultural institutions (museums, theatres, galleries, libraries, archives); festivals and cultural operators; SMEs and companies in creative industries; universities and higher education institutions; research organisations focused on culture and creativity; public bodies (local, regional, national authorities) and agencies; international organisations. Natural persons are not eligible except self-employed sole traders without separate legal personality. EU bodies cannot participate (except JRC).

Funding Type:Grant — Lump sum action grant under Creative Europe (CREA-LS), with the lump sum fixed based on a detailed estimated budget and a maximum EU funding rate of 80% for Small Scale projects.

Consortium Requirement:Consortium. Minimum 3 independent entities from 3 different eligible countries. The coordinator must have at least 2 years of legal existence at the deadline. An organisation may coordinate only once under the entire call (COOP-1 and COOP-2 combined) and may be listed in a maximum of 3 applications overall.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Creative Europe participating countries: EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories, OCTs) and non-EU countries associated to the Creative Europe Programme (including listed EEA countries and other associated countries as per the official list). Associated partners may come from European Neighbourhood Policy countries not associated to the programme (no funding). Participation of organisations from EU outermost regions and rural or peripheral areas is encouraged.

Target Sector:Cultural and creative sectors broadly defined, including architecture, archives, libraries and museums, artistic crafts, tangible and intangible cultural heritage, design (including fashion), festivals, music, literature, performing arts (theatre, dance), books and publishing, radio, and visual arts. Cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary projects are eligible. Exclusively audiovisual sector projects or content are not targeted under this Culture strand action.

Mentioned Countries:Ukraine; Hungary. Regions and groupings referenced: EU Member States, EEA countries associated to Creative Europe, EU outermost regions, and OCTs.

Project Stage:Suitable for development, production and co-production of cultural works; validation and demonstration through circulation and audience development; capacity-building and innovation pilots; dissemination and scaling of practices; networking and transnational mobility. Projects may cover the full cycle from co-creation to transnational distribution, training, and dissemination.

Funding Amount:Up to €200,000 per Small Scale project at a maximum 80% funding rate. Call budget totals €60,273,174 across topics, with an indicative €24,109,270 earmarked for Small Scale (COOP-1).

Application Type:Open call with single-stage submission through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (electronic only). Part A and C completed online; Part B and annexes uploaded via the Submission System.

Nature of Support:Money — non-repayable EU grant provided as a lump sum, disbursed as prefinancing and balance upon completion and approval.

Application Stages:1 stage. Single-stage submission and one-step evaluation.

Success Rates:Not specified in the call documents. The call expects to support approximately 150 projects across topics, but no acceptance rate is provided.

Co-funding Requirement:Yes. EU contribution capped at 80% for Small Scale. At least 20% of the lump sum must be co-financed by the consortium through own resources or other non-EU sources. No-profit and no double funding rules apply.

Detailed Compliance Notes and Practicalities

• Work packages and deliverables: All activities must be structured into WPs with clear deliverables demonstrating scope, reach, progress and success. Typical horizontal WPs: Management, Communication/Dissemination; Implementation WPs may include Artistic and Creative Expression; Capacity Building; Networking and Knowledge Sharing.
• Financial support to third parties: Permitted under strict conditions (open call of at least two months, transparent criteria, publication of outcomes, European dimension). Maximum €60,000 per third party. Describe rationale, management, eligible activities and expected results in Part B.
• Ineligible elements: Volunteer costs (explicitly not eligible in this action); costs for associated partners; costs benefiting artists/professionals from ineligible countries; purchases and subcontracting must follow best value for money and avoid conflict of interest; audiovisual-only projects are not targeted.
• Duration and start date: Up to 48 months; retroactive start not earlier than submission date and only if justified and approved.
• Operational and financial capacity: Coordinators are checked (with exemptions for public bodies, international organisations, and entities with >50% public revenue in the last two years, and for grants ≤ €60,000).
• Participation safeguards: EU restrictive measures and conditionality rules apply (entities subject to sanctions or certain conditionality measures are ineligible).
• Evaluation tie-breakers: Thematic coverage not otherwise covered, then higher scores for Relevance, Dissemination, Quality of content and activities, then portfolio balance for geographical and thematic spread.

Submission Package Checklist

1. 1Part A — Online administrative forms: applicant data for coordinator, beneficiaries, affiliated entities; summary budget; declarations.
2. 2Part B — Technical Description (PDF, max 50 pages): use the specific template from the Portal’s Submission System.
3. 3Part C — Online KPI and additional project data.
4. 4Mandatory annexes: Detailed budget table for lump sum calculation; List of previous key projects (last 4 years).
5. 5Optional/specific: CVs if later requested; any additional documents requested at grant preparation (legal entity validation, financial capacity, bank account validation).

Key Contacts and Support

• EACEA helpdesk (call-related): EACEA-CREATIVE-EUROPE-COOPERATIONPROJECTS@ec.europa.eu
• IT Helpdesk: via the Funding & Tenders Portal (passwords, access, submission technical issues).
• Online Manual: Step-by-step portal guidance covering preparation, submission, evaluation and project reporting.
• Creative Europe Desks: National support and partner search assistance in all participating countries.

Templates: Outline to Guide Applicants (Part B core headings)

1. 1Project summary
2. 21. Relevance: 1.1 Background and objectives aligned to either Objective 1 or 2; 1.2 Needs analysis; 1.3 Complementarity, innovation and European added value; 1.4 EU overarching priorities (digital, green, inclusion/gender, international).
3. 32. Quality of content and activities: 2.1 Concept, methodology, activity design; 2.2 Partnership and consortium roles and complementarity; 2.3 Target groups and audiences and concrete benefits.
4. 43. Project management: 3.1 Governance and decision-making; 3.2 Teams, staff and outside resources (subcontracting if any); 3.3 Cost-effectiveness and financial management; 3.4 Quality assurance, risk management, monitoring and evaluation with indicators (units, baselines, targets).
5. 54. Dissemination: 4.1 Impact and ambition (short/medium/long-term effects, sustainability and use of results, progress beyond state of the art); 4.2 Communication, dissemination strategy and EU visibility (flag and funding statement).
6. 65. Work plan: 5.1 Overview; 5.2 Detailed WPs with activities, roles (COO/BEN/AE/AP), milestones, deliverables (type, dissemination level, due month), events and trainings, subcontracting table (if any), timetable.
7. 76. Other: Ethics (if applicable), Security (if applicable).
8. 87. Declarations: Double funding; justification if financial support to third parties exceeds thresholds (not foreseen here beyond €60,000 per recipient).

What to Emphasise for a Competitive Proposal

• Clear selection of exactly one objective (Transnational creation and circulation or Innovation) and a convincing cross-border cooperation rationale.
• Robust needs analysis with evidence and a defined European added value, especially in circulation, mobility, or innovation/capacity-building.
• Concrete, innovative and proportionate green and digital measures, including responsible use of AI and compliance with EU law on AI and copyright.
• Strong inclusion strategy: audience engagement, fair working conditions, gender equality, accessibility for people with disabilities, participation of underrepresented groups and youth engagement.
• Feasible WP structure with measurable deliverables, realistic timetable, and credible indicators for outputs, outcomes and impacts.
• Balanced partnership with complementary expertise, documented collaboration history and integration of new or less connected organisations, including from outermost/rural/peripheral areas where relevant.
• Dissemination and sustainability plans showing life beyond the grant, use and transferability of results across countries and sub-sectors.
• Value for money in the detailed lump sum budget; procurement and subcontracting compliant with best value for money and conflict of interest rules.

Summary Explanation

European Cooperation Projects Small Scale CREA-CULT provide lump sum grants up to €200,000 (80% funding rate) to small transnational consortia in the cultural and creative sectors. The action supports either the cross-border creation and circulation of European works and artists or broad-scope innovation and capacity-building that advances competitiveness, jobs and growth, and addresses societal priorities like inclusion, green transition and the responsible digital transition (including AI). Eligible applicants are legal entities from Creative Europe participating countries; consortia must include at least three independent organisations from three eligible countries. Projects may run up to 48 months and should use coherent work packages tied to measurable deliverables, with strong management, evaluation and dissemination strategies. The call particularly encourages participation from outermost and rural areas and supports Ukrainian artists and cultural operators, while maintaining compliance with EU values. Proposals are evaluated on relevance, quality of content and activities, project management, and dissemination, each with specific thresholds. Applications are submitted electronically in a single stage via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, using the prescribed Part A, Part B (max 50 pages), Part C, and annex templates. The funding model is a lump sum fixed on a detailed budget that must reflect eligible, value-for-money costs; prefinancing is typically around 80%, with the balance at project end. In essence, this opportunity is designed to catalyse collaborative, cross-border cultural projects that foster mobility, audience development, skills and innovation, and that make European cultural expressions more accessible and impactful across and beyond Europe.

European Cooperation Projects Small Scale (CREA-CULT-2026-COOP-1)

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. It enables cultural organisations of all sizes, including micro and small organisations, to co-produce, cooperate, experiment, innovate, be mobile and learn from each other, with a focus on improving access to European culture and promoting innovation and creativity. Projects must demonstrate a clear cross-border cooperation dimension and address one of two specific objectives.

Key Objectives

Projects must select and address only one of the following objectives:

• Objective 1 - Transnational creation and circulation: Strengthen the transnational creation and circulation of European works and artists through co-production, resource sharing, and innovative production and dissemination methods.
• Objective 2 - Innovation: Enhance the capacity of European cultural and creative sectors to nurture talents, innovate, prosper and generate jobs and growth via capacity-building activities. Innovation is broadly defined, including technological, artistic, social or societal dimensions such as audience engagement, working conditions for artists, gender equality, inclusion, climate action, digitisation, AI, and culture's role in health and well-being.

Expected Impact

The action seeks transformative impact on the cultural landscape through cross-border partnerships that foster idea exchange, enhance global presence of European art, spark innovation, boost professional skills, and ensure the vibrancy and resilience of cultural and creative sectors. It is expected to support approximately 150 projects.

Eligibility and Who Can Apply

Eligible applicants are legal entities (public or private bodies) 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.

Consortium Requirements:Minimum 3 independent entities from 3 different eligible countries. Affiliated entities and associated partners do not count towards this minimum.

• Coordinator must have existed legally for at least 2 years at submission deadline.
• An organisation (by PIC number) can coordinate only once per call and participate in maximum 3 applications (as coordinator or partner).
• Projects open to all cultural and creative sectors (interdisciplinary possible); other organisations eligible if contributing to objectives.
• Exclusively audiovisual organisations or content ineligible.

Funding Details

Maximum EU Grant Amount:€200,000 per project.

Funding Rate:Maximum 80% of eligible costs.

Call Budget:€24,109,270 for small scale projects (part of total €60,273,174 for cooperation projects).¹

Grant Type:Lump sum grant (CREA Lump Sum Grant [CREA-AG-LS]).

Project Duration and Activities

Maximum duration: 48 months. Activities must align with the selected objective and may include (non-exhaustive): transnational mobility of artists/professionals; audience development and access to works; skills development and innovative models (revenue, management, marketing); inclusion, gender equality, intercultural dialogue; youth involvement; awareness-raising on EU history/values/diversity. Activities grouped into Work Packages with deliverables.

Timeline

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals evaluated on: Relevance (30 points); Quality of content and activities (30 points); Project management (20 points); Dissemination (20 points). Thresholds: 15/30 (Relevance, Quality); 10/20 (Management, Dissemination); overall 70/100.

Application Process

1. 1Register in Participant Register and obtain PIC.
2. 2Submit electronically via Funding & Tenders Portal (single-stage).
3. 3Part A: Administrative data (online).
4. 4Part B: Technical description (max 50 pages; download template from Submission System).
5. 5Part C: Additional data (online).
6. 6Mandatory annexes: Detailed budget table; List of previous projects (last 4 years).
7. 7Contact: EACEA-CREATIVE-EUROPE-COOPERATIONPROJECTS@ec.europa.eu.

Submission opens 5 March 2026 via Funding & Tenders Portal. Call document: Call Fiche.

Additional Considerations

• Projects must integrate EU priorities: digital/green transitions, inclusion/gender equality, international relations.
• Encouraged: Involvement of outermost regions, peripheral/rural areas, non-EU neighbours as associated partners; support for Ukrainian cultural operators.
• Dissemination/exploitation of results crucial for sustainability and EU added value.
• Financial/operational capacity checks apply; exclusion grounds for fraud, etc.

Footnotes

1. 1Budget subject to final adoption by EU budgetary authority. Total call budget €60,273,174 across small/medium scales.