Innovative tools and business models

The Creative Europe Programme has launched a call for proposals titled "Innovative tools and business models" under the identifier CREA-MEDIA-2026-INNOVBUSMOD. This initiative aims to support projects in the European audiovisual industry focusing on the development and deployment of innovative tools and business models that enhance the visibility, availability, audience reach, and diversity of European audiovisual works in the digital age. The total budget for this call is €10.5 million.

Eligible applicants include various entities within the audiovisual sector such as SMEs, startups, production and distribution companies, technology providers, and organizations involved in the creative industries. The funding type is structured as grants, specifically under the CREA Project Grants (CREA-PJG) and the CREA Action Grant Budget-Based model (CREA-AG).

The application process is a single-stage submission, with the publication date set for September 30, 2025, and a deadline for applications on January 15, 2026. This will be followed by an evaluation period until May 2026 and notifications to applicants in July 2026, with grant agreements expected to be signed by October 2026.

Projects funded may involve the development of subtitling and accessibility tools, automated rights management systems, innovative distribution models, and technologies leveraging AI and blockchain, all aimed at enhancing the efficiency and transparency of the audiovisual market. The initiative emphasizes environmental sustainability, gender balance, inclusion, and diversity, urging applicants to seek private investment and demonstrate a capacity for self-funding. Co-funding is encouraged, ideally below the authorized maximum of 80% EU funding to enhance market validation.

Successful projects will be evaluated on their ability to attract additional private investment, outline sustainability strategies, and disclose their outcomes transparently. While the specific success rates are not indicated, they may range between 10 to 39% based on competition and application quality.

The grant opportunity fosters innovation in the European audiovisual landscape, aligning with the broader objectives of enhancing competitiveness and supporting the industry's transition towards digital and green practices. Interested applicants are encouraged to review the call document and complete all related submissions through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

The European Commission's Creative Europe Programme (CREA) has announced a call for proposals for the "Innovative tools and business models" action, with the call identifier CREA-MEDIA-2026-INNOVBUSMOD. This action aims to foster the development and adoption of innovative tools and business models that enhance the visibility, availability, audience reach, and diversity of European works in the digital age. It also seeks to improve the competitiveness and promote the greening of the European audiovisual industry. The call falls under the CREA Project Grants (CREA-PJG) type of action and utilizes the CREA Action Grant Budget-Based [CREA-AG] model grant agreement.

The primary objective of this call is to encourage projects that can improve the competitiveness of the European audiovisual industry by leveraging innovative developments in technology and business models. It also aims to facilitate the adaptation of the industry to opportunities presented by Artificial Intelligence and the development of virtual worlds, often referred to as Metaverse(s). Furthermore, the call emphasizes the importance of the greening process within the European audiovisual industry and seeks to enhance the production and circulation of European audiovisual works in the digital era. Ultimately, the goal is to increase the number and diversity of European works available online and to improve their visibility to reach wider audiences.

The activities that can be funded under this call include, but are not limited to:

1. Development and implementation of subtitling or accessibility, discoverability, and recommendation tools that can be widely used across borders and platforms. These tools should aim to improve the visibility, availability, and audience potential of European audiovisual works.

2. Creation of business tools that enhance the efficiency and transparency of audiovisual markets. Examples include automated rights management systems and technologies for data gathering and analysis.

3. Implementation of business models that optimize synergies and complementarities between various distribution platforms, such as festivals, cinemas, and Video on Demand (VOD) services.

4. Exploration of new modes of production, financing, distribution, or promotion enabled or enhanced by emerging technologies like AI, big data, blockchain, Virtual worlds / Metaverse, and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).

5. Development of innovative tools and business models that contribute to the greening process of the audiovisual industry.

It is important to note that the action specifically excludes the development of hardware, such as cameras or virtual headsets.

Applications submitted under this call must include well-defined strategies to ensure a more sustainable and environmentally-respectful industry. They should also address gender balance, inclusion, diversity, and representativeness within the proposed projects. Transparency is a key consideration, and applications should outline plans for disclosing the inputs and results of the action. This includes communicating the results to public authorities, Member States, and the audiovisual industry.

The call places special emphasis on attracting private investment and encouraging own investment in the proposed projects. The ability of a project to apply for a sound and reasonable level of EU public funding, below the authorized 80%, will be positively assessed during the evaluation process.

The admissibility conditions, including proposal page limits and layout, are detailed in the call document and Part B of the Application Form, which is available in the Submission System. The eligibility criteria for countries and other conditions, as well as financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria, are also described in the call document.

The evaluation and award process, including submission procedures, evaluation criteria, scoring, thresholds, and the indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, are all thoroughly explained in the call document. The legal and financial setup of the grants is also detailed in the same document.

The indicative timeline for this call is as follows:

Publication of the call: September 30, 2025.

Deadline for submitting applications: January 15, 2026, 17:00 (Brussels time).

Evaluation period: January-May 2026.

Information to applicants: July 2026.

Signature of grant agreement: October 2026.

Applicants are required to submit a standard application form (CREA MEDIA), which can be found in the Submission System. They must also provide information on independence and ownership control, using the CREA MEDIA template. The Model Grant Agreements (MGA), including the CREA MGA, provide the legal framework for the grants.

Additional documents that applicants should consult include:

CREA Annual Work Programmes

CREA Regulation 2021/818

EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509

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

The total budget allocated to this call is EUR 10,500,000. The call follows a single-stage submission process.

Potential applicants can utilize the Funding & Tenders Portal to search for partners to collaborate on their proposals. LEARs, Account Administrators, and self-registered users with active public profiles can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics.

To begin the submission process, applicants should access the Electronic Submission Service through the Funding & Tenders Portal. They will need to select the appropriate type of action and model grant agreement for their proposal.

For any questions or assistance related to this call, applicants can contact the CREATIVE EUROPE DESK or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency at EACEA-MEDIA-INNOVATIVE-TOOLS@ec.europa.eu. Additional resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, the IT Helpdesk for technical issues, and the Online Manual for a step-by-step guide through the Portal processes.

In summary, this call for proposals under the Creative Europe Programme aims to stimulate innovation in the European audiovisual industry by supporting projects that develop and implement innovative tools and business models. These projects should enhance the visibility, availability, audience reach, and diversity of European works in the digital age, while also promoting competitiveness and sustainability within the industry. The call encourages applicants to consider new technologies, transparency, and private investment in their proposals, with a focus on achieving a more sustainable, inclusive, and diverse audiovisual landscape.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, based on the context of Creative Europe Programme (CREA) and the focus on audiovisual industry, eligible applicants could include companies, SMEs, non-profit organizations, public organizations, universities, research centers, and other entities involved in the audiovisual sector. The specific eligibility criteria will be detailed in the call document.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically CREA Project Grants (CREA-PJG) and CREA Action Grant Budget-Based [CREA-AG].

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. It is advisable to check the call document for specific requirements. However, the mention of partner search announcements suggests that consortia are possible and perhaps encouraged.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly stated in the provided text but is mentioned as being described in the call document. Given that it is a Creative Europe Programme, it is likely that the eligibility includes EU member states and potentially other countries associated with the Creative Europe Programme.

Target Sector: The target sector is the European audiovisual industry. The program targets innovative tools and business models to improve the visibility, availability, audience, diversity, competitiveness, and greening process of European audiovisual works in the digital age.

Mentioned Countries: The text mentions Member States in the context of communicating results to public authorities, Member States and the audiovisual industry. The call is focused on European works, implying a focus on EU member states and associated countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is not explicitly defined, but the call targets the development and/or spread of innovative tools and business models. This suggests that the projects can be in the development, validation, demonstration, or early commercialization stages. The focus is on improving existing processes and introducing new approaches rather than basic research.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic CREA-MEDIA-2026-INNOVBUSMOD is EUR 10,500,000. The indicative number of grants is not specified, so the funding amount per project is variable and depends on the number of projects selected.

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support their projects.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text mentions that special emphasis will be placed on attracting private investment and on own investment. It also states that the project’s ability to apply for a sound and reasonable level of EU public funding below the 80% authorised will be assessed. This implies that co-funding is not strictly required but is viewed favorably during the evaluation process.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Creative Europe Programme (CREA) aimed at fostering innovation in the European audiovisual industry. The call, titled "Innovative tools and business models (CREA-MEDIA-2026-INNOVBUSMOD)," seeks to fund projects that develop or disseminate innovative tools and business models. The goal is to enhance the visibility, availability, audience reach, and diversity of European audiovisual works in the digital age, as well as to improve the industry's competitiveness and environmental sustainability.

The call encourages projects that address various aspects of the audiovisual industry, including subtitling and accessibility tools, business tools for market efficiency and transparency, innovative distribution models, and tools that leverage new technologies like AI, big data, blockchain, and virtual worlds. The call specifically excludes the development of hardware.

Applicants are expected to demonstrate strategies for sustainability, environmental responsibility, gender balance, inclusion, diversity, and representativeness. Transparency is also emphasized, with applicants required to outline plans for disclosing project inputs and results to relevant stakeholders.

While co-funding is not mandatory, the call places emphasis on attracting private and own investment, and projects requesting a lower percentage of EU funding may be viewed more favorably. The total budget for this call is EUR 10,500,000. The call follows a single-stage submission process, with a deadline of January 15, 2026. The evaluation will take place between January and May 2026, and grant agreements are expected to be signed by October 2026. Interested applicants should consult the call document and related annexes for detailed information on eligibility criteria, application procedures, and evaluation criteria.