Networks of European Cinemas

The CREA-MEDIA-2026-CINNET opportunity, part of the EU's Creative Europe Programme, aims to enhance the European cinema exhibition sector through the establishment of networks among independent cinemas. The call opens on 7 April 2026 and closes on 9 July 2026, with a total budget of EUR 17,467,470 allocated for the initiative.

Eligible applicants must be legal entities, either public or private bodies, established in Creative Europe Participating Countries. The network must consist of a minimum of 400 independent cinemas distributed across at least 20 countries. Applicants will act as single beneficiaries and serve as the coordinators for the network, without needing a traditional consortium of multiple partners.

The funding mechanism is structured as a grant, specifically a CREA Action Grant Budget-Based, provided directly by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Activities funded through this program will support the screening of non-national European films, audience development initiatives, and digital transformation efforts within cinema operations. The focus areas include promoting European film circulation, improving audience engagement, and modernizing business practices in independent cinema settings.

The funding supports various strategic goals: increasing audience numbers for European films, reaching younger demographics, and fostering cross-border collaboration among cinema operators. The call emphasizes sustainability, diversity, and inclusive practices, urging applicants to address these elements in their proposed strategies.

Applications will follow a single-stage submission process, requiring detailed proposals that will be evaluated in one round. Applicants must ensure adherence to various conditions, including geographic eligibility, operational capacity, and exclusion criteria, as specified in the call documentation. Successful applicants will sign grant agreements by April 2027 to begin implementing their network activities.

Overall, the CREA-MEDIA-2026-CINNET opportunity is designed to bolster the European cinema ecosystem, aiming for increased visibility and appreciation of European works while enhancing collaborative efforts among cinema entities across the continent.

The EU's Creative Europe Programme (CREA) is offering project grants under the call "Networks of European Cinemas" (CREA-MEDIA-2026-CINNET). This call for proposals aims to support the creation and operation of a network of cinemas to encourage the screening of non-national European films, increase audience interest in these films, help cinemas adapt to the changing environment, encourage the exchange of best practices, and contribute to policy dialogue within the film industry.

The action to be funded will support a network of European cinema operators with broad geographic coverage, screening a significant proportion of non-national European films for an increased audience and a renewed cinema-going experience, fostering the role of European cinemas in the circulation of European works. The aim is to increase audiences for European works through incentives and collaborative projects. Funding will promote innovative approaches that combine visibility for European works and the widest audiences. Applications should present adequate strategies to ensure a more sustainable and more environmentally-respectful industry and to ensure gender balance, inclusion, diversity and representativeness.

The expected impact of this call includes increasing the audience for non-national European films, reaching new audiences including young cinema-goers, reinforcing the cinema experience, adjusting business practices for sustainability and inclusion, and fostering innovation in European cinema theatres.

Key dates for this call are: Publication of the call on 04 December 2025, call opening on 07 April 2026, and a deadline for submitting applications on 09 July 2026 at 17:00 (Brussels time). The evaluation period is scheduled for July to December 2026, with information to applicants in January 2027, and the signature of the grant agreement in April 2027.

The total budget allocated to this topic is EUR 17,467,470. The call follows a single-stage submission process.

Conditions for participation include admissibility conditions regarding proposal page limits and layout, eligibility of countries, and other eligible conditions, all detailed in the call document and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Applicants must also meet financial and operational capacity requirements, and exclusion criteria, as described in the call document. The submission and evaluation processes, award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are also detailed in the call document. The legal and financial set-up of the grants is described in the call document.

Applicants should consult the call document and annexes for complete information. The standard application form (CREA MEDIA) is available in the Submission System. Additional documents 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, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

For help related to this call, applicants can contact their local Creative Europe desk or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. 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 Creative Europe Programme call aims to bolster the European film industry by supporting a network of cinemas that promote and screen non-national European films. It seeks to increase audience engagement, foster innovation, and encourage sustainability and inclusivity within the sector. The call provides funding for cinema operators to collaborate, implement innovative approaches, and contribute to policy dialogue, ultimately enhancing the circulation and appreciation of European films.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are European cinema operators. The action will support a network of these operators.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a CREA Project Grant (CREA-PJG) under a CREA Action Grant Budget-Based [CREA-AG] model.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity supports a network, implying a consortium of multiple applicants is required. The action will support a network of European cinema operators, with a broad geographic coverage.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is focused on European cinema operators, suggesting the EU or potentially wider Europe. The action will support a network of European cinema operators, with a broad geographic coverage.

Target Sector: The target sector is culture, specifically the film industry, with a focus on cinema operators and increasing audiences for European films.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity focuses on European cinema operators, implying eligibility for entities within Europe.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on creating and operating a network, suggesting a development or implementation stage. The aim of the support is to create and operate a network of cinemas.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic CREA-MEDIA-2026-CINNET is EUR 17,467,470. The indicative number of grants is not specified in the provided text.

Application Type: The deadline model is single-stage, meaning applicants submit a full proposal at once.

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

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

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

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirements are not specified in the provided text.

Summary:

This opportunity, titled "Networks of European Cinemas (CREA-MEDIA-2026-CINNET)," is a call for proposals under the Creative Europe Programme (CREA). It aims to support the creation and operation of a network of European cinema operators to promote non-national European films, increase audience engagement, and foster innovation and sustainability within the cinema industry. The funding mechanism is a CREA Project Grant, with a total budget of EUR 17,467,470. The call is structured as a single-stage application process, with the deadline for submitting applications on 09 July 2026. Eligible applicants are European cinema operators who can form a network with broad geographic coverage. The project seeks to encourage the screening of European films, contribute to policy dialogue, and promote sustainable and inclusive practices within the cinema sector. The expected impact includes increased audiences for European films, renewed cinema experiences, and enhanced collaboration among European cinema theatres. The call emphasizes the need for strategies that ensure sustainability, environmental respect, gender balance, inclusion, diversity, and representativeness. The application process involves submitting a standard application form (CREA MEDIA) through the Submission System, and applicants are advised to consult the call document and related annexes for detailed information on admissibility conditions, evaluation criteria, and legal and financial setup.