Overview
The Creative Europe Programme (CREA) has announced a grant opportunity titled "CREA-MEDIA-2026-FESTNET: Networks of European Festivals." This initiative aims to support collaborative activities among European audiovisual festivals to enhance interest and promote the circulation of non-national European audiovisual content, including video games and immersive experiences. The total budget allocated for this grant is €6,000,000 for the year 2026.
Eligibility is primarily focused on networks of European festivals, requiring applicants to work collectively rather than individually. This consortium requirement underscores the call's emphasis on coordinated and collaborative efforts among festival members. Geographic eligibility includes entities within the EU and potentially the broader European region, supporting the promotion of European audiovisual works across various formats, such as films, documentaries, and digital media.
The funding type is a grant categorized under CREA Project Grants and CREA Action Grant Budget-Based. The application process consists of a single-stage submission, with the opening date set for December 4, 2025, and a deadline for submissions on April 14, 2026. Following the evaluation period from April to September 2026, successful applicants will be notified in October 2026, with grant agreements anticipated to be signed in January 2027.
The focus of the opportunity is on fostering knowledge exchange, reinforcing collaboration among festival networks, and supporting digital transformation initiatives, which include developing online tools and applications for improved audience engagement. Direct monetary support is provided to festival networks, intending to enhance programming and operational activities, thus expanding audience reach and increasing the visibility of non-national European audiovisual works.
While specific success rates for applications are not disclosed, it is suggested that applicants refer to the formal call document for detailed conditions, including admissibility, financial, and operational requirements. For additional support, applicants are encouraged to contact their local Creative Europe Desk or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency.
In summary, the CREA-MEDIA-2026-FESTNET initiative represents a significant investment in fostering collaborative engagement among European audiovisual festivals, enhancing their operational capabilities, and ensuring the promotion of diverse European content to wider audiences.
Eligibility is primarily focused on networks of European festivals, requiring applicants to work collectively rather than individually. This consortium requirement underscores the call's emphasis on coordinated and collaborative efforts among festival members. Geographic eligibility includes entities within the EU and potentially the broader European region, supporting the promotion of European audiovisual works across various formats, such as films, documentaries, and digital media.
The funding type is a grant categorized under CREA Project Grants and CREA Action Grant Budget-Based. The application process consists of a single-stage submission, with the opening date set for December 4, 2025, and a deadline for submissions on April 14, 2026. Following the evaluation period from April to September 2026, successful applicants will be notified in October 2026, with grant agreements anticipated to be signed in January 2027.
The focus of the opportunity is on fostering knowledge exchange, reinforcing collaboration among festival networks, and supporting digital transformation initiatives, which include developing online tools and applications for improved audience engagement. Direct monetary support is provided to festival networks, intending to enhance programming and operational activities, thus expanding audience reach and increasing the visibility of non-national European audiovisual works.
While specific success rates for applications are not disclosed, it is suggested that applicants refer to the formal call document for detailed conditions, including admissibility, financial, and operational requirements. For additional support, applicants are encouraged to contact their local Creative Europe Desk or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency.
In summary, the CREA-MEDIA-2026-FESTNET initiative represents a significant investment in fostering collaborative engagement among European audiovisual festivals, enhancing their operational capabilities, and ensuring the promotion of diverse European content to wider audiences.
Detail
The Creative Europe Programme (CREA) is offering a call for proposals entitled "Networks of European Festivals" (CREA-MEDIA-2026-FESTNET). The call aims to support coordinated and collaborative activities among European audiovisual festivals. The goal is to increase audiences' interest in non-national European audiovisual content, including video games and immersive content, and to promote its circulation and visibility. The type of action is CREA-PJG, which stands for CREA Project Grants. The type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is CREA Action Grant Budget-Based [CREA-AG]. The call is currently open for submission and follows a single-stage deadline model.
The call was published on December 4, 2025, and the deadline for submitting applications is April 14, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The evaluation period will take place from April to September 2026. Applicants will be informed in October 2026, and the grant agreement is expected to be signed in January 2027.
The objective of this call is to provide support to coordinated/collaborative activities among European audiovisual festivals aiming at increasing audiences' interest in non-national European audiovisual content, including video games and immersive content, and promoting its circulation and visibility.
The expected results of the call are:
Reinforced cooperation among European audiovisual festivals members of a Network screening a significant proportion of non-national European films and audiovisual works through coordinated/collaborative activities targeted to expand and renew audiences.
Increased impact of European audiovisual festivals aiming to reinforce promotion, distribution and circulation of non-national European films and audiovisual works to growing audiences across Europe.
Fostered exchange of knowledge and best-practice models for cooperation among festivals through coordinated/collaborative activities targeted to expand and renew audiences.
Harnessed digital transformation, including developing and updating online tools and applications.
The admissibility conditions include proposal page limits and layout, which are described in the call document and in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. The eligible countries and other eligible conditions, as well as financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria, are also detailed in the call document.
The evaluation and award process includes submission and evaluation processes, award criteria, scoring and thresholds, and an indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, all of which are described in the call document. The legal and financial setup of the grants is also detailed in the call document.
The call document and annexes include the call document itself, application form templates (Standard application form (CREA MEDIA) available in the Submission System), information on programming (CREA MEDIA FESTNET), Model Grant Agreements (MGA) including CREA MGA, 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.
The total budget for this call is 6,000,000 EUR for the year 2026. The call follows a single-stage submission process.
LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
To access the Electronic Submission Service, applicants should click on the submission button next to the type of action and the type of model grant agreement that corresponds to their proposal. To access existing draft proposals, applicants can log in to the Funding & Tenders Portal and select the My Proposals page.
For general information on the programme and the call, applicants can contact their local Creative Europe Desk or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency at EACEA-MEDIA-FESTIVALS@EC.EUROPA.EU. Additional support resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, the IT Helpdesk, and the Online Manual.
In summary, this EU grant opportunity, CREA-MEDIA-2026-FESTNET, aims to bolster collaboration among European audiovisual festivals to promote non-national European content, including video games and immersive experiences, to wider audiences. It provides funding for coordinated activities that increase the visibility and circulation of these works. The application process involves a single-stage submission, with a deadline in April 2026. The evaluation will occur throughout the summer, and successful applicants can expect to sign grant agreements in early 2027. The call encourages digital transformation and knowledge exchange among festivals, with detailed guidelines available in the call document and related annexes. Applicants should carefully review all conditions and documents to ensure their proposals meet the requirements.
The call was published on December 4, 2025, and the deadline for submitting applications is April 14, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The evaluation period will take place from April to September 2026. Applicants will be informed in October 2026, and the grant agreement is expected to be signed in January 2027.
The objective of this call is to provide support to coordinated/collaborative activities among European audiovisual festivals aiming at increasing audiences' interest in non-national European audiovisual content, including video games and immersive content, and promoting its circulation and visibility.
The expected results of the call are:
Reinforced cooperation among European audiovisual festivals members of a Network screening a significant proportion of non-national European films and audiovisual works through coordinated/collaborative activities targeted to expand and renew audiences.
Increased impact of European audiovisual festivals aiming to reinforce promotion, distribution and circulation of non-national European films and audiovisual works to growing audiences across Europe.
Fostered exchange of knowledge and best-practice models for cooperation among festivals through coordinated/collaborative activities targeted to expand and renew audiences.
Harnessed digital transformation, including developing and updating online tools and applications.
The admissibility conditions include proposal page limits and layout, which are described in the call document and in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. The eligible countries and other eligible conditions, as well as financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria, are also detailed in the call document.
The evaluation and award process includes submission and evaluation processes, award criteria, scoring and thresholds, and an indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, all of which are described in the call document. The legal and financial setup of the grants is also detailed in the call document.
The call document and annexes include the call document itself, application form templates (Standard application form (CREA MEDIA) available in the Submission System), information on programming (CREA MEDIA FESTNET), Model Grant Agreements (MGA) including CREA MGA, 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.
The total budget for this call is 6,000,000 EUR for the year 2026. The call follows a single-stage submission process.
LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
To access the Electronic Submission Service, applicants should click on the submission button next to the type of action and the type of model grant agreement that corresponds to their proposal. To access existing draft proposals, applicants can log in to the Funding & Tenders Portal and select the My Proposals page.
For general information on the programme and the call, applicants can contact their local Creative Europe Desk or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency at EACEA-MEDIA-FESTIVALS@EC.EUROPA.EU. Additional support resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, the IT Helpdesk, and the Online Manual.
In summary, this EU grant opportunity, CREA-MEDIA-2026-FESTNET, aims to bolster collaboration among European audiovisual festivals to promote non-national European content, including video games and immersive experiences, to wider audiences. It provides funding for coordinated activities that increase the visibility and circulation of these works. The application process involves a single-stage submission, with a deadline in April 2026. The evaluation will occur throughout the summer, and successful applicants can expect to sign grant agreements in early 2027. The call encourages digital transformation and knowledge exchange among festivals, with detailed guidelines available in the call document and related annexes. Applicants should carefully review all conditions and documents to ensure their proposals meet the requirements.
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Breakdown
Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are networks of European festivals. This is implied by the call's focus on supporting coordinated/collaborative activities among European audiovisual festivals.
Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a CREA Project Grant (CREA-PJG) and a CREA Action Grant Budget-Based [CREA-AG].
Consortium Requirement: The call explicitly targets "Networks of European festivals," implying that a consortium of multiple applicants is required. The objective is to support coordinated/collaborative activities, which necessitates the involvement of multiple festivals.
Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The call focuses on "European" festivals and "non-national European" audiovisual content, suggesting that the geographic eligibility is primarily for entities within the EU and potentially the broader European region. The specific eligible countries are detailed in the call document.
Target Sector: The program targets the audiovisual sector, specifically European audiovisual festivals. This includes films, video games, and immersive content. The focus is on promoting the circulation and visibility of non-national European audiovisual works.
Mentioned Countries: While no specific countries are explicitly listed in the provided text, the call refers to "European" festivals and content. Therefore, the relevant region is Europe, specifically the EU and potentially other countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme.
Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is likely at the stage of development and implementation of coordinated activities. The call aims to support existing networks in enhancing their activities and impact, rather than funding initial research or idea generation.
Funding Amount: The total budget for the CREA-MEDIA-2026-FESTNET call is EUR 6,000,000. The indicative number of grants is not specified in the provided text.
Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by the "Open For Submission" status. The deadline model is single-stage.
Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support their coordinated/collaborative activities.
Application Stages: The application process is single-stage, meaning applicants submit a complete proposal by the deadline.
Success Rates: The success rates are not specified in the provided text.
Co-funding Requirement: The provided text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. This information would likely be detailed in the call document.
Summary:
This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Creative Europe Programme (CREA), specifically targeting Networks of European Festivals (CREA-MEDIA-2026-FESTNET). The call aims to support coordinated and collaborative activities among European audiovisual festivals to increase audiences' interest in non-national European audiovisual content, including video games and immersive content, and to promote its circulation and visibility. The funding type is a grant, with a total budget of EUR 6,000,000. The call is open for submission with a deadline of April 14, 2026. Eligible applicants are networks of European festivals, implying a consortium requirement. The geographic eligibility is focused on the European region. The project stage is geared towards the development and implementation of coordinated activities. The application process is single-stage. The call document and related annexes provide detailed information on admissibility conditions, eligible countries, evaluation criteria, and the legal and financial setup of the grants. Applicants are encouraged to consult their local Creative Europe Desk or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency for general information and to utilize the Funding & Tenders Portal for submission and technical support. The call seeks to reinforce cooperation among festivals, increase the impact of European audiovisual works, foster knowledge exchange, and harness digital transformation within the festival network.
Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a CREA Project Grant (CREA-PJG) and a CREA Action Grant Budget-Based [CREA-AG].
Consortium Requirement: The call explicitly targets "Networks of European festivals," implying that a consortium of multiple applicants is required. The objective is to support coordinated/collaborative activities, which necessitates the involvement of multiple festivals.
Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The call focuses on "European" festivals and "non-national European" audiovisual content, suggesting that the geographic eligibility is primarily for entities within the EU and potentially the broader European region. The specific eligible countries are detailed in the call document.
Target Sector: The program targets the audiovisual sector, specifically European audiovisual festivals. This includes films, video games, and immersive content. The focus is on promoting the circulation and visibility of non-national European audiovisual works.
Mentioned Countries: While no specific countries are explicitly listed in the provided text, the call refers to "European" festivals and content. Therefore, the relevant region is Europe, specifically the EU and potentially other countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme.
Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is likely at the stage of development and implementation of coordinated activities. The call aims to support existing networks in enhancing their activities and impact, rather than funding initial research or idea generation.
Funding Amount: The total budget for the CREA-MEDIA-2026-FESTNET call is EUR 6,000,000. The indicative number of grants is not specified in the provided text.
Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by the "Open For Submission" status. The deadline model is single-stage.
Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support their coordinated/collaborative activities.
Application Stages: The application process is single-stage, meaning applicants submit a complete proposal by the deadline.
Success Rates: The success rates are not specified in the provided text.
Co-funding Requirement: The provided text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. This information would likely be detailed in the call document.
Summary:
This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Creative Europe Programme (CREA), specifically targeting Networks of European Festivals (CREA-MEDIA-2026-FESTNET). The call aims to support coordinated and collaborative activities among European audiovisual festivals to increase audiences' interest in non-national European audiovisual content, including video games and immersive content, and to promote its circulation and visibility. The funding type is a grant, with a total budget of EUR 6,000,000. The call is open for submission with a deadline of April 14, 2026. Eligible applicants are networks of European festivals, implying a consortium requirement. The geographic eligibility is focused on the European region. The project stage is geared towards the development and implementation of coordinated activities. The application process is single-stage. The call document and related annexes provide detailed information on admissibility conditions, eligible countries, evaluation criteria, and the legal and financial setup of the grants. Applicants are encouraged to consult their local Creative Europe Desk or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency for general information and to utilize the Funding & Tenders Portal for submission and technical support. The call seeks to reinforce cooperation among festivals, increase the impact of European audiovisual works, foster knowledge exchange, and harness digital transformation within the festival network.
Short Summary
Impact Support coordinated and collaborative activities among European audiovisual festivals to increase audiences' interest in non-national European audiovisual content, including video games and immersive content, and to promote its circulation and visibility. | Impact | Support coordinated and collaborative activities among European audiovisual festivals to increase audiences' interest in non-national European audiovisual content, including video games and immersive content, and to promote its circulation and visibility. |
Applicant Networks of European audiovisual festival organizations capable of demonstrating collaborative programming and operational capacity. | Applicant | Networks of European audiovisual festival organizations capable of demonstrating collaborative programming and operational capacity. |
Developments Funding for coordinated programming activities among established audiovisual festivals, enhancing audience engagement and digital transformation. | Developments | Funding for coordinated programming activities among established audiovisual festivals, enhancing audience engagement and digital transformation. |
Applicant Type Audiovisual festival organizations and festival networks operating within Europe. | Applicant Type | Audiovisual festival organizations and festival networks operating within Europe. |
Consortium A consortium of multiple applicants is required, emphasizing collaborative activities among festival networks. | Consortium | A consortium of multiple applicants is required, emphasizing collaborative activities among festival networks. |
Funding Amount €6,000,000 for 2026. | Funding Amount | €6,000,000 for 2026. |
Countries EU member states and potentially EEA or candidate countries, as the opportunity focuses on European audiovisual festivals. | Countries | EU member states and potentially EEA or candidate countries, as the opportunity focuses on European audiovisual festivals. |
Industry Creative Europe Programme (CREA) targeting the culture and audiovisual media sector. | Industry | Creative Europe Programme (CREA) targeting the culture and audiovisual media sector. |
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