NEWS - Media Literacy

The European Union is offering a grant opportunity titled "NEWS - Media Literacy" under the Creative Europe Programme with the identifier CREA-CROSS-2026-MEDIALITERACY. The total budget for this initiative is €3,000,000, aimed at fostering innovative cross-border media literacy projects across Europe to address the challenges of the evolving digital media landscape.

The call opens on October 23, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is set for March 11, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. This grant falls under the category of CREA Project Grants (CREA-PJG) and is structured as a single-stage application process. The expected impact includes creating or scaling up cross-border collaborations, developing media literacy tools for diverse target groups, and assisting professionals in adapting to changing media formats.

Eligible applicants are anticipated to include a range of organizations such as universities, NGOs, cultural organizations, and media professionals engaged in media literacy efforts. The call emphasizes the necessity for projects to be collaborative, indicating that consortia of multiple organizations from different countries must apply.

Successful projects will support citizens in developing critical approaches to media consumption, recognize and respond to disinformation, and enhance civic engagement and societal resilience. The emphasis is on scaling up best practices from established media literacy projects rather than developing entirely new concepts.

Applications should align with the objectives set forth in the call documentation, which highlights the importance of engaging specific target groups, particularly those with limited media literacy skills. The call encourages the development and deployment of proven tools and methodologies adaptable to various contexts.

While the call does not specify co-funding requirements, it is typical within the Creative Europe Programme for beneficiaries to cover a portion of project costs through additional resources. The application process, including evaluation phases and grant agreements, is clearly outlined in the accompanying call documents, which applicants are encouraged to consult for comprehensive guidance.

The funding opportunity represents a significant effort by the EU to strengthen media literacy as a fundamental skill for participation in democracy and to equip citizens with the necessary tools to navigate a complex and often misleading information environment.

The Creative Europe Programme (CREA) is offering a call for proposals titled "NEWS Media Literacy" with the call identifier CREA-CROSS-2026-MEDIALITERACY. This call falls under the CREA Project Grants (CREA-PJG) type of action and utilizes a CREA Action Grant Budget-Based [CREA-AG] Model Grant Agreement. The deadline model is single-stage.

The planned opening date for submissions is 23 October 2025, and the deadline for submitting applications is 11 March 2026 at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected impact of this call is to create or scale up cross-border collaborations to deliver projects that implement best practices across national, cultural, and linguistic borders. It also aims to develop and deploy media literacy tools and initiatives, taking into account the needs of specific target groups, including groups with limited media literacy skills or access, and to assist media literacy professionals in adapting their practices to rapidly evolving media formats and changing media consumption patterns.

The objective of this call is to support innovative cross-border media literacy projects and practices across Europe among various population segments, addressing the challenges of a continuously changing digital media landscape.

The scope of the call involves support for collaborative projects with clearly defined objectives to advance media literacy, addressing the following priorities:

1. Provide solutions that enable citizens to develop a critical approach to the media and to recognize and appropriately react to disinformation, information manipulation techniques, and other challenges in the online media environment.

2. Build on and scale up best practices from innovative media literacy projects that take into account a changing media ecosystem, crossing cultural, national, or linguistic borders, and strengthening collaboration between different regions of Europe. Innovative approaches may include novel or original ideas, methods, tools, or modes of implementation, whether online or offline.

3. Consider the role of media literacy for citizen inclusiveness, civic engagement, and societal resilience, including resilience against attempts to interfere with citizens’ free choice and participation in democratic processes.

The conditions for application include:

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout are described in the call document and in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries are described in the call document.

3. Other Eligible Conditions are described in the call document.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in the call document.

5a. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes are described in the call document.

5b. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in the call document.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement are described in the call document. The publication of the call is scheduled for 21 October 2025. The deadline for submitting applications is 11 March 2026. The evaluation period will take place from March to June 2026. Information to applicants will be provided in July 2026, and the signature of grant agreements is expected in December 2026.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants are described in the call document.

The call document and annexes include:

Call document

Application form templates: Standard application form (CREA MEDIA) available in the Submission System

Model Grant Agreements (MGA): CREA MGA and Lump Sum MGA

Additional documents: 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 budget overview indicates that the total budget for the CREA-CROSS-2026-MEDIALITERACY CREA Project Grants is 3,000,000 EUR for the year 2026. The funding stage is single-stage, with the opening date on 23 October 2025 and the deadline on 11 March 2026.

There are 4 partner search announcements available. LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics after logging into the Portal, as well as any user having an active public Person profile.

The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

For non-IT related questions, applicants can contact their local Creative Europe Desk or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency at EACEA-CREATIVE-EUROPE-MEDIA-LITERACY@ec.europa.eu.

Additional support resources include the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ for submission of proposals, the IT Helpdesk for technical questions, and the Online Manual for a step-by-step guide through the Portal processes.

In summary, this Creative Europe Programme call aims to bolster media literacy across Europe by funding collaborative, cross-border projects. It seeks innovative solutions to address disinformation and promote critical thinking among citizens in the digital age. The call encourages projects that build upon existing best practices, adapt to the evolving media landscape, and foster citizen engagement in democratic processes. Applicants should consult the detailed call documents and utilize the available support resources to prepare their submissions, focusing on projects that demonstrate a clear understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the field of media literacy. The total budget is 3 million EUR and the deadline for application is March 11, 2026.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, the call is for collaborative projects, suggesting that consortia of organizations are likely eligible. The mention of LEARs (Legal Entity Appointed Representatives) implies that legal entities such as universities, research institutes, companies, and other organizations can apply. The call is open to various population segments, so it is likely that a range of organizations, including nonprofits and NGOs, could be eligible. The eligibility criteria are described in the call document.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a CREA Project Grant (CREA-PJG). The type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is a CREA Action Grant Budget-Based [CREA-AG] or a Lump Sum MGA.

Consortium Requirement: The call explicitly supports collaborative projects, indicating that a consortium of multiple applicants is required. The call aims to create or scale up cross-border collaborations.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The call supports cross-border projects across Europe, suggesting that the geographic eligibility includes EU member states and potentially other countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme. The specific eligible countries are described in the call document.

Target Sector: The target sector is media literacy. The call focuses on innovative cross-border media literacy projects and practices, addressing the challenges of a continuously changing digital media landscape. The priorities include developing a critical approach to media, recognizing disinformation, and promoting citizen inclusiveness and civic engagement.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the call targets projects across Europe.

Project Stage: The project stage is not explicitly defined, but the call supports scaling up best practices and developing/deploying media literacy tools and initiatives. This suggests that the projects should be at least at the development or validation stage, with a focus on implementation and scaling.

Funding Amount: The total budget for the topic CREA-CROSS-2026-MEDIALITERACY is EUR 3,000,000. The indicative number of grants is not specified, so the funding amount per project is variable.

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 a grant 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 co-funding requirement is not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Summary:

This is a call for proposals under the Creative Europe Programme (CREA), specifically targeting media literacy. The call, titled "NEWS - Media Literacy (CREA-CROSS-2026-MEDIALITERACY)," aims to support innovative cross-border projects that promote media literacy across Europe. The goal is to address the challenges of the evolving digital media landscape by fostering critical thinking, combating disinformation, and enhancing citizen engagement.

The call is structured as a CREA Project Grant (CREA-PJG) with a budget of EUR 3,000,000. It requires collaborative projects, meaning that consortia of organizations from different European countries must apply. The eligible applicant types are not explicitly listed, but they likely include universities, research institutes, NGOs, and other organizations involved in media literacy initiatives.

The application process is a single-stage submission, with the deadline for submitting applications on 11 March 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time. The evaluation period will take place from March to June 2026, and applicants will be informed of the results in July 2026. The signature of grant agreements is planned for December 2026.

The call prioritizes projects that:

Enable citizens to develop a critical approach to the media.
Help citizens recognize and react to disinformation and information manipulation techniques.
Build on and scale up best practices from innovative media literacy projects.
Consider the role of media literacy for citizen inclusiveness, civic engagement, and societal resilience.

Applicants are advised to consult the call document and other annexes for detailed information on eligibility criteria, evaluation processes, and the legal and financial setup of the grants. The European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and the Creative Europe Desks are available to provide support and answer non-IT-related questions.