Open Call of Perform Europe 2026 – 2028

Perform Europe 2026–2028 is a Creative Europe open call funding cross-border touring and presentation of finished performing arts works across 41 eligible countries, prioritising inclusion, diversity and climate action. Proposals must be submitted by partnerships with at least three partners legally based in three different Creative Europe countries and present a finished work in a minimum of three countries; live music and opera are excluded. Grants are fixed at €15,000, €25,000 or €55,000 with optional top-ups up to €5,000 (maximum per partnership €60,000), total budget €1.4 million, deadline 22 October 2026, and touring period expected between 1 March 2027 and 31 January 2028.

What it funds

A targeted support scheme for cross-border touring in the performing arts. Total budget €1,400,000 to fund at least 25 partnerships to implement tours between 1 March 2027 and 31 January 2028. Grants are awarded at three fixed levels with optional small top-ups for greening and accessibility; maximum grant including top-ups €60,000 per partnership.

Grant amounts:Small €15,000; Medium €25,000; Large €55,000. Top-ups up to €5,000 per proposal (maximum total including top-ups €60,000). ¹

Who can apply

Any organisation or individual professional legally based in one of the 41 Creative Europe participating countries (EU member states plus eligible non-EU countries). UK-based entities are not eligible.

Partnership and project requirements

1. 1Partnerships must include minimum three partners legally based in at least three different Creative Europe countries; one partner acts as Lead Partner who submits the application and, if selected, signs the contract.
2. 2Each proposal must present at least one finished performing arts work (opera and live music excluded) in at least three different Creative Europe countries.
3. 3Perform Europe does not fund production costs for new creations; proposals should use finished productions or ready artistic concepts.
4. 4Projects must address one primary priority: Inclusion and Diversity or Fight against Climate Change, while integrating measures related to the other priority.
5. 5At least 1.5% of the requested grant (excluding top-ups) must be allocated to capacity-building activities; preparation costs must be under 10% of the requested grant.

Eligible countries and priority notes

All 27 EU member states plus 14 Creative Europe participating non-EU countries (examples include Norway, Iceland, Ukraine, Türkiye not included). Overseas Countries and Outermost Regions of participating countries are eligible. Proposals involving Ukrainian partners will have a 5% allocation of the total fund.

How to apply

Apply online via the Perform Europe website. Applications must be submitted by the Lead Partner and include the completed budget template, signed cooperation agreement and, if needed, a co-financing commitment letter. Matchmaking and helpdesk sessions are available during the call period.

Footnotes

1. 1Official call details, application portal, templates and guidance are available on the Perform Europe website Perform Europe Open Call.

Opportunity snapshot

Perform Europe 3 is an open call funded under the Creative Europe programme (2021-2027) to support cross-border touring in the performing arts across the 41 Creative Europe participating countries. The open call launched on 23 June 2026 with a single-stage digital submission deadline of 22 October 2026 at 23:59 CEST. The scheme will award a total budget of €1,400,000 to at least 25 partnership projects that will implement touring activity between 1 March 2027 and 31 January 2028. Perform Europe is co-funded by the European Union and implemented by a consortium of six major performing arts networks and a research partner.

Primary objectives and priorities:Perform Europe aims to reinvent cross-border touring to make it fairer, greener and more inclusive. Substantive priorities for proposals are: Inclusion and Diversity and Fight Against Climate Change. Each proposal must select one of these as its core priority while implementing measures addressing the other. Projects must emphasise quality, innovation and fair practices, and are encouraged to build collaboration across different regions within the eligible countries ¹.

Eligible applicant types

Eligible applicants are organisations and individual professionals legally based in a Creative Europe participating country working in the performing arts. Examples of eligible applicant types based on the call materials include: venues and presenters, producers, festivals, performing arts companies, collectives, artists and individual professionals, residencies, cultural intermediaries, and other performing arts organisations. Live music and opera are explicitly excluded from eligibility.

Funding type and modalities

Primary funding mechanism:Grant. Perform Europe provides direct grants to partnerships. Grants are available in three fixed bands and may be supplemented by small top-ups for accessibility and greening needs. The grant is paid to the Lead Partner who will sign the contract and distribute funds to partners according to the cooperation agreement.

Grant amounts and top-up rules:Perform Europe will distribute €1,400,000 in total to at least 25 partnerships. Grant categories are fixed at €15,000 (small), €25,000 (medium) and €55,000 (large). Partnerships may request any combination of available top-ups up to a combined maximum of €5,000 per proposal. The maximum total grant including top-ups is €60,000 per partnership. A minimum 5% of the total fund is reserved for projects involving Ukrainian partners or initiatives supporting the Ukrainian performing arts sector ¹.

Consortium requirement and partnership rules

Submission must be made by a partnership. Key partnership rules and requirements are detailed in the application materials and the provided cooperation agreement template. Partnerships must include a minimum of three partners legally based in at least three different Creative Europe countries. The partnership must nominate one Lead Partner who submits the application, will sign the contract if selected, and is financially and legally responsible for grant management. All partners must register on the Perform Europe website; the Lead Partner must upload a signed cooperation agreement (template provided).

1. 1Minimum number of partners: 3 (including Lead Partner)
2. 2Partners must be legally based in at least 3 different Creative Europe countries (country of legal base determines eligibility, not nationality)
3. 3Lead Partner responsibilities include coordination, financial administration and reporting, keeping records, submitting interim and final reports, and distributing funds to partners
4. 4Partnership must upload a signed cooperation agreement using the provided template and, if applicable, a co-financing commitment letter

Beneficiary scope and eligible countries

Geographic eligibility:Entities legally based in any of the 41 Creative Europe participating countries are eligible. The Perform Europe Eligible Countries list (updated June 2026) enumerates 41 countries: all 27 EU Member States and 14 non-EU participating countries. Overseas Countries and Territories and Outermost Regions of participating countries are also explicitly eligible. Entities based in the United Kingdom are not eligible as the UK is no longer part of Creative Europe. It is the legal base/residence of the organisation or individual that determines eligibility.

1. 1Explicitly listed eligible non-EU countries include: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Ukraine (among others as per the updated Eligible Countries list).
2. 2Eligible Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories examples: Greenland (Denmark); French overseas territories; Azores and Madeira (Portugal); Canary Islands (Spain); Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius (The Netherlands)

Target sectors and artistic fields

Target sector:Performing arts. Eligible sub-sectors include theatre, dance, performance, circus, outdoor arts, puppetry, mime, physical theatre, performance art, site-specific work, youth theatre, music theatre and interdisciplinary practices using new technologies. Live music and opera are not eligible under this call. Projects that combine performing arts with community engagement, capacity-building, green touring practices and inclusion measures are encouraged.

Project stage and expected maturity

Expected project maturity:Implementation and presentation. Perform Europe requires proposals to include at least one finished performing arts work or an artistic concept that is ready to be applied and presented across contexts. The call does not fund creation/production costs of new works; it funds touring and presentation, preparation, capacity building and complementary activities. Touring implementation must take place between 1 March 2027 and 31 January 2028.

Application process and required documents

Application type:Single-stage open call submitted online via the Perform Europe website application form. The Lead Partner submits the application. Applicants may save drafts in the browser-based form but must ensure required attachments are uploaded before final submission because attachments are not stored in drafts.

1. 1Complete online application form via Perform Europe platform (sections include eligibility check, partnership, proposal details, artistic proposal, fairness, communications, budget, feedback)
2. 2Required attachments to upload: completed budget template (Excel), signed cooperation agreement (PDF, maximum file size indicated), commitment letter for co-financing if other income covers more than a set threshold or if the grant covers less than 80% of total costs
3. 3Optional but recommended resources: Perform Europe Conversation Starter, Guidebook, Matchmaking Platform for partner search, Frequently Asked Questions and Help Desk sessions

Application template structure and form fields:The online application contains a structured multi-step form. Key steps and fields as reflected in the published application PDF are: STEP 1 Eligibility check; STEP 2 Partnership (Lead partner and partner entries with contact and profile links, cooperation agreement upload); STEP 3 About your proposal (title, summary, objectives, selection of core priority, start/end dates); STEP 4 Artistic proposal (artistic work entries with discipline selection, visual material links, complementary activities, presenting contexts and touring plan, innovation); STEP 5 Fairness (compensation, resource sharing, diversity, sustainability and capacity-building details); STEP 6 Communications (audience engagement and promotion strategies); STEP 7 Budget (select grant band, indicate top-up requests, upload budget template, indicate other income and commitment letter if grant covers less than 80%); STEP 7 Feedback (how applicants heard about the call, use of Perform EU resources, user experience). Character limits apply to many text fields and are counted including spaces. Attachments must be uploaded before final submission.

Budget rules, eligible cost lines and financial management

The budget must be completed using the provided Budget Template and submitted in euros. Income and expenses must balance. Perform Europe grant can cover up to 100% of the project costs; co-funding is not mandatory but if other income is listed as part of the budget, applicants must provide a Commitment Letter if the grant covers less than 80% or if additional income lines remain unsecured. Key budget categories in the template include: Travel and Subsistence, Salaries and Fees, Production Costs, Preparation Costs, Specific Accessibility and Greening Costs (top-ups), Communication Costs, Capacity-building Costs (minimum 1.5% of grant request excluding top-ups), and Other Costs. Preparation costs must be less than 10% of the requested grant amount. Top-ups are requestable for specific needs such as green mobility, overseas regions, family support, visa, accessibility support and audience access. The maximum total top-up request per proposal is €5,000.

1. 1Capacity-building cost requirement: at least 1.5% of the requested grant (excluding top-ups) must be allocated to training and capacity-building activities
2. 2Preparation costs cap: less than 10% of the requested grant
3. 3Top-ups: available categories include Green mobility, Overseas Countries & Territories / Outermost Regions, Family top-up, Visa top-up, Accessibility support, Audience access; combined top-up maximum is €5,000 per proposal
4. 4The Lead Partner is responsible for financial reporting; partners must provide updated financial information to the Lead Partner promptly after presentations for interim and final reporting

Timeline and process stages

Call timeline and main milestones:Open call launch: 23 June 2026. Submission deadline: 22 October 2026, 23:59 CEST. Selection announcement: January 2027. Implementation period: from 1 March 2027 (earliest) to 31 January 2028 (latest). During the open call period Perform Europe organises Help Desk sessions, information events and matchmaking activities to assist applicants.

1. 123 June 2026: Open call launched
2. 222 October 2026 23:59 CEST: Application deadline (single-stage)
3. 3January 2027: Selected partnerships announced
4. 41 March 2027: Selected proposals may start touring (no earlier than this date)
5. 531 January 2028: Latest end date for touring and activities

Application stages, evaluation and success rates

Application is single-stage:applicants submit full proposals at once. The call documentation indicates a standard evaluation process but does not publish specific numerical success rates for this edition. Historically Perform Europe has funded 61 projects across previous editions with a total of €3.5 million; for this edition the fund will support at least 25 partnerships with €1.4 million available. Exact success rate will depend on number of valid submissions. Applicants should expect a competitive selection and should strictly comply with eligibility and administrative requirements to avoid rejection on formal grounds.

Co-funding and other funding rules

Co-funding:Not strictly required. The Perform Europe grant can cover 100% of project costs. If the requested grant covers less than 80% of total expenses or if other income lines are not fully secured, the partnership must upload a signed Commitment Letter detailing other income sources and a risk assessment with mitigation measures. The Commitment Letter template is provided by Perform Europe and must be signed by all partners if required.

Success factors and selection priorities

Selection will prioritise proposals that:directly address the chosen core priority (inclusion & diversity or climate action) with clear measures for the secondary priority; demonstrate innovation, quality of artistic work and touring methods; follow fair partnership practices and financial transparency; include feasible touring plans across at least three Creative Europe countries; allocate required minimums to capacity building and respect preparation cost caps; and present realistic budgets using the template. Partnerships involving Ukrainian partners are specifically encouraged and a portion of the fund is reserved to support them.

Support services and applicant resources

Perform Europe provides multiple resources to applicants:Matchmaking Platform (over 2,300 profiles) to find partners, Perform Europe Conversation Starter and Guidebook for proposal design, budget template, cooperation agreement template, commitment letter template, FAQs, Help Desk sessions (bi-weekly during the open call) and dedicated email support at info@performeurope.eu. Application instructions note technical details about saving drafts, character limits, browser storage of drafts and handling submission problems.

How to apply:Register on the Perform Europe website, create the Lead Partner account, build the partnership (use the Matchmaking Platform if needed), complete the online application form and upload the required attachments (budget template, cooperation agreement PDF, commitment letter if applicable) before the 22 October 2026 23:59 CEST deadline. If applicants have access issues with the digital form they should contact info@performeurope.eu to discuss alternative submission possibilities. Drafts are saved in the applicant's browser and attachments are not saved in drafts; ensure final upload before submission ¹.

Templates and documents provided

Perform Europe supplies official templates and guidance documents for application completion and partnership formalisation. Key templates and documents available for download include: the Perform Europe Open Call and Guidelines; the digital application form (PDF for reference); Budget Template (Excel with multiple sheets and instructions); Cooperation Agreement template (Word document to be completed and signed by partners and uploaded as PDF); Commitment Letter template for co-financing; Perform Europe Conversation Starter and Guidebook; FAQs; and a list of eligible countries. These templates set mandatory structure and content requirements such as budget category lines, partner information fields, and cooperation agreement clauses covering responsibilities, accountability and dispute resolution.

1. 1Cooperation Agreement template: includes partner identification fields, lead partner responsibilities, accountability and reporting obligations, financial contribution clauses, law/regulation and copyright warranties, management and arbitration clauses, and signature blocks for all partners
2. 2Commitment Letter template: details other income sources, confirms whether other incomes are secured, requires risk assessment and mitigation planning if income is not secured, and must be signed by all partners when required
3. 3Budget Template: detailed cost categories with instructions, eligibility checks (budget balance; top-up limit; capacity-building minimum; preparation cost cap), and separate sheets for summary, expenses, income and data

Notable restrictions and exclusions

Important restrictions:Perform Europe will not cover production costs for new creations; proposals must include finished artistic works or concepts ready to be presented. Live music and opera are excluded. Entities subject to EU restrictive measures are ineligible. Applicants based in the UK are not eligible. Partners cannot be staff of the Perform Europe Consortium, evaluators of Perform Europe, or staff members of EU institutions or agencies. Failure to meet any eligibility criteria will result in administrative rejection.

Project outcomes, monitoring and reporting

Selected partnerships are required to implement the touring plan and reporting obligations as set out in the contract with Perform Europe. The Lead Partner must submit interim and final reports and fill out surveys and evaluation instruments. Partners must provide financial updates after presentations to enable consolidated reporting. Projects are expected to generate knowledge and good practices related to inclusive, green and fair touring which will feed into Perform Europe’s knowledge base and policy guidance resources and publications.

Mentioned countries (explicit list from call materials)

• Albania
• Armenia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Georgia
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Kosovo
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Montenegro
• Moldova
• Netherlands
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Serbia
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Tunisia
• Ukraine

Project stage, intended activities and scope

Perform Europe supports the presentation and touring stage of performing arts works that are ready to tour. Funded activities include: travel and subsistence for partners and artists, salaries and freelance fees, production-related costs for touring presentations (venue and equipment rental, transport of equipment), preparation costs for adapting pre-existing works to new contexts (subject to the <10% cap), accessibility and greening measures (top-ups and eligible costs), communication and audience engagement activities, and capacity-building activities. It does not fund creation/production of new works.

Application stages count

Number of formal application/evaluation stages:1 (single-stage submission). Selection and contracting follow the evaluation of submitted proposals, but applicants are not required to pass a separate pre-selection stage for this call.

Success rates and competitiveness

The call documentation does not provide a fixed numerical success rate for this edition. Based on previous Perform Europe editions (61 projects funded across two editions with €3.5 million total), and the current edition’s budget for at least 25 partnerships, applicants should expect a competitive selection process. Success rate will depend on the volume and quality of eligible submissions received.

Co-funding requirement (detailed)

Co-funding is optional. The Perform Europe grant may cover 100% of project costs. If partnerships list other income sources in the budget, they must show whether those incomes are secured. If the grant covers less than 80% of total expenses or if other income sources are not confirmed, the proposal must include a signed Commitment Letter by all partners explaining the other income, probability of securing it, risks and mitigation measures. The Lead Partner is accountable for financial management and must ensure partners provide financial updates promptly.

How to prepare a competitive application (key checklist)

1. 1Confirm legal base of each partner and register all partners on the Perform Europe website well before submission
2. 2Use the Matchmaking Platform to secure partners from at least three different eligible countries
3. 3Ensure the artistic work is finished and ready to tour; do not propose new production costs
4. 4Select core priority (inclusion & diversity or climate action) and explain measures for both priorities
5. 5Complete the Budget Template in euros, balance income and expenses and respect caps (preparation costs <10%, capacity-building >=1.5%)
6. 6Upload signed cooperation agreement (PDF) and Commitment Letter if applicable
7. 7Follow character limits in the online form, prepare visual material links and complementary activities descriptions
8. 8Attend Help Desk sessions and consult FAQ and guidance documents to avoid administrative errors

Summary:Perform Europe 2026-2028 is a targeted grant scheme under Creative Europe to support cross-border touring of finished performing arts works across 41 eligible countries. It funds partnerships (minimum three partners from three eligible countries) that propose innovative, fair, inclusive and environmentally responsible touring strategies. Grants are fixed in three bands (€15,000; €25,000; €55,000) with top-ups available for accessibility and greening (max €5,000). The call is single-stage, digitally administered, strongly supported by matchmaking and guidance resources, and places obligations on Lead Partners for financial management and reporting. Eligible applicants should carefully follow templates (cooperation agreement, budget, commitment letter), respect budget caps and allocation rules, and submit by the deadline of 22 October 2026, 23:59 CEST. For full guidance, templates and the online application platform consult the Perform Europe website and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Official Perform Europe open call page and application resources are available at the Perform Europe website and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: performeurope.eu and ec.europa.eu

What This Funding Supports

Perform Europe supports partnership proposals that reinvent cross-border touring in the performing arts, focusing on inclusion, diversity, and environmental sustainability across 41 Creative Europe countries ¹.

The call funds the cross-border touring and presentation of at least one existing performing arts work (finished production or artistic concept ready to tour), including complementary activities like workshops or talks, with a focus on innovation, inclusion, and sustainability ².

Who Can Apply

Any organisation or professional legally based in one of the 41 Creative Europe countries (27 EU Member States + 14 non-EU Participating Countries) working in theatre, dance, performance, circus, outdoor arts, or puppetry can apply ³.

Applicants based in the UK are not eligible as the UK is no longer part of the Creative Europe programme; eligibility is determined by the country of residence, not nationality ³.

Partnership Requirements

Proposals must be submitted by partnerships consisting of a minimum of three partners from at least three different Creative Europe countries ².

Each proposal must include at least one finished performing arts work (excluding live music and opera) to be presented in a minimum of three different Creative Europe countries ².

Perform Europe will not cover production costs for new creations; proposals must include a finished artistic work ready to be presented in different contexts ².

Priorities of Perform Europe

Each proposal must choose one of two main priorities to focus on:(1) Inclusion & Diversity or (2) Fight Against Climate Change, while still implementing measures related to the second priority ².

All proposals should aim for quality and innovation, be built on fair practices, and are encouraged to promote collaboration across different regions within the 41 Creative Europe countries ².

Funding Details

Total Budget:Perform Europe will grant €1.4 million to at least 25 partnerships ¹.

Grant Categories:Partnerships can apply for grants in three categories: €15,000 (small), €25,000 (medium), or €55,000 (large) ².

Top-ups:Partnerships can request top-ups up to a maximum of €5,000 per proposal to address sustainability and accessibility needs, with a maximum total granted amount of €60,000 including top-ups ².

Ukraine Allocation:5% of the total funding will be allocated to proposals involving Ukrainian partners or supporting initiatives for the Ukrainian performing arts sector ².

Timeline & Deadlines

1. 123 June 2026: Launch of the open call
2. 222 October 2026, 23:59 CEST: Deadline for submitting proposals
3. 3January 2027: Announcement of selected partnerships
4. 41 March 2027: Selected proposals start touring
5. 531 January 2028: Selected proposals finish touring

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online through the Perform Europe website, with the Lead Partner responsible for submitting the application on behalf of the partnership ².

Required documents include the Open Call and Guidelines, a completed budget template, a signed cooperation agreement, and a commitment letter if the grant covers less than 80% of expenses ².

Applicants can use the Matchmaking Platform on the Perform Europe website to find partners, with over 2,300 profiles from 41 countries available ².

Bi-weekly Help Desk sessions are organised to assist potential applicants with questions about the open call, application process, and networking opportunities ².

Key Resources

• Perform Europe Conversation Starter for building partnerships and designing proposals ²
• Perform Europe Guidebook and Resources for inspiration and research ²
• Matchmaking Platform for finding partners ²
• Help Desk Sessions for all questions ²

Footnotes

1. 1Official details available at Development Aid.
2. 2Full guidelines and application details at Perform Europe Website.
3. 3Eligible countries list at PE3 Eligible Countries.