Safeguarding & transmission of intangible cultural heritage

The Horizon Europe funding opportunity titled "HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-HERITAGE-08" focuses on safeguarding and transmitting intangible cultural heritage (ICH). The call invites collaborations that aim to empower communities, promote intergenerational transmission, and formulate innovative policy solutions related to ICH as recognized by UNESCO.

Eligible applicants include universities, research organizations, museums, cultural heritage institutions, and community-based organizations. Small and medium enterprises with expertise in digital heritage may also participate as partners. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, with a total budget of €12 million allocated for three expected grants, each ranging from €3 million to €4 million.

The consortium requirement emphasizes collaborative, transdisciplinary research involving multiple organizations. Geographic eligibility primarily includes EU Member States and associated countries, although third countries can participate under certain conditions. The call seeks projects in the research and development stage with emphasis on practical methodology and community engagement.

The application process is a single-stage procedure, with a submission deadline set for September 23, 2027. Specific success rates are not disclosed, but historically, competition for such funding is high, with success rates potentially between 10% to 15%.

Overall, this funding opportunity aims to create strategies for the safeguarding of living cultural heritage while linking ICH to broader policy areas such as biodiversity preservation, societal resilience, and social innovation, leveraging advanced digital technologies for documentation and transmission.

The EU Funding and Tenders Portal presents a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically focusing on Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society in 2027. The topic is "Safeguarding & transmission of intangible cultural heritage" with the topic ID HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-HERITAGE-08. This call seeks to fund projects that enhance the understanding, recognition, and safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), as defined by UNESCO. The projects should empower communities to take ownership of their ICH, promote intergenerational transmission, and develop innovative policy solutions.

The call is for HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions) projects, utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement. It is a forthcoming, single-stage application process. The planned opening date is 13 May 2027, and the deadline for submission is 23 September 2027, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of the projects include:

Enhanced understanding of the state of play of safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), in the context set by the 2003 UNESCO Convention, and an overview of successful methods for documenting and ensuring the transmission of ICH, including digital, audio-visual, and advanced technologies.

Recognition of the significance and value of ICH in different social, cultural, and economic contexts, and with attention to biodiversity preservation and links between ICH and the natural environment.

Empowered communities take ownership and responsibility for safeguarding their ICH, with a focus on how inter-generational transmission is ensured, and on youth involvement and informal education.

Innovative policy solutions are available, for the safeguarding of ICH and for mobilising ICH as a resource for fostering social and economic innovation, biodiversity protection and restoration.

The scope of the projects should address the following:

Defining the specificities of intangible cultural heritage.

Examining and quantifying the contribution of ICH to creativity, innovation, cultural and biological diversity, and economic benefits.

Rethinking cultural policies for the safeguarding of ICH, including exploring links and correlations between cultural and biological diversity.

Proposed research projects could address in depth the following research questions:

What is the state of play of the safeguarding of ICH in Europe, following the UNESCO 2003 Convention?

What are the main threats and challenges to the erosion and loss of ICH in Europe?

What are the most effective strategies for securing ICH safeguarding initiatives?

How can advanced digital technologies be leveraged for the safeguarding & transmission of ICH?

How can ICH provide inspiration for innovative approaches to existing societal challenges (e.g. competitiveness, intergenerational dialogue democratic values, biodiversity protection and restoration)

What role can community-led initiatives play in safeguarding ICH, and how can communities be supported and empowered to safeguard it?

The role of advanced digital technologies to support ICH safeguarding and transmission should be considered, as appropriately.

The proposals should comprise transdisciplinary scientific collaborations involving, for instance and not exhaustive, heritage and museum studies, cultural anthropology, ethnology, media studies, theatre studies, literary studies, musicology etc. Available results of existing research on intangible cultural heritage should be taken into consideration, while identification of needs for further research in the field should be promoted.

Proposals should build on existing knowledge, activities, networks and platforms, notably the ones funded by the EU, for example paying attention to the future digital tools and platforms provided by the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH), and the Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage.

Furthermore, links should be established and complementarities sought with closely related actions, such as relevant R&I actions funded by Horizon Europe or Horizon 2020. In particular, proposals should establish links to, and where appropriate build on findings from, projects funded under the topics HORIZON-CL2-2025-HERITAGE-02: Innovative approaches to intangible cultural heritage for societal resilience.

The general conditions for admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, exclusion, evaluation, award, and legal and financial set-up are aligned with the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties. The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60 000. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme.

The application form templates and evaluation form templates are available in the Submission System. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, call-specific instructions, detailed budget table, information on financial support to third parties, and guidance on lump sums. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027, HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview indicates that for the HORIZON-CL2-2027-01 call, there are several topics related to Democracy, Heritage and Transformation. Each topic has a specific budget, stage (single-stage), opening date (2027-05-13), deadline (2027-09-23), contribution range, and indicative number of grants. For the HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-HERITAGE-08 topic, the budget is EUR 12 000 000, the contribution range is EUR 3000000 to 4000000, and the indicative number of grants is 3.

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants after logging into the Portal. The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

Support is available through the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, and CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call aims to fund research and innovation projects that contribute to the safeguarding and transmission of intangible cultural heritage in Europe. It encourages transdisciplinary collaborations and the use of advanced digital technologies to address the challenges and opportunities in this field. The call provides a lump sum grant, and the application process is single-stage with a deadline in September 2027. The projects should empower communities, inform policy, and enhance the understanding and value of ICH in diverse contexts.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated but can be inferred to include entities capable of conducting research and innovation actions, as well as coordination and support actions. This likely encompasses universities, research institutes, NGOs, SMEs, and other organizations with a focus on culture, heritage, and societal issues. The call for proposals mentions transdisciplinary scientific collaborations, suggesting a preference for collaborations between different types of institutions.

Funding Type: The primary funding mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, under the Horizon Europe Programme. The actions include HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA), as well as HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA). Beneficiaries may also provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants, up to EUR 60,000 per third party.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity encourages transdisciplinary scientific collaborations, implying that a consortium of multiple applicants is preferred, although not explicitly stated as a requirement. Single applicants might be eligible if they demonstrate sufficient capacity and expertise across the relevant disciplines.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic focus appears to be Europe, as the call mentions the state of play of safeguarding ICH in Europe. However, the general conditions mention that non-EU/non-Associated Countries may be eligible, suggesting that the opportunity is open to a wider range of international participants, depending on specific provisions outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets the culture, creativity, and inclusive society sectors, with a specific focus on intangible cultural heritage (ICH). It also touches upon related areas such as biodiversity protection and restoration, digital technologies, heritage and museum studies, cultural anthropology, ethnology, media studies, theatre studies, literary studies, and musicology.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity focuses on Europe, and mentions non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage varies depending on the type of action. Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) suggest projects in the research, development, and validation stages. Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) imply projects focused on networking, coordination, and dissemination of existing knowledge. Innovation Actions (IA) suggest projects in the demonstration, commercialization, and scale-up stages.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action. For the HORIZON-CL2-2027-01 calls, the contributions range from EUR 3,000,000 to EUR 5,000,000 for Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), EUR 2,500,000 to EUR 4,800,000 for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), and EUR 3,000,000 to EUR 3,750,000 for Innovation Actions (IA).

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

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant. They may also provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants up to EUR 60,000.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic suggests a competitive process.

Co-funding Requirement: The co-funding requirement is not explicitly stated, but Horizon Europe grants typically fund a significant portion of the project costs, implying that co-funding may not be mandatory but could strengthen a proposal.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, under the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society pillar, focuses on safeguarding and transmitting intangible cultural heritage (ICH). It seeks to enhance understanding of ICH, promote its value in diverse contexts, empower communities to protect their heritage, and develop innovative policy solutions. The call encourages transdisciplinary collaborations and the use of digital technologies. Funding is provided through lump sum grants, with different types of actions (RIA, CSA, IA) supporting various project stages from research to innovation. The geographic focus is primarily on Europe, but non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible. The application process is a single-stage open call, and while co-funding is not explicitly required, it may be beneficial. The call aims to address key research questions related to the state of ICH safeguarding, threats to its erosion, effective safeguarding strategies, the role of digital technologies, and the potential of community-led initiatives.