The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is an EU institution for strengthening Europe's innovative capacity. There are nine areas in total, one of which is dedicated to Culture & Creativity. Applications are currently open for two funding programmes that may also be attractive for startups.
First call for applications: Main Innovation Projects 2025
The aim here is to promote ground-breaking innovations in the fields of fashion, architecture, cultural heritage, audiovisual media and gaming that help to overcome the challenges of globalization, digital change, new technologies (for example AI) and environmental sustainability. Individual applicants will not be considered. At least two eligible institutions from two different EU Member States or countries associated with Horizon Europe are required to form a consortium. One of the participants in the consortium must come from the business sector, for example a startup. 7 million euros are available for this programme, up to 350,000 euros for each funded project. The application deadline is April 7. You can find all further information here.
This programme supports impactful initiatives that address urgent challenges in the cultural and creative industries. It focuses on rapid, results-oriented innovation projects with a maximum duration of six months. The program is divided into two segments. Individual applications will be accepted until March 11; a total of 595,000 euros and up to 59,500 euros per project will be distributed. In the second segment, there is still time until April 11th; here again, consortia as described above are in demand. The funding amount here is over 2.5 million euros, with up to 120,000 euros possible per project. You can find all the details about the application process here.
