Creative Innovation Labs
Promoting innovative approaches to content creation, access, distribution and promotion across cultural and creative sectors.
News media
Supporting media literacy, quality journalism, media freedom and pluralism.
Creative Innovation Labs
The call “ Innovation Labs” supports the development of innovative tools, models and solutions applicable in the audiovisual and other cultural and creative sectors.
Expected results:
- Improve the competitiveness of the European audiovisual and other cultural and creative sectors: transparency, data collection and the appropriate use of artificial intelligence/big data, adaptation to the challenges and opportunities driven by the ongoing changes in those sectors;
- Improve the adaptation of the European audiovisual and other cultural and creative sectors to the opportunities offered by the development of virtual worlds (also called metaverse(s)).
- Improve the production/financing and circulation of European audiovisual and cultural content in the digital age;
- Increase the visibility, discoverability, availability and diversity of European audiovisual and cultural content in the digital age;
- Increase the potential audience of European audiovisual and cultural content in the digital age.
- Accelerate the environmental transition of the European audiovisual, cultural and other creative sectors, in line with the priorities of the European Green Deal and the New European Bauhaus.
The maximum co-funding rate is 80 % – no limit to the project budget (grant amount might be lower than the grant requested).
The Creative Innovation Lab support shall support the design, development and/or spread of innovative tools, models or solutions applicable in the audiovisual (compulsory) and at least one the following sectors: music, books or museums.
Status: Opening soon
Deadline: 23 April 2026 | 17:00:00 Brussels time
News Media
Through its cross-sectoral strand, Creative Europe 2021-2027 addresses for the first time the News Media sector, to support media literacy, quality journalism, media freedom and pluralism. Two main calls are published yearly:
NEWS-Journalism partnerships The Journalism Partnership initiative is a response to structural and technological changes in the news media. The call aims to encourage independent monitoring of media pluralism and freedom through support for investigative journalism, regional and local news media and awareness-raising activities. In addition, the action intends to stimulate the sustainable emergence of excellent media, by promoting cooperation – including cross-border collaboration in journalism, digital skills and quality content.
There are 2 different actions available under the call:
Collaborations: cross-border collaborations, that address structural and technological changes in News Media, making the sector more resilient and sustainable and adapting to new economic and consumption realities.
- Min. 3 partner organisations from 3 different Creative Europe countries
- Max. available grant per project: 2 000 000 € (80% co-funding)
Status: Opening soon
Deadline: 4 February 2026 | 17:00:00 Brussels time
Pluralism: third parties funding scheme. Beneficiaries will redistribute funds to smaller organisations, aiming for more resilience, pluralism, editorial independence for local/regional/community media, investigative media or media specialised in public interest topics.
- Single applicants (organisations) or consortia of organisations are eligible.
- Max. available grant per project: 3 000 000 € (90% co-funding)
Status: Opening soon
Deadline: 4 February 2026 | 17:00:00 Brussels time
NEWS-Media Literacy This call supports knowledge sharing and exchanges on media literacy policies and practices to enable the development of innovative cross-border media literacy initiatives and communities across Europe, in a continuously changing digital media landscape and taking into account current user behaviour among various age groups.
- Min. 3 partner organisations from 3 different Creative Europe countries.
- Max. available grant per project: 500 000 € (70% co-funding)
Status: Opening soon
Deadline: 11 March 2026 | 17:00:00 Brussels time
Additional studies are foreseen to support the news media sector, aiming at monitoring and defending media freedom and pluralism.
NEWS-Media Freedom Rapid Response Mechanism This action is expected to provide practical help to protect journalists under threat, including concrete tools such as advice and legal support as well as offering shelter and logistical assistance thereby enabling the targeted journalists to continue pursuing their professional activities. This can include financial support when needed. The project will also organise visits to affected countries. Anti-impunity action shall be supported through advocacy. The tools used will be adjusted to accommodate individual needs on a case-by-case basis.
Activities that can be funded:
- Design and manage a Europe-wide rapid response mechanism to support media freedom and journalists’ safety, covering all EU Member States, countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme and candidate countries;
- Provide legal and practical support to journalists and other media practitioners in need;
- Organise advocacy missions to locations where journalists are under threat;
- Monitor the state of media freedom in the EU Member States, countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme and candidate countries;
- Organise awareness raising campaigns in the field of media freedom and safety of journalists;
- Ensure communication and dissemination activities;
- Monitor and evaluate the action.
Status: Closed
Deadline: 15 January 2025 | 17:00:00 Brussels time
