This call is open to legal entities established in an eligible country under Horizon Europe – EU Member States (including outermost regions), linked Overseas Countries and Territories, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, or certain low-and middle-income countries – unless otherwise specified in the call guidelines. Third countries associated to Horizon Europe must already be formally associated by the launch time of the calls.

(UK companies are eligible to apply.)

Stage 1: Proposals may be submitted by a single legal entity (startup, scale-up, SME, or larger company) operating within or in direct service of architecture, audio-visual media, or fashion sectors. Research organisations, universities, and cultural institutions are not eligible as sole applicants. The applicant must demonstrate technical capacity to progress from TRL 7 to TRL 9, hold clear IP ownership or licensing rights, and be capable of managing project delivery and reporting. Stage 1 applicants are strongly encouraged to identify a commercialisation partner early, as stage 2 requires a consortium.

Stage 2: Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of two to three independent legal entities:

• Project coordinator: The stage 1 applicant.
• Commercialisation project partner: A mandatory project partner with demonstrable capacity in market deployment, scaling, or revenue generation – such as distribution, licensing, investor relations, or sector-specific market access. May be a startup, scale-up, SME, larger company, accelerator, business support organisation, or industry association. Research organisations, universities, or cultural institutions may participate only where they can demonstrate a direct contribution to the commercialisation pathway.
• Additional project partner: Optional, providing supplementary project support.

Applicants selected following stage 1 receive EUR 20,000 during the Stage 2 preparatory phase in the form of a fixed lump sum.

EIT Culture & Creativity financial support for the Project Implementation phase may cover up to 70% of the total eligible project costs, to a maximum of €900,000 per project. The remaining costs must be covered by the consortium members through own resources or other eligible non-EU sources.

In consortium projects, each project participant’s reimbursement rate is set at 70% of their respective eligible costs.

Costs already funded by other EU programmes or sources cannot be reimbursed, in order to avoid double funding.

This call targets high-impact innovations in three sectors: Architecture, Audio-Visual Media, and Fashion. Projects must demonstrate a credible pathway from TRL 7 to full market deployment (TRL 9).

• Architecture – circular construction, climate adaptation, socially inclusive design.
• Audio-Visual Media – responsible AI, IP monetisation, European AVM competitiveness.
• Fashion – circularity, digitalisation, and competitiveness across an SME-dominated sector.

Cross-cutting requirements: All proposals must address structural CCSI challenges (innovation implementation, venture scaling, or IP exploitation), include an IP strategy, regulatory analysis, and commercialisation plan, contribute to the EIT Culture & Creativity Strategic Agenda 2024–2027, and integrate Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) principles.

EIT will hold an information webinar on Wednesday 7 October 2026 at 10:00 CET (9am UK time) which will introduce the call, focus & scope. Register here.

If you would like help to form a consortium, contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Global or Creative Industries teams.