Updated last 18.06.2025
What is the program?
Creative Europe is the EU’s framework program for the period 2021-2027 to support the cultural and audiovisual sectors. It supports projects in the areas of culture, cinema, television, music, literature, performing arts, and heritage. These areas are regarded as important sources of employment and economic growth.
The Programme is divided in three main sub-programmes and strands:
- Sub-programme Culture (encompassing all cultural and artistic sectors (with the exception of the audio – visual and film sector). The Sub-programme includes:
- Support and aid for cultural cooperation, networks of professional organizations, platforms for promoting European artists and works, individual mobility schemes.
- Sectoral support in the sphere of the music, books and publishing business, cultural heritage and architecture, as well as other sectors.
- Rewarding and encouraging the high achievements and the artistic excellence, such as awards for literature, music, architecture and cultural heritage.
The main new elements of the “CULTURE” Sub-programme include: stronger focus on the European trans-border art, dissemination and distribution of works and innovations in the cultural and artistic spheres. Easier access to funding along the line of “Creative Europe” through higher co-funding percentages. Custom-made scheme for mobility of the people of art and the specialists. Actions, focused on the specific for the sector needs, related to the music, literature, architecture, cultural heritage, design, fashion and cultural tourism.
- Media Sub-programme (encompassing the audio – visual and the film sector). The Sub-programme includes:
- Encouraging the cooperation, including at EU level.
- Encouraging the talents, irrespective of the origin thereof, and expansion of the participation and cooperation between the different states.
- Support and aid for the use of the new technologies in view of full utilization of the digital transformation.
- Encouragement of the ecologization of the industry and inclusion of public goals, such as the balance between the sexes and the diversity.
The supporting activities under the MEDIA Sub-programme are divided in four thematic clusters:
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- Contents: encouragement of the cooperation and the innovations at the creation and producing of high-quality works;
- Business: encouragement of the business innovations, the competitiveness, the opportunities for growth and the talents in view of strengthening the European industry over the competition worldwide.
- Public: improving the accessibility to and the visibility to the works for their potential public through distribution channels and initiatives for attracting more visitors.
- Policy: support for the discussions regarding the policy/exchange forums, research and reports. Encouraging the activities for raising the awareness.
- Cross-sectoral strand (facilitating the cooperation among the creative and artistic spheres and encompassing the sector of the news media). The aid and supporting actions under the CROSS-SECTORAL strand will be focused on:
- The trans-border cooperation in the area of the politics: encouragement of the awareness in relation to the programme and supporting the results’ transferability.
- Laboratories for creative and artistic innovations: stimulating the application and use of innovative approaches in the cultural and artistic sectors in relation to the creation, access, distribution, dissemination and promotion.
- News Media: support and aid for the media literacy, quality journalism, as well as the media freedom and pluralism.
What is the size of the program’s budget?
Creative Europe for the period 2021–2027 has a budget of 2.44 billion euros.
What is the timeframe for applying to the program’s procedures?
In the call for proposals for each specific procedure, a concrete application deadline is provided.
| For more information | |
 | More information about the Creative Europe program, as well as how you can apply, can be found here. |