Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
The cultural and creative industries (CCIs) count a high rate of startups. Data indicate that CCIs are among the early adopters of new technologies, especially in the digital realm. For instance, the European Monitor of Industrial Ecosystems (2024) notes that artificial intelligence-based technology startups were most common among the CCIs and in the health sector. Furthermore, creative startups drive innovation through crossovers with other sectors. They can be a motor of growth in local economies, unlocking opportunities, investment, jobs and higher productivity. That is why a host of initiatives like creative clusters, innovation hubs, smart specialisation strategies, innovation ecosystems, etc. foster the emergence of creative startups. Also at EU level, there are a number of initiatives to support startups and/or cultural and creative industries, and there is a clearly stated ambition to make EU the preferred choice for startups and scaleups, as expressed in the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy.
However, in order to better support European creative startups to grow into scaleups and to multiply their potential as high-impact disruptive innovators, in line with the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, additional measures are needed.
The challenge is to deepen the knowledge of the most important factors that favour the scaling up of creative startups in Europe and unleashing their potential for disruptive innovation, with a particular focus on those factors that distinguish them from startups in other sectors.
Detailed Call Description
Proposals are expected to focus either on:
Option a: Boosting the growth of creative startups into scaleups.
Option b: Boosting creative startups or scaleups with a potential for disruptive innovation.
Proposals should clearly indicate the option they have selected.
Approaches should be devised that boost the growth of creative startups in Europe and/or encourage engaging in disruptive innovation. Approaches developed may build on existing methods, such as shared technological resources/platforms to lower investments needs, credible assessments of technologies, IPR or of creative companies to increase investor readiness, matchmaking platforms, etc. However, the approaches to be developed under this action should be innovative and go beyond the existing ones. They should be effective and feasible across Europe under the current legal framework.
In order to validate and refine the proposed approaches, projects should carry out at least 3 pilot trials in different settings under real-world like conditions. These should involve piloting the scaling-up of a creative startup or positioning a creative startup/scaleup for bringing disruptive innovation to the market, according to the option chosen (a or b above). Financial support to third parties may be considered, with the aim of engaging diverse innovative creative startups, facilitating the uptake of solutions devised by the projects, experimenting with innovative approaches, or engaging other funders in co-financing.
To the extent appropriate, projects should build on and take advantage of previous research, networks, policy initiatives and infrastructure at European and national levels. This may include building on results of or structures developed by relevant R&I projects funded under Horizon Europe or other EU funding programmes that focus on boosting the innovation potential of CCIs, the EIT Knowledge and Innovation Community ‘EIT Culture and Creativity’, or other relevant projects and networks. Such existing networks and infrastructures may also include business incubators or accelerators, venture capital networks, etc.
To the extent appropriate, the Commission expects projects funded under this topic to establish coordination mechanisms in order to achieve the strongest possible common impact. One such area of cooperation could be communication and dissemination efforts.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
70%
100% for non-profit legal entities
Expected EU contribution of between €5.000.000 and €6.000.000.
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 €60.000.
Thematic Categories
- Audiovisual sector and Media
- Culture
- New Entrepreneurship
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness
Eligibility for Participation
Eligibility For Participation Notes
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.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia,
P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Persons to Contact:
Mr. George Christou
Scientific Officer
Email: gchristou@research.org.cy
EU Contact Point
Research Enquiry Service
https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/contact-us/research-enquiry-service_en