Creative Europe MEDIA 2027: €14 million for digital and AI tools in the audiovisual sector, deadline 14 January

On 30 September 2026 the European Commission opened the Creative Europe MEDIA call "Innovative tools and business models" (CREA-MEDIA-2027-INNOVBUSMOD), with a budget of €14 million. The funds support digital tools and new business models for the European audiovisual sector, including video games, with a focus on artificial intelligence and on reducing environmental impact. Applications are due by 14 January 2027, 17:00 Brussels time.

In brief

• Programme: Creative Europe, MEDIA strand. The call is titled Innovative tools and business models (CREA-MEDIA-2027-INNOVBUSMOD).
• Authority: the European Commission, through the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).
• Beneficiaries: organisations that develop tools or business models for the European audiovisual industry, including for video games. The eligibility conditions are set out in the call document.
• Total budget: €14,000,000, from the 2027 budget.
• Value per project / intensity: there is no minimum or maximum amount per project. The maximum EU funding rate is 80%, and an application below this level counts in its favour at evaluation.
• Submission period: 30 September 2026 – 14 January 2027, 17:00 (Brussels time), in a single stage.
• Status: call open.

What kinds of projects does the call fund?

The call supports the development or wider adoption of tools and business models that increase the visibility, availability, audience and diversity of European works in the digital environment. Projects that make the audiovisual industry more competitive or more environmentally friendly are also supported. The Commission gives the following examples:

• tools for subtitling, accessibility, content discovery and recommendation, used across borders and on multiple platforms;
• tools that make audiovisual markets more efficient and more transparent, such as automated rights management or data collection and analysis;
• business models that connect distribution channels: festivals, cinemas, VOD platforms;
• new ways of production, financing, distribution or promotion based on new technologies: AI, big data, blockchain, virtual worlds / metaverse, NFTs;
• tools that reduce the environmental impact of audiovisual production.

Hardware development is not funded. The call explicitly states that it aims to help the European audiovisual industry seize the opportunities offered by AI and to contribute to the Union's "Apply AI" Strategy.

Who can apply?

On the call page, the Commission refers to organisations working for the European audiovisual industry, including for video games. Software companies that build solutions for this sector are a good fit. The list of eligible countries, the accepted legal form and any partnership requirements are in the call document, under the sections "Eligible countries" and "Other eligibility conditions". Read these sections before deciding whether to apply alone or as part of a consortium.

In addition to the formal conditions, applicants must describe their sustainability practices and their strategies for gender balance, inclusion and diversity. They must also show how they will make the project's inputs and results public, including how they will communicate them to public authorities, Member States and the industry.

How much can you obtain, and how much must the company contribute?

The call does not set a minimum or maximum amount per project. EU funding can reach 80% of costs, so the remaining 20% or more comes from own resources or other sources. The Commission says it will place particular emphasis on attracting private investment and on the applicant's own investment. The evaluation also checks whether the project requests a "reasonable" level of EU funding, below the 80% permitted. The grant is awarded on a budget basis (CREA-AG budget-based model), not as a lump sum.

How and by when do you apply?

The application is submitted online, on the Commission's Funding & Tenders portal, using the standard Creative Europe MEDIA form. The deadline is 14 January 2027, 17:00 Brussels time (18:00 in Romania). The indicative timetable from the call page:

• evaluation: January – May 2027;
• notification of results: July 2027;
• signing of grant agreements: October 2027.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: the call suits Romanian software, AI and data companies that already have clients or partners in film, television, distribution or video games. Those working on automatic subtitling, content recommendation, rights management, audience analytics or virtual production tools are especially relevant. Projects that describe a generic solution, with no clients in the audiovisual sector, usually have little chance.

What to prepare now:

• download the call document and first check your entity's eligibility and the partnership rules;
• show clearly who will use the tool in the industry, for example through letters of intent from producers, distributors, festivals or platforms;
• build the budget with credible co-financing and explain where the private funds come from, as this counts at evaluation;
• prepare the dissemination and transparency plan in good time, along with the environmental and diversity policies, because the call explicitly requires them.

A common pitfall is confusing this with the MEDIA content development calls. This call does not fund the production of a film or a game, but the tools and business models that serve the sector as a whole. If you are not sure whether your project fits, start with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can companies from Romania apply to the MEDIA INNOVBUSMOD 2027 call?

Yes. Romania is an EU Member State and takes part in the Creative Europe programme. The eligible countries, accepted types of entity and any consortium requirements are in the official call document, which you must check before submitting.

What is the maximum grant per project?

The call sets no ceiling per project. The total budget is €14 million, and EU funding can cover at most 80% of costs. An application below 80% is viewed favourably at evaluation.

Can the development of a hardware product be funded?

No. The call page states that hardware development is not eligible. Software tools, services and business models for the audiovisual sector and video games are funded.

When will the results be known?

According to the indicative timetable, evaluation takes place between January and May 2027, results are announced in July 2027, and contracts are signed in October 2027.

Official sources

• Funding & Tenders portal – call page CREA-MEDIA-2027-INNOVBUSMOD
• Call document CREA-MEDIA-2027-INNOVBUSMOD

Information checked on 5 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.