Creative Europe NEWS 2027: €20.5 million for the press and media literacy, deadlines in January–February

On 20 October 2026 the European Commission opened four calls under the cross-sectoral NEWS strand of the Creative Europe programme. The total budget is €20.5 million. The money goes to newsrooms, media associations, NGOs, universities and other organisations that support the independent press. Grants reach €2.5 million per project, and the submission deadlines are 20 January, 27 January and 4 February 2027, all at 17:00 Brussels time.

In brief

• Programme: Creative Europe, cross-sectoral NEWS strand 2027
• Authority: European Commission (DG CONNECT), submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal
• Beneficiaries: print, radio, podcast and TV newsrooms, media associations, NGOs, journalism funds, training organisations, universities and research centres, public authorities (depending on the call)
• Total budget: €20.5 million (€7 million Collaborations, €7 million Pluralism, €3.5 million media literacy, €3 million media freedom rapid response mechanism)
• Value per project / intensity: up to €2 million (80%) for Collaborations, up to €2.5 million (90%) for Pluralism, up to €500,000 (70%) for media literacy, 90% co-financing for media freedom
• Submission period: 20 October 2026 – 20 January 2027 (media literacy), 27 January 2027 (media freedom), 4 February 2027 (journalism partnerships)
• Status: calls open

What does each call fund?

The four calls have different rules. It is worth choosing the right call from the outset, because the required partnership, the co-financing and the type of applicant all change.

• Journalism Partnerships – Collaborations (CREA-CROSS-2027-JOURPART-COLLABORATIONS): cross-border projects between media organisations for economic, technological or editorial transformation. Examples: new revenue models, shared costs, audience development, professional standards, innovative newsrooms, content syndication networks, reskilling of journalists, testing new production methods.
• Journalism Partnerships – Pluralism (CREA-CROSS-2027-JOURPART-PLURALISM): supports local and regional press, independent and investigative journalism, and news organisations serving the public interest. The project must include a re-granting scheme (financial support to third parties) for independent media, to which at least 60% of the grant must go.
• Cross-border Media Literacy (CREA-CROSS-2027-MEDIALITERACY): media literacy tools, courses, campaigns and events for specific audiences, support for professionals in the field, and cross-border cooperation against disinformation and information manipulation.
• Media Freedom Rapid Response Mechanism (CREA-CROSS-2027-MFP): a European mechanism for rapid response to violations of press freedom: documentation, advocacy, monitoring, awareness-raising, training and capacity building.

Who can apply, and with which partners?

• Collaborations: public, private or non-profit media organisations (print, radio, podcast, TV), media associations, NGOs, journalism funds and training organisations. Authorised natural persons (PFA and other forms of self-employment) can apply; private individuals cannot. The consortium has at least 3 partners from at least 3 countries participating in Creative Europe.
• Pluralism: intermediary organisations with media experience: media associations, NGOs, civil society organisations, public authorities, international organisations, universities, research centres, journalism funds, training organisations. You can also apply alone; a consortium is not mandatory.
• Media literacy: a consortium of at least 3 entities from at least 3 participating countries. Companies, non-profit organisations, public authorities, universities, media organisations, research institutes and technology providers can take part.
• Media freedom: at least 2 entities from at least 2 eligible countries, drawn from public or private non-profit organisations, international organisations, universities, educational institutions and research centres.

How much can you obtain and how much must you co-finance?

Under Collaborations, the maximum grant is €2 million per project and covers at most 80% of eligible costs, so the remaining 20% is provided by the consortium. Under Pluralism, the grant reaches €2.5 million and covers up to 90% of costs. For media literacy, the ceiling is €500,000 and funding covers at most 70%. For the media freedom mechanism, EU co-financing is up to 90%, but the official page gives no ceiling per project. Projects generally last 24 months.

How and by when do you apply?

Applications are submitted online only, through the electronic system of the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Paper applications are not accepted. The deadlines are as follows:

• 20 January 2027, 17:00 (Brussels): Cross-border Media Literacy. Note: the Commission's overview page gives 27 January, but the call page and the submission portal show 20 January. Use the earlier date.
• 27 January 2027, 17:00: Media Freedom Rapid Response Mechanism.
• 4 February 2027, 17:00: Journalism Partnerships – Collaborations and Pluralism.

The Commission is holding online information sessions with no registration required: on 29 October 2026 for media literacy and on 5 November 2026 for media freedom. A session for the journalism partnerships is announced for November 2026, but the official sources give different dates, so check the exact date on the call page. Indicative timetable from the portal: evaluation from February 2027, results in July–August 2027, contracts signed in October–November 2027.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: the calls suit local and regional publications, radio stations and podcasts, online news platforms, media literacy NGOs and universities with journalism or communication programmes. A small newsroom in Romania has realistic chances mainly as a partner in a Collaborations consortium or as a re-grant beneficiary under a Pluralism project. The coordinator role requires experience with European projects and financial capacity.

• The partnership is the hardest part. For the calls that require 3 countries, start talks with partners now. There are less than three months to the deadline.
• Co-financing must be planned. For media literacy, 30% of the budget comes from own sources. For a project with a €500,000 grant, the total budget comes to approximately €714,000.
• Common pitfall: under Pluralism, a project without a well-designed re-granting scheme, with at least 60% of the money passed on, does not meet the call conditions.
• Portal account: each partner needs a PIC code in the Commission's portal. Validation can take time, so do not leave it to the last week.

If you are not sure which programme suits you, you can start with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can a media company from Romania apply for Creative Europe NEWS 2027?

Yes. Romania participates in the Creative Europe programme. Under the Collaborations call, private, public or non-profit media organisations can apply, provided there is a consortium of at least 3 partners from 3 participating countries. Under the media freedom mechanism, only non-profit organisations, international organisations, universities, educational institutions and research centres can apply.

What is the maximum grant per project?

The maximum grant is €2.5 million under Journalism Partnerships – Pluralism, with EU co-financing of up to 90%. Under Collaborations the ceiling is €2 million (80%), and for media literacy €500,000 (70%). No per-project ceiling is published for the media freedom mechanism.

What is the deadline for the media literacy call?

The call page and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal show 20 January 2027, 17:00 Brussels time. The Commission's overview page mentions 27 January, so the safest course is to work to 20 January.

Can town halls or county councils apply?

Public authorities are listed as eligible applicants under the Pluralism call, as intermediary organisations with media experience, and can be partners in media literacy consortia. They do not appear among the eligible applicants for the other two calls.

When will the results be known?

According to the indicative timetable in the portal, evaluation begins in February 2027, applicants are informed in July or August 2027, and funding contracts are signed in October or November 2027.

Official sources

• European Commission – Funding for the news media sector
• Call for proposals – Journalism Partnerships – Collaborations (2027)
• Call for proposals – Journalism Partnerships – Pluralism (2027)
• Call for proposals – Cross-border Media Literacy (2027)
• Call for proposals – Media Freedom Rapid Response Mechanism (2027)
• EU Funding & Tenders Portal – CREA-CROSS-2027-MEDIALITERACY

Information checked on 26 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.