EIT Culture & Creativity: up to €900,000 for fashion, architecture and audiovisual firms

EIT Culture & Creativity, the innovation community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, opened the "Innovation Projects" call on 25 September 2026. The call has €10.5 million for start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs in fashion, architecture and audiovisual media. Companies from Romania are eligible. The first stage only requires a short proposal, due by 30 October 2026 at 17:00 (Berlin time), and brings €20,000 to each selected company. In the second stage, up to 11 projects are funded, with up to €900,000 each.

In brief

• Programme: EIT Culture & Creativity – Innovation Projects 2026 (Horizon Europe)
• Authority: EIT Culture & Creativity, a knowledge and innovation community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
• Beneficiaries: start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs and larger companies active in architecture, audiovisual media or fashion, or working directly for these sectors
• Total budget: €600,000 for stage 1 (up to 30 projects) and €9.9 million for stage 2 (up to 11 projects)
• Value per project / intensity: €20,000 lump sum in stage 1; up to €900,000 in stage 2, i.e. at most 70% of eligible costs
• Submission period: stage 1 from 25 September to 30 October 2026, 17:00 (Berlin time); stage 2 by 15 March 2027, 17:00 (Berlin time)
• Status: call open, stage 1

What does the call fund?

The call looks for near-market innovations in three sectors, linked to the EU's green, digital and social transitions. The priority themes announced are:

• fashion: circularity, including technologies for circular textiles, digitalisation and the competitiveness of a sector made up mostly of SMEs;
• architecture: circular construction, biomass-based building materials, adaptation to climate change and inclusive design;
• audiovisual media: artificial intelligence used responsibly in content creation, monetisation of intellectual property and European competitiveness.

The technical condition is strict. The solution must already be at technology readiness level TRL 7, i.e. a prototype demonstrated in an operational environment. The project must take it to TRL 9, i.e. a system proven in real operation. The call does not fund ideas at the research stage.

Who can apply and how do the two stages work?

In stage 1, the proposal is submitted by a single legal entity: a start-up, scale-up, SME or larger company from the three sectors. Universities, research institutes and cultural institutions cannot be sole applicants at this stage. The proposal is short and presents the innovation concept, evidence of TRL 7 and initial analyses of the market, intellectual property and regulations. The form is completed online.

Selected companies receive a lump sum of €20,000. They use it to prepare a business development plan, including market validation, analysis of intellectual property and regulations, and a commercialisation strategy. The stage 1 results are announced in mid-December 2026.

In stage 2, the proposal is submitted by a consortium of two or three independent legal entities:

• the coordinator, i.e. the stage 1 applicant;
• a mandatory commercialisation partner, who demonstrates the capacity to launch the product on the market, scale it up or generate revenue (distribution, licensing, market access);
• optionally, a third partner.

Implementation projects last at most 18 months and end by 31 December 2028 at the latest. The stage 2 results are announced in mid-May 2027.

How much is funded and what obligations does the company have?

Stage 2 support covers at most 70% of the project's eligible costs. The remainder is paid by the applicant or the consortium members, from their own resources or from other eligible sources that do not come from the EU. EIT Culture & Creativity also requires a mandatory financial sustainability mechanism: a revenue sharing agreement (Revenue Sharing Agreement), under which the beneficiary returns between 3.5% and 5% of the revenue earned from the funded innovation, over 48–60 months. The exact terms are agreed with EIT Culture & Creativity before the project agreement is signed, and the model agreement will be published in mid-October 2026.

Funded projects have mandatory indicators: at least one intellectual property right, at least one innovation launched on the market and, where applicable, at least one innovation with sales revenue of at least €10,000. For stage 2, due diligence documents are also required: historical and projected financial statements up to 2030, the shareholding structure (cap table), the articles of association and statutes, any shareholder agreements, intellectual property documents and the organisation chart.

How and by when do you apply?

1. Read the call guide and the cost eligibility rules, published on the call page.
2. Attend the information webinar on 7 October 2026, from 10:00 to 12:00 Berlin time (11:00–13:00 Romanian time). The recording remains available on the website.
3. Submit the stage 1 proposal through the online form by 30 October 2026, 17:00 Berlin time (18:00 Romanian time).
4. If you are selected, prepare the consortium, the budget (using the .xlsx template), the work plan with the Gantt chart and the business development plan, for the deadline of 15 March 2027.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: the call suits companies that already have a product tested in real conditions and are looking for money to launch it on the market, not to develop it. Examples: a garment workshop with a textile recycling technology, a producer of biomass-based building materials, a studio that has created an AI tool for audiovisual production. Stage 1 requires little effort and brings €20,000, so it is worth trying if you meet the TRL 7 condition.

Common pitfalls we see in calls like this:

• Overestimated maturity. A laboratory prototype is not TRL 7. You need evidence of testing in a real environment.
• Commercialisation partner sought too late. Start talking to distributors or licensees as early as October, not after the December results.
• Underestimated 30% co-financing. For a project with €900,000 of funding, the total cost exceeds €1.28 million. Co-financing cannot come from other EU funds.
• Revenue sharing agreement left unread. Review it with your shareholders before submitting.

If you are not sure which programme suits you, use the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can companies from Romania apply to the EIT Culture & Creativity Innovation Projects call?

Yes. Legal entities from EU Member States, including Romania, from countries associated with Horizon Europe and from certain low- and middle-income countries can apply. The company must be active in fashion, architecture or audiovisual media, or work directly for these sectors.

Do I need partners for the first stage?

No. The first stage, with a deadline of 30 October 2026, is submitted by a single entity. A consortium of two or three independent entities, with a mandatory commercialisation partner, is required only in the second stage, with a deadline of 15 March 2027.

How much does a selected company receive?

In stage 1, a €20,000 lump sum for the business development plan. In stage 2, up to €900,000 per project, but at most 70% of eligible costs. The remaining 30% is covered from own resources or from sources that do not come from the EU.

Can I apply with an idea or a laboratory prototype?

No. The call requires the solution to be at TRL 7, i.e. a prototype demonstrated in an operational environment, and to reach TRL 9 by the end of the project. Ideas at the research stage do not qualify.

When will the results be known?

For stage 1, in mid-December 2026. For stage 2, in mid-May 2027. Implementation projects start, indicatively, in July 2027.

Official sources

• EIT Culture & Creativity – Innovation Projects 2026 call page
• European Institute of Innovation and Technology – EIT Culture & Creativity Innovation Projects Open Call

Information checked on 2 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.