EIT Culture & Creativity Spark: €30,000 for teams without a company in fashion and architecture

EIT Culture & Creativity, the knowledge and innovation community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, has opened the call "New Ventures in Creative Tech | Spark Incubation". Founders and small teams that do not yet have a registered company, but are already testing a technology solution for fashion, architecture or advanced and circular materials, can receive up to €30,000 and a nine-month incubation programme. The total budget is €1,050,000, for a maximum of 35 business concepts, and applications must be submitted by 16 November 2026, 17:00 CET.

In brief

• Programme: New Ventures in Creative Tech | Spark Incubation (EIT Culture & Creativity, Horizon Europe)
• Authority: EIT Culture & Creativity, Cologne, Germany
• Beneficiaries: individual founders or multidisciplinary teams, without a registered company for the proposed concept, from EU Member States or countries associated with Horizon Europe
• Total budget: €1,050,000, for up to 35 business concepts
• Value per project / intensity: up to €30,000 per team, up to 100% of eligible costs, with no co-financing and no obligation to sign a Financial Sustainability Mechanism at this stage
• Submission period: October 2026 – 16 November 2026, 17:00 CET
• Status: call open; results announced in early February 2027, estimated start in March 2027

Who can apply?

The call is aimed at entrepreneurs at the very start of their journey. The conditions published by EIT Culture & Creativity are as follows:

• the applicant is an individual or a multidisciplinary team, not a company; the proposed business concept must not already be registered as a company;
• the team is based in an EU Member State, including Romania, or in a country associated with Horizon Europe;
• the concept is already at the testing, building or validation stage, not just an idea on paper;
• the solution is technology-centred: innovation in materials, hardware or a digital product;
• the goal is a scalable, profit-making business, not a cultural or non-profit project.

The theme of this cohort is "Materials & Built Environment", with a focus on fashion and architecture, including advanced and circular materials. EIT Culture & Creativity states that future cohorts will also cover other sectors, but for the current call only these fields are targeted.

One essential obligation: selected teams must set up a new legal entity by the third month of the programme and register it in the EU Funding & Tender Opportunities portal. In practice, the grant is awarded to the company that comes into being during incubation.

What does a selected team receive?

The support has two components, one financial and one programme-based:

• A grant of up to €30,000 per business concept, with a reimbursement rate of up to 100% of eligible costs. No co-financing is required, and the call does not require signing a Financial Sustainability Mechanism; this becomes mandatory only for teams that, after incubation, want accelerated access to the Shape acceleration programme.
• CreaTech Startup Sprint: a 2–3 day in-person bootcamp in a European city, with coaches, experts and other founders.
• Spark Incubation Programme: nine months of online incubation, with a dedicated coach, mentoring, thematic workshops, technology partnerships and visibility at major European events.

The programme is indicatively planned between March and December 2027. Teams will contribute to the EIT indicators on supported start-ups, newly established start-ups and the capital they attract, which means that reporting results is part of the beneficiary's obligations.

How and by when do you apply?

The application is completed online, through the application form indicated on the call page, by 16 November 2026, 17:00 CET (Berlin time, i.e. 18:00 Romanian time). The documents published by EIT Culture & Creativity for this call are:

• the call guidelines;
• the application form with Part B;
• the Lean Startup Canvas;
• the Venture Execution Plan;
• the budget plan and the EIT funding request template;
• the declaration of honour;
• the template subgrant agreement / project agreement.

Announced timetable: evaluation takes place between November 2026 and January 2027, results are communicated in early February 2027 and published in March 2027. EIT Culture & Creativity is holding two online information sessions, on 20 October 2026 and 10 November 2026, both at 10:00 CET, with prior registration.

What this means for your business

This is one of the few European calls where you do not need a company in order to apply, and the grant comes with no co-financing and no financial sustainability mechanism at this stage. For a designer, architect or materials engineer in Romania who already has a prototype or a market test, it is a realistic route to a first funding award and, at the same time, to a European network of mentors and technology partners.

Our recommendations, in order of priority:

• Prove your validation. The call explicitly excludes the mere idea stage. Prepare concrete evidence: a prototype, material tests, conversations with customers, pre-orders, a pilot with a workshop or an architecture practice.
• Check the thematic fit. The solution must be technology-based and relate to fashion, architecture or advanced and circular materials. A clothing brand with no technology component or a cultural events platform does not fit this cohort.
• Do not register the company before submitting for the proposed concept. The eligibility condition is precisely the absence of a company with this object; the company is set up during the first three months of the programme.
• Prepare the budget as you would for an EU grant. The budget template and the subgrant agreement follow EIT rules; costs must be linked to the execution plan, not estimated as a lump sum.
• Attend the webinar on 20 October and read the frequently asked questions section, which is updated throughout the call.

The most common pitfall with programmes like this is a team made up of a single person with only creative skills. The call asks for multidisciplinary teams and scalable solutions, so a technical or business partner improves your chances. If you are not sure about eligibility, use the eligibility check or speak to a consultant before completing the form.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply if I already have an SRL with a different field of activity?

The published condition is that the applicant must not have a registered company with the proposed business concept. Selected teams must set up a new legal entity by the third month of the programme. For particular situations, such as an existing company in another field, the call guidelines and the official question channel of EIT Culture & Creativity are the source of clarification.

Do I have to put in my own money?

The published documentation provides for a reimbursement rate of up to 100% of eligible costs and does not mention a co-financing requirement. The call does not require signing a Financial Sustainability Mechanism; the only published ownership condition is that the selected founders keep at least 50% of the newly established company and effective control over it. Ineligible costs or those above the €30,000 ceiling remain the team's responsibility.

Does the programme take place in person or online?

Both. The first stage is a 2–3 day in-person bootcamp in a European city, and the second is a nine-month online incubation programme, with a dedicated coach, mentors and workshops. The estimated period is March – December 2027.

How many teams will be selected and when will I find out the result?

The budget of €1,050,000 covers a maximum of 35 business concepts, each with up to €30,000. Evaluation takes place between November 2026 and January 2027, and results are announced in early February 2027.

Are other creative industries eligible, for example video games or music?

Not in this cohort. The current call is dedicated to the "Materials & Built Environment" specialisation, i.e. fashion, architecture and advanced and circular materials. EIT Culture & Creativity states that future cohorts will be extended to other sectors, without yet specifying dates.

Official sources

• EIT – New Ventures in Creative Tech (Spark), opportunity page
• EIT Culture & Creativity – New Ventures in Creative Tech | Spark Incubation, call page and documents

Information checked on 19 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.