Creative Europe Programme · European Union

Innovative tools and business models

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The EU's Creative Europe Programme programme expects to make awards, from a total budget of €14 million. Applications close on 14 Jan 2027 (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time).

Deadline: 14 Jan 2027 (in 60 days)
Grant amount: €14 million total budget
Funding rate: Varies by programme — see the call conditions
Total budget: €14 million
Type of action: CREA Project Grants · CREA Action Grant Budget-Based
Likely applicant types: Non-profits, Public bodies, Companies, SMEs / start-ups, Universities & research From source categories or programme rules; the call decides.
Funder: Creative Europe Programme (CREA)
Reference: CREA-MEDIA-2027-INNOVBUSMOD
Call: CREA-MEDIA-2027-INNOVBUSMOD
Last checked: 14 Nov 2026

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Scope

Objective:

The Innovative tools and business models action is aimed at encouraging the development and/or the spread of innovative tools and business models to improve the visibility, availability, audience and diversity of European works in the digital age and/or the competitiveness and/or the greening process of the European audiovisual industry (including videogames). The support also aims to enable the European audiovisual industry to better adapt to the opportunities offered by the development of Artificial Intelligence and contribute to the implementation of the Apply AI Strategy.

Expected results

• Improve the competitiveness of the European audiovisual industry (including videogames) and seize the benefits of the innovative developments in technology and business models;

• Improve the adaptation of the European audiovisual industry to the opportunities offered by Artificial Intelligence;

Read the full text

• Improve the greening process of the European audiovisual industry;

• Improve the production and circulation of European audiovisual works in the digital era;

• increase the number and diversity of European works available online and increase their visibility in order to allow them to reach more audiences.

Description of the activities to be funded

The projects can include in particular:

• Subtitling or accessibility/discoverability/recommendation tools to be widely used across borders and across platforms in order to improve the visibility, the availability and the audience potential of European audiovisual works;

• Business tools improving the efficiency and the transparency of the audiovisual markets: automated rights management system, technology for data gathering and analysis;

• Business models seeking to optimise the synergies and complementarities between the distribution platforms (festivals, cinemas, VOD…);

• Business tools exploring new modes of production, financing, distribution or promotion enabled or enhanced by new technology (AI, big data, blockchain, Virtual worlds / Metaverse, NFT, etc.).

• Innovative tools and business models improving the greening process of the audiovisual industry.

The action does not cover the development of hardware (e.g. cameras, virtual headsets...).

Applications should present adequate strategies to ensure more sustainable and more environmentally-respectful industry and to ensure gender balance, inclusion, diversity and representativeness.

Transparency plays a key role in the action. Therefore, applications should contain plans for the disclosure of the inputs and results of the action, including among others communicating the results to public authorities, Member States and the audiovisual industry.

Special emphasis will also be placed on attracting private investment and on own investment. Project’s ability to apply for a sound and reasonable level of EU public funding below the 80% authorised will be assessed.

Topics

Application of New technologies to the Audio-Visual distribution Application of New technologies to the Audio-Visual production Artificial intelligence Augmented Reality Big data Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) Digital Distribution of Audio-Visual works Film Theatrical distribution Film marketing Film promotion Green deal Marketing Metadata New technologies for Audio-Visual sector - Media New technologies for promotion of Audio-Visual works TV series Video Games Virtual Reality film

Timing

Single-stage call. Next deadline 2027-01-14. The portal states the exact cut-off time (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time).

How to apply

Read the full topic on the Funding & Tenders Portal: expected outcome, scope, type of action and the topic conditions, including any country restrictions.
Register each participating organisation in the Funding & Tenders Portal to get a PIC.
Check the topic conditions for the minimum number of partners.
Prepare Part A (administrative forms and budget, completed in the portal) and Part B (the technical description on the official template for this type of action).
Submit in the portal before the cut-off time on the deadline day. Late submissions are not accepted.

From the call text

Who can apply: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Company stage: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Single applicant or consortium: Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.
Where applicants must be based: Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.
Where to apply: Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.

Read the EU application guide

Where these facts come from

Fact	Value	How we know	Taken from the source
Deadline	14 January 2027 “Single-stage call. Next deadline 2027-01-14. The portal states the exact cut-off time (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time).”	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Amount per applicant	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—
Total budget	€14 million	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Funding rate	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—
Who can apply	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—
Where to apply	Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.	read from the official text	15 Nov 2026

Official sources

Official call page

Facts on this page come from the funder’s official data, taken on 14 Nov 2026. The funder's own documents, including later amendments, always take precedence.