Horizon Europe

The Horizon Europe programme funds projects that seek to find innovative solutions to existing problems as well as to test their application. In doing so, the programme not only funds universities and research institutions, but also innovative project ideas from institutions in the cultural and creative sectors. Horizon Europe consequently supports European research and innovation projects related to culture within the framework of the 'Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society' cluster.

In this context, the funding area of Research and Innovation related to Cultural Heritage and Cultural and Creative Industries is of particular relevance to the cultural and creative sector. European collaborative projects that develop and implement so-called Research and Innovation Activities (RIAs) on a specific topic are thereby supported. Consortia of partners from at least three countries join forces and collaborate over a period of several years to develop new know-how, skills and solutions for a particular thematic area or problem. These research collaborations should at the same time also examine the extent to which these newly developed measures and procedures are realisable and feasible and should consequently also involve actors from the field. Looking at the cultural and creative sector, these collaborative projects should contribute to the following objectives, among others:

• Protecting and preserving European cultural heritage
• Enhancing access to cultural heritage (also through digital means) and thereby increasing engagement with and appreciation of cultural heritage
• Strengthening cultural diversity and social cohesion
• Fostering the competitiveness and resilience of the European cultural and creative sectors
• Promoting innovation in the cultural and creative sectors
• Promoting sustainable growth and job creation in the cultural and creative sectors

A fundamental feature of Horizon Europe is that funding (at least in the context of culture) is provided on the basis of very specific calls for proposals and content requirements. Specific priorities are therefore set each year. 

For the years 2026-2027, projects dealing with the following topics will be funded in the area of ‘Cultural Heritage and Cultural and Creative Industries’. There will be one call for proposals per topic, in which up to 1-6 European collaborative projects will be funded.

Key topics for 2026

• Artistic Intelligence: Arts-based innovation approaches to address complex societal challenges
• Creative Startups for Disruptive Innovation: Scaling creative startups into high-impact and disruptive innovators
• AI Integration in CCSI Work Practice: Ethical AI integration to enhance productivity and creative work practices
• Generative AI and Fair Markets: Ensuring fair and transparent markets for creative content in the age of generative AI
• Creative Alliances and Global Partnerships: Global cultural partnerships fostering innovation and mutual understanding
• Safeguarding Linguistic Diversity: Protecting and strengthening linguistic diversity in Europe
  
• Prevention of illicit trafficking of cultural goods

Key topics for 2027

• Consolidated Innovation Ecosystem: A European innovation ecosystem driven by culture and creativity
• AI4Creatives Support Platform: A European support platform for fair and responsible AI use by creatives
• Crafting Routes to a Circular Economy: Circular economy pathways inspired by crafts and creative practices
• Culture and Heritage for Health and Well-being
• Interplay with the Social Economy: Social-economy-driven models for a more inclusive creative economy
• Future-proofing Sustainable Cultural Tourism: Anticipatory and sustainable governance of cultural tourism
• Societal Impact of Cultural Heritage
• Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage

Further key topics, including a list of all calls for proposals in the field of "Cultural Heritage and Cultural and Creative Industries", can be found in the Work programme for Cluster 2 2026-2027 .

Ideas from the cultural sector that have received funding from Horizon Europe in the last programme period include the following:

• The design and development of digital applications and platforms to allow inclusive access to arts and cultural institutions and to establish new formats of delivery (e.g. through sign language avatars and context-aware audio guides)
• Capturing movement sequences and body language in order to create a movement database that preserves dance as a cultural heritage and facilitates new forms of choreographic work
• The development of digital resources to provide better and broader access to historical film material to enable further exploration of cities in the course of time
• 3D modelling of architectural monuments to be able to trace their architecture and history over the centuries and thus draw conclusions about European history, development and identity
• Exploring sustainable and inclusive development opportunities for the cultural and creative sectors, including new business models and training opportunities

Horizon Europe welcomes the participation of a wide range of organisations and institutions, both public and private. This includes but is not limited to:

• Universities, colleges and other research institutions
• Public institutions
• Companies
• Civil society organisations and foundations

Participating organisations must be headquartered or conduct their business in one of the eligible countries. The overview of these countries inside and outside the EU is constantly updated and can be found here.