What to expect from Creative Europe in 2024

The priorities in Creative Europe's 2024 Work Programme include support for Ukraine, gender equality, diversity, and greening.

Support to Ukraine

In 2024, the Ukrainian cultural and creative sectors will continue to receive increased support from the culture strand. ‘Support to the Ukraine' become one of the priorities of the European Cooperation candidates can select in their application. With this priority, the Programme will be able to support ‘on-the-ground’ initiatives and foster cooperation between Ukrainian and EU creative organisations.

Gender Balance, Diversity, and Greening

Actions of the programme will further enable progress on inclusion and diversity, in particular gender balance. The Greening of Creative Europe is another priority for 2024, so that it can contribute to the target of 30% of the Union budget expenditures supporting climate objectives.

Culture Strand

In 2024, the European Commission will publish new calls for:

• The Circulation of European Literary Works
• European Cooperation Projects: In 2024 the call for Cooperation Projects will be limited to 2 categories - Small and Medium Scale. It is envisaged that the large-scale category will be included in the call only every two years.
  • Small-scale projects are particularly suitable to promote the access of grassroots organisations and support them in the creation of new partnerships and development of new activities and innovative ideas, such as festivals, art fairs, exhibitions, and performances.
  • Medium-scale projects, a novelty of the 2021-2027 Creative Europe Programme, have already proven their quality both in the applications received and the results already achieved in the first years of the programme implementation.

The Commission will also publish multi-annual calls (4 years). The new agreements will increase financial support to the networks and allocate a larger budget to the platform action, with the goal of funding one additional platform for emerging artists.

• European Networks of Cultural and Creative Organisations
• Pan-European Cultural Entities
• European Platforms for the Promotion of Emerging Artists
• Culture Moves Europe, the mobility action of Creative Europe will also continue providing support for the transnational mobility of artists and cultural professionals.
• The Day of European Authors will be integrated into the Creative Europe Programme as a permanent action from 2024 onwards. The event's second edition is scheduled for 25 March 2024, and it will be celebrated in all 40 countries associated with the programme.

MEDIA strand

In 2024, some MEDIA grants have been adapted to meet the changing needs in the sector.

• Content Cluster: Companies will be allowed to apply to more than one development call per year, so that these would have a broader portfolio to choose from for their funding opportunities. The European Commission want to incentivise applications from bigger projects by changing the eligibility criteria for support to video games and immersive content.
• Audience Cluster: The Commission also adapted the eligibility criteria for the European VOD networks and operators grant to encourage applications from smaller, independent VOD services. This, in the context of intense competition with global players and broadcasters.
• Business Cluster: The Markets & Networking scheme will respond to the increased need for industry networking and cooperation at events brought about by a shift to increased acquisitions online.
• Policy Cluster: The European Commission will fund the second edition of the European Media Outlook report to continue monitoring the key trends driving change in EU media markets. It will also develop the MediaInvest equity investment platform; contribute to greening of the audiovisual sector through relevant support schemes; support media literacy actions; and facilitate cooperation within the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA).

Cross Sector Strand

In 2024, the European Commission will revamp the Creative Innovation Lab grants to encourage innovative approaches to content creation, access, distribution, and promotion across CCS and with other sectors.

It will provide support to the news media sector adaptation to structural and technological changes through

• Journalism Partnerships
• The European Media Ownership Monitor
• Media Literacy projects
• Creative Innovation Labs.

Find Out More About Funding Opportunities

Potential applicants should regularly visit:

• European Education and Culture Executive Agency’s website
• CulturEU Funding Guide
• Creatives Unite on funding opportunities

New MEDIA and Cross Sector calls will open next week with Culture calls due to open later in October. Keep an eye on our website and social media for updates and information on upcoming funding webinars.