Deadline: January 16, 2026
The Creative Europe Programme has launched the 2026 “Innovative Tools and Business Models” Call under its MEDIA sub-programme, inviting eligible legal entities from participating countries to develop and spread innovative tools and business models that enhance the visibility, diversity, competitiveness, and sustainability of the European audiovisual industry in the digital age.
The call aims to improve the competitiveness of the European audiovisual industry and seize the benefits of innovative developments in technology and business models; improve the adaptation of the European audiovisual industry to the opportunities offered by Artificial Intelligence and the development of virtual worlds (also called Metaverse(s)); improve the greening process of the European audiovisual industry; improve the production and circulation of European audiovisual works in the digital era; and increase the number and diversity of European works available online and increase their visibility in order to allow them to reach more audiences.
This funding opportunity under the Creative Europe MEDIA strand seeks to foster innovation within the European audiovisual industry by supporting the creation and implementation of new tools and business models that can be shared and scaled across borders. Applicants must be legal entities, either public or private, established in one of the Creative Europe participating countries, including EU Member States, listed EEA countries, and non-EU countries associated with the Creative Europe Programme. In addition, they must be established in a country fully participating in the MEDIA strand and owned directly or indirectly by nationals from those countries.
Projects under this call may include initiatives such as subtitling, accessibility, discoverability, and recommendation tools that enhance the visibility and audience reach of European audiovisual works across platforms. They may also include business tools that improve market efficiency and transparency, such as automated rights management systems or technologies for data gathering and analysis. Other eligible projects could explore synergies between distribution platforms—like festivals, cinemas, and video-on-demand services—or experiment with production, financing, distribution, or promotion models enabled by advanced technologies like AI, blockchain, big data, virtual worlds, or NFTs.
Applicants are expected to demonstrate responsible and transparent use of generative artificial intelligence, ensuring the accuracy and legality of AI-generated content and clearly disclosing how such tools were used. Sustainability, gender balance, inclusion, and diversity must be key components of the proposed projects, alongside strategies for sharing results with stakeholders such as public authorities and industry partners.
The call encourages private investment and highlights the importance of projects seeking less than the maximum public co-funding rate of 80%. While there is no fixed limit on the project budget, grants will be awarded on an actual-cost basis, reimbursing only eligible expenses incurred during project execution. The European Commission will administer the application process through its Funding & Tender Opportunities Portal, and detailed eligibility and application requirements are available in the official call document.
For more information, visit Creative Europe Desk Ireland.
