The UK is no longer an eligible partner country – though it can still participate as a “third country” – but this is likely to mean UK partners are less attractive than they have been in the past.

Creative Europe is an umbrella for three programmes:

• Media Programme – for the audiovisual sector
• Culture Programme – for non-audiovisual arts and culture
• Financial Facility – a bank loan guarantee scheme to be introduced shortly

Culture Sub-Programme

This covers all the arts, culture, heritage & the creative industries.  There are several strands:

• Projects – perhaps the most relevant, funding small projects (3+ partners from different countries) and large projects (6+ partners), lasting up to 4 years, with an annual deadline (usually in early October). Key information on the projects strand can be found below.
• Literary translation – for the translation of up to 10 works of fiction each year, annual deadline in February – supports translation of already published works of fiction out of / into any of the official EU languages of the eligible countries (member states plus EEA/EFTA, accession countries, neighbourhood countries) – with the proviso that either the language being translated from or into must be an official language of a member state or an EEA/EFTA country (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein).  Works can also be translated out of Latin or Ancient Greek into one of the official languages of any of the eligible countries.
• Platforms – for the development of a cultural area, involving 10+ partners – there are no more deadlines for this strand until after 2020
• Networks – for European cultural networks in a particular artform area – there are no more deadlines for this strand until after 2020

Projects: Criteria

For both SMALL and LARGE projects:

What is the deadline?  First Wednesday in October each year to 2019

How long can a project last?  Up to 4 years; and you can choose a start date between May-December in the year after the deadline.

Do you have to prepare a detailed budget?  Yes, with income & expenditure also shown split across partners.

What is the application process?  The process is now fully online, though the lead partner will need to gather some other documents from all partners and hold these in case the EC requires further information.  The application form is detailed and will take some time to prepare.

What are the eligible countries for partners?  Partner organisations can come from not only the 28 Member States but also from other European countries such as Norway, Iceland, Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia – but note that these countries are only eligible once they have signed an official agreement with the EC, so you may need to check whether this has been signed for a particular country.

Can the project have partners from countries outside Europe?  Once you have the minimim number from the eligible European countries, you can add others, including from outside Europe – for those outside Europe, a maximum of 30% of the project budget can be allocated to the costs of their participation.

Are there criteria for the partner organisations?  Yes, they all have to have been around for at least 2 years, and have a status that is legally recognised in their own country.

What are the themes that projects need to address?   There are currently five: mobility; innovative approaches to audience development, adaptation to the digital technologies, new business and management models, and education & training.

Where can the match funding come from?  It can come from income generated by the project (e.g. ticket sales, sales of programmes, merchandise), from a partner’s own resources, from applications to funding bodies, foundations, etc., from sponsorship and donations, and from some the salaries of staff seconded by the partner organisations.

Does this support capital expenditure?  No.

For SMALL projects:

• Partners required?  3+ from 3+ different eligible countries*
• Match Funding?  Yes, EC will provide 60%, so 40% needed – from earned income, grants, sponsorship, donations, seconded staff – no “in kind” allowed.
• Max EU Grant?  €200,000

For LARGE projects:

• Partners required?  6+ from 6+ different eligible countries*
• Match Funding?  Yes, EC will provide 50%, so 50% needed – from earned income, grants, sponsorship, donations, seconded staff – no “in kind” allowed.
• Max EU Grant?  €2,000,000

MEDIA Sub-Programme

This covers the audiovisual sector, and encompasses grants for audience development (via cinemas, film festivals, etc), distribution, producer support, training (including access to markets) and some support for (joint) production costs.  There are 14 schemes and various deadlines during the year.

More Information

General Links to Official EC Webpages: EC webpage / List of Creative Europe Desks

Euclid: www.euclid.info / info@euclid.info

Euclid was the UK Cultural Contact Point from 1999-2009 and continues to provide advice & guidance to applicants to the Culture sub-programme – click here for full details of Euclid services and here for details of Euclid events.