THEPS Newsletter #13: A Very Useful Issue on Creative Europe!
Your weekly guide to writing better EU projects!
Hello,
Is the situation a “Bangaranga” or is it more “Bella”? That’s a Eurovision 2026 reference, and while we’re avid fans of the contest (mostly because it’s fun and it shows the variety of contemporary musical culture), we need to focus on other aspects of our identity.
Ok, honestly, this was not only a reference to the song contest but also to the tip we gave you last week - did you create a list of the organisations you work with? Don't waste your time with unprofessional organisations that have different... let's call them "standards". You deserve better partners! We all do!
The most stressful period is over, it’s been more than 10 days already. Let’s focus on funding, which is outside of the Erasmus+ programme. Pour yourself a solid cup of coffee or boza (we don’t judge) and take your time because this is a long issue and we mean it – a long issue.
We have an extremely useful issue because it focuses on:
- Creative Europe 2026
- Quick News
- You are the Priority
- Creative Europe 2026 Tips & Tricks
- What the Future Holds
Creative Europe 2026
The Creative Europe 2026 European Cooperation Projects call is now open! With a total budget of around €60 million to support cross‑border cultural projects across Europe, the call will fund about 150 projects that bring together organisations from different countries to create, share, and experiment with cultural and creative work.
If your organisation works in arts, culture, heritage, festivals, literature, design, architecture, or creative hubs, this is the one to watch. And watch carefully! At THEPS, we have prepared the most important info to get you started.
The main goals are to:
- Boost cross‑border cooperation between cultural organisations
- Increase the circulation of European artistic content
- Support creation and co‑creation across borders
- Test and spread innovative practices (artistic, organisational, digital, audience‑related, etc.)
- Strengthen the European dimension of culture
Your project can cover many types of activities: co‑productions, touring, festivals, residencies, capacity‑building, audience development, digital experimentation, heritage work, and more.
Who can apply?
European Cooperation Projects are open to all cultural and creative sectors, except those that are exclusively audiovisual (those belong under the MEDIA strand). Projects that are purely film/TV or composed only of audiovisual organisations are not eligible under this call.
Typical applicants include:
- Cultural NGOs and associations
- Museums, theatres, galleries, festivals
- Cultural centres and creative hubs
- Libraries, archives, heritage organisations
- Universities and research bodies in culture/arts
- Local and regional authorities with cultural mandates
- Foundations and networks in the cultural field
The applicants must be established in Creative Europe participating countries and form international consortia (minimum number of partners depends on the scheme, see below).
Two main schemes in 2026
The 2026 call is split into two separate topics on the Funding & Tenders Portal:
- CREA‑CULT‑2026‑COOP‑1 — Small‑scale Cooperation Projects
- CREA‑CULT‑2026‑COOP‑2 — Medium‑scale Cooperation Projects
Both share the same overall objectives, but differ in size, budget, and partnership requirements.
Small‑scale Cooperation Projects
Topic ID: CREA‑CULT‑2026‑COOP‑1
Best for smaller organisations, first‑time Creative Europe applicants, local/regional players wanting to “go European” without huge budgets.
Typical features (based on the standard scheme design):
- Consortium size: usually at least 3 organisations from 3 different countries
- Grant size: up to around €200,000
- Co‑funding rate: up to 80% of eligible costs
- Project duration: often up to 36 months
Good project types for small‑scale:
- Pilot collaborations between a few partners
- Smaller festivals or touring circuits
- First‑time cross‑border co‑productions
- Capacity‑building and training projects
- Audience development experiments
If your organisation has limited EU experience or modest administrative capacity, this is usually the best entry point.
Medium‑scale Cooperation Projects
Topic ID: CREA‑CULT‑2026‑COOP‑2
Best for more experienced organisations and networks, larger institutions, or consortia with a broader geographic reach and ambition.
Typical features (based on the standard scheme design):
- Consortium size: usually at least 5 organisations from 5 different countries
- Grant size: up to around €1 million
- Co‑funding rate: up to 70% of eligible costs
- Project duration: often up to 48 months
Good project types for medium‑scale:
- Large European festivals or networks
- Multi‑country touring and co‑creation platforms
- Long‑term capacity‑building and training schemes
- Major audience development or digital innovation projects
- Strong thematic networks (e.g. climate & culture, inclusion, heritage, youth culture)
If you already have solid EU partnerships and experience managing bigger budgets, this scheme gives you room to scale up.
How to choose between small and medium scale
Choose Small‑scale (COOP‑1) if:
- You’re new to Creative Europe
- Your organisation is small or medium‑sized
- You have 2–4 strong partners and a focused idea
- You want a manageable budget and simpler coordination
Choose Medium‑scale (COOP‑2) if:
- You have experience with EU projects
- You can coordinate larger consortia
- Your project idea needs a broader reach and impact
- You can handle more complex management and reporting
Attention! While the 2026 call is open to all cultural sectors, Creative Europe continues to push some horizontal priorities that you should reflect in your project design:
- Transnational creation and circulation of works and artists
- Audience development and engagement (especially reaching new or underserved audiences)
- Inclusion and diversity (social inclusion, access, representation)
- Digital transformation (new tools, formats, platforms, skills)
- Environmental sustainability (green practices, eco‑design, sustainable touring)
- International cooperation within the Creative Europe area
The deadline for the applications is 5 May 2026.
Quick News
One: We told you! Iceland plans to hold a referendum on August 29 to resume accession talks with the European Union, as announced by the government. Are you open to having partners from Iceland?
Two: Applications for the 2026 Young Elected Politicians Programme are now open!
This initiative, run by the Euro‑Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM), brings together young local and regional politicians from Mediterranean partner countries to connect, learn, and collaborate with their EU counterparts. The participants will take part in training sessions, networking events, and policy discussions focused on local governance, youth engagement, climate action, and sustainable development. The programme also offers an opportunity to contribute to ARLEM’s work and to represent youth voices in Euro‑Mediterranean cooperation.
To be eligible, the applicants must:
- Be elected by direct universal suffrage at the local or regional level in an EU Member State or candidate country.
- Be born after 1 January 1991.
- Not hold a mandate as a CoR member or alternate.
- Have a good level of English.
Candidates are selected based on the quality of their applications, with attention to gender balance, political diversity, and regional representation.
The application form is here.
You are the Priority
We believe in your work. That’s why starting next week, we’ll ask you what you think about the EU funding opportunities and much more.
Tips & Tricks
Back to Creative Europe 2026. While we cannot write your project for you or even give you ideas to start with, we can guide you to excellence.
Tip 1. Start with your story, not the form.
What is the real change you want to create in your field, city, or network? Build the project around that, then fit it into the call (but of course, read the call first...). Don’t think “What will the evaluators like?”, think more “What would really be useful?”
Tip 2. Keep the language simple.
This is not a CEFR C2 writing contest. Aim for clear B2 English, short sentences, and minimal adjectives because clarity beats elegance every time. We’ve said it before. A project proposal is not an essay.
3. Build a balanced partnership.
Avoid one “big boss” and many passive partners. This is not Erasmus+ for the lazy, this is Creative Europe. Evaluators like shared ownership, clear roles, and realistic workloads.
4. Show how you will reach people.
Audience development and communication are not afterthoughts. Explain who you want to reach and how you’ll actually reach them because in the end of the day someone needs to see the work. Hello, Timothée Chalamet, we’re looking at you! We love the "old" opera, the "old" ballet...
5. Think beyond the project end date.
What will remain after the funding stops? Networks, methods, tools, platforms, skills? Make your legacy visible. Why does everyone struggle with dissemination? We'll help with that (next issue).
What the Future Holds
Peace. It depends on us and our kindness. Vote.
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