Call on AI Integration in Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries

Deadline: 23-Sep-2026

Overview

The European Commission is funding projects that accelerate the responsible integration of artificial intelligence in Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries. The goal is to help creators, cultural professionals, policymakers, and technology developers use AI in ways that are ethical, scalable, inclusive, and economically valuable.

This call focuses on practical adoption, not just research. Projects should produce tools, pilots, methods, guidance, and training materials that help the sector use AI in real work environments.

Key facts

• Programme: Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action.

• Total budget: €15 million.

• Typical project funding: €4 million to €5 million.

• Geographic scope: Europe, with eligibility for organisations worldwide under Horizon Europe rules.

• Main subject: Artificial intelligence in Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries.

• Core aim: Responsible, ethical, and inclusive AI integration.

• Application requirement: Applicants must register in the Participant Register and obtain a Participant Identification Code before grant agreement preparation.

What the call is about

This opportunity supports full integration of AI into CCSI work practices. It encourages projects that help cultural and creative organisations use digital tools more effectively in content creation, production, audience engagement, heritage preservation, personalization, and business innovation.

The Commission also wants projects that address barriers to AI adoption. These barriers may include weak data systems, limited infrastructure, skill gaps, governance issues, affordability concerns, and unequal access between large and small cultural actors.

Core priorities

AI readiness

Projects should assess how prepared the sector is for AI adoption. This includes identifying gaps in:

• Data availability.

• Federated data systems.

• Digital infrastructure.

• Workforce skills.

• Governance and policy.

• Organisational capacity.

Ethical and inclusive AI

The call strongly emphasizes AI systems that are transparent, fair, and culturally respectful. Solutions should support:

• Cultural diversity.

• Social inclusion.

• Accessibility for persons with disabilities.

• Accessibility for youth and older people.

• Ethical use of creative data.

Practical adoption tools

Projects should create usable resources such as:

• Strategies.

• Toolkits.

• Guidelines.

• Methodologies.

• Training materials.

• Pilot demonstrations.

Sustainable business models

The programme recognizes that AI can reduce costs, automate low-value tasks, expand market reach, and create new revenue streams. It encourages new business models that support competitiveness while preserving cultural identity.

Implementation options

Applicants must choose one of two implementation options.

Option 1: Scalable pilots

This option supports AI-enabled products and services across CCSI value chains. Projects should develop scalable pilots that improve:

• Operational efficiency.

• Innovation.

• Competitiveness.

• Sector-wide adoption.

Option 2: Inclusive AI solutions

This option supports ethically driven AI solutions that promote:

• Cultural diversity.

• Linguistic diversity.

• Accessibility.

• Inclusion for vulnerable groups.

This option is especially relevant for:

• Youth.

• Older people.

• Persons with disabilities.

Both options may include financial support to third parties so external actors can participate in pilot development.

What the programme supports

Projects may focus on areas such as:

• AI-supported content creation.

• Production workflows.

• Cultural heritage preservation.

• Audience engagement tools.

• Personalization of cultural experiences.

• Accessibility and inclusive design.

• Digital infrastructure for creative work.

• New revenue models for creative sectors.

The main expectation is that AI should help creators spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on high-value creative work.

Who is eligible?

Eligible applicants include any legal entity, regardless of country of establishment. That includes:

• Universities.

• Research organizations.

• Cultural institutions.

• Creative industry organisations.

• Technology developers.

• Non-associated third-country entities.

• International organisations.

Consortia must include representatives from both the cultural and creative sectors and the technology development side. This ensures the project combines artistic insight with technical capability.

What strong proposals should include

A strong proposal should clearly explain:

• The AI use case.

• The cultural or creative sector need.

• The barriers to adoption.

• The pilot or solution to be tested.

• How the project will support ethical and inclusive use.

• How the project will scale beyond the pilot phase.

• How creators, institutions, and users will benefit.

Projects should also show how they will engage stakeholders throughout the work. Continuous collaboration is important because adoption depends on real-world sector needs, not only technical performance.

How it works

1. Identify the sector problem.
   Define the specific CCSI challenge you want to solve with AI.

2. Assess AI readiness.
   Map the gaps in data, skills, infrastructure, governance, and workflow capacity.

3. Choose the implementation option.
   Decide whether your project is better suited to scalable pilots or inclusive AI solutions.

4. Build a mixed consortium.
   Include cultural actors and technology developers.

5. Design practical pilots.
   Create scenarios or demonstrations that show how the solution works in real settings.

6. Plan training and guidance.
   Produce materials that help users adopt and sustain the solution.

7. Define impact and scalability.
   Show how the project will create value, support inclusion, and be used beyond the project itself.

Why it matters

AI is changing how creative content is made, distributed, and experienced. It can improve productivity, lower costs, and unlock new forms of cultural expression. It can also create risks if it is deployed without attention to ethics, accessibility, or cultural diversity.

This call matters because it seeks to make AI adoption more inclusive and more useful for the sector as a whole. It aims to help both large and small cultural organisations benefit from AI while protecting social values and creative integrity.

Common mistakes and tips

Common mistakes

• Proposing a purely technical AI project with little CCSI relevance.

• Ignoring accessibility and inclusion.

• Failing to include both cultural and technology partners.

• Designing a pilot without a realistic adoption path.

• Overlooking training and stakeholder engagement.

• Creating solutions that are too expensive or complex for smaller organisations.

Tips for a strong proposal

• Keep the project tied to actual sector workflows.

• Show clear user benefit for creators and cultural institutions.

• Build in ethical review and inclusive design from the start.

• Use pilots to prove value in real-world conditions.

• Make the outputs easy to adopt, scale, and maintain.

• Explain how the project supports long-term business viability.

FAQ

1. What is the main goal of this Horizon Europe call?

It aims to accelerate responsible and ethical AI integration in Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries across Europe.

2. How much funding is available?

The total budget is €15 million, with typical project funding of €4 million to €5 million.

3. Who can apply?

Any legal entity can apply, including organisations from non-associated third countries and international organisations, as long as Horizon Europe rules are met.

4. What are the two implementation options?

One option focuses on scalable AI-enabled pilots across CCSI value chains. The other focuses on inclusive, ethically driven AI solutions for diversity and accessibility.

5. Is a mixed consortium required?

Yes. Consortia must include representatives from cultural and creative sectors as well as technology developers.

6. What kinds of outputs are expected?

Projects should deliver tools, guidance, methodologies, pilots, scenarios, and training materials that support adoption.

7. Who must register before agreement preparation?

Applicants must register in the Participant Register and obtain a Participant Identification Code.

Conclusion

This Horizon Europe opportunity is designed to help the cultural and creative sectors adopt AI in ways that are ethical, inclusive, and commercially useful. The strongest projects will combine practical pilots, stakeholder engagement, accessibility, and scalable solutions that strengthen innovation while preserving cultural diversity.

For more information, visit EC.