European Commission: Support to International Co-production Funds

Deadline: 28 February 2017

The European Commission is currently seeking proposals for the implementation of a programme of support for the European cultural and creative sector (CREATIVE EUROPE).

The European Commission is responsible for the implementation of the Creative Europe Programme and for the decision to grant individual European Union funds. The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency hereafter “the Agency” manages the Culture and MEDIA Sub-programme on behalf and under the supervision of the European Commission.

The MEDIA Sub-programme shall provide support for activities helping European and international co-production partners to meet and/or provide indirect support for audiovisual works co-produced by supporting international co-production funds based in a country participating in the Programme.

Within the field of reinforcing the audiovisual sector’s capacity, one of the priorities of the MEDIA Sub-programme shall be to increase the capacity of audiovisual operators to develop European audiovisual works with a potential to circulate in the Union and beyond and to facilitate European and international co-production, including with television broadcasters.

Priority Areas

The priorities are to co-finance activities helping European and international co-production partners to meet and/or provide indirect support for audiovisual works co-produced with the objective to:

Support international co-production funds based in a country participating in the MEDIA Sub-programme in order to facilitate the production and the circulation of culturally diverse international co-productions of film projects in the following categories: animation, creative documentary and fiction;
Open-up access to international co-production funds for productions from all countries participating in the MEDIA Sub-programme and encourage companies to internationally co-produce works with high creative/artistic value and cultural diversity and with wide cross-border exploitation potential, able to reach audiences worldwide.

Funds Available

The total budget available is 1.5 M €.
The financial contribution of the Union cannot exceed 80% of the total eligible costs of the action.
The maximum contribution per selected applicant under these guidelines is EUR 400.000.

Eligibility Criteria

This scheme is open to legal entities (private companies, non-profit organisations, associations, charities, foundations, municipalities/Town Councils, etc.) established in one of the countries participating in the MEDIA Sub-programme and owned directly or by majority participation, by nationals from such countries.
Applicant must have a co-production fund that has been legally constituted and active for at least 12 months before the deadline for the submission of the application, having as its main activity the support of international co-productions.
Natural person may not apply for a grant
Legally constituted fund: Fund which is founded by a legal act compliant with the relevant legislation.
Applications from legal entities established in one of the following countries are eligible as long as all conditions referred to in Article 8 of the Regulation establishing the Creative Europe Programme are met:
- EU Member States and overseas countries and territories which are eligible to participate in the Programme pursuant to Article 58 of Council Decision 2001/822/EC;
- Acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates benefiting from a pre- accession strategy, in accordance with the general principles and general terms and conditions for the participation of those countries in Union programmes established in the respective Framework Agreements, Association Council Decisions or similar agreements;
- EFTA countries which are members of the EEA, in accordance with the provisions of the EEA Agreement;
- The Swiss Confederation, on the basis of a bilateral agreement to be concluded with that country;
- Countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy in accordance with the procedures established with those countries following the framework agreements providing for their participation in Union programmes.