Open Call for New Ventures in Creative Tech (Spark) (EU…

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01The project
02Consortium
03More from this project
04Similar calls
05Cascade funding FAQ
06Call scope
07Eligibility & conditions
08Official source

The project running this call: BP26-28 EITCC

EITCC BP26-28

Implementation of the Strategic Agenda for 26-28 extending the activity into 2028 from the Culture & Creative Industries

EU contribution

€132M

Total cost

€132M

Runs

1 Jan 2026 to 31 Dec 2028

Programme

Horizon Europe

Official project record ↗

Who runs it: the consortium

7 organisations in the project. The coordinator usually manages the open call and its evaluation.

EIT Culture & Creativity GmbH · GermanyCoordinator
EIT Culture & Creativity South SRL · ItalyPartner
EIT Culture and Creativity North West Stichting · NetherlandsPartner
EIT Culture & Creativity South East& Alps GmbH · AustriaPartner
EIT Culture and Creativity South West SL · SpainPartner
EIT Culture & Creativity East AS · SlovakiaPartner
EIT Culture & Creativity North Oy · FinlandPartner

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Other cascade calls on related topics that you can apply to now.

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Cascade funding: what to know before you apply

What is cascade funding?: Cascade funding (also called financial support to third parties) is money the European Commission gives to an EU-funded project, which the project then passes on to startups, SMEs, researchers or other organisations through its own open calls. You apply to the project, not to the Commission, and the project's own call rules apply.
Who can apply?: Each call sets its own eligibility in its call document: usually organisations established in an EU member state or a Horizon Europe associated country, often startups and SMEs. Check the call's eligibility section and the official guide before you apply.
Do I need a consortium?: Most cascade calls accept single applicants, which makes them one of the easiest ways into EU funding. Some calls ask for small teams; the call document says which.
How large are the grants?: Typically tens of thousands of euros per applicant and rarely more than €200,000, because the EU rules for financial support to third parties keep amounts per recipient modest. The exact maximum is in each call.
Can I combine it with other EU funding?: Yes, as long as the same costs are not funded twice. Many startups use a cascade grant to build evidence before applying to larger programmes such as the EIC Accelerator.

Cascade funding in the glossary · All open cascade calls

What this call funds

Applications must be submitted through the EIT Culture & Creativity online submission platform by 16 November 2026 at 17:00 CET.

Following the deadline, applications will undergo an admissibility and eligibility check conducted by EIT Culture & Creativity. Eligible applications will then be assessed by three independent external experts against the published evaluation criteria. Following the individual assessments, a consensus meeting will establish the final external evaluation scores and consolidated comments.

The 35 highest-ranked proposals from the external evaluation will be invited to an online portfolio selection interview with the EIT Culture & Creativity Selection Committee. The next 15 proposals will form a reserve pool for this stage.

Following portfolio selection, proposals meeting the applicable thresholds will be ranked according to their combined external evaluation and portfolio selection scores. Up to 35 applicants may be selected for the 2027 Spark cohort, subject to the conditions and available budget set out in the Call Guidelines.

Eligibility & conditions+

Maximum financial support: up to EUR 30,000 per selected venture concept, corresponding to up to 100% of eligible actual costs incurred, reported and accepted in accordance with the Call Guidelines and the applicable Subgrant Agreement. No co-funding is required.

The call is open to early-stage founders, either individuals or multidisciplinary teams, developing a tech-centric business concept in Materials & Built Environment, with a focus on Fashion and Architecture. Applicants must not already have a registered company implementing the business concept submitted under this call.

Applications and all mandatory supporting documents must be submitted in English.

Selected applicants will participate in an in-person Startup Sprint followed by the 9-month Spark Incubation Programme. Selected applicants are required to incorporate a new legal entity by Month 3 in order to continue participating in the programme and receiving the remaining financial support.

Further details, the Call Guidelines, application documents and the official contact form are available on the EIT Culture & Creativity call webpage.

Please note that the call was originally opened on the EIT Culture & Creativity website on 6 October 2026. The corresponding notice on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal was published on 7 October 2026.

Official source

Confirm the current call documents and submission conditions with the funding authority.

View on EU portal ↗

Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal · synced 2026-11-09

Cascade funding: what to know before you apply

What is cascade funding?

Cascade funding (also called financial support to third parties) is money the European Commission gives to an EU-funded project, which the project then passes on to startups, SMEs, researchers or other organisations through its own open calls. You apply to the project, not to the Commission, and the project's own call rules apply.

Who can apply?

Each call sets its own eligibility in its call document: usually organisations established in an EU member state or a Horizon Europe associated country, often startups and SMEs. Check the call's eligibility section and the official guide before you apply.

Do I need a consortium?

Most cascade calls accept single applicants, which makes them one of the easiest ways into EU funding. Some calls ask for small teams; the call document says which.

How large are the grants?

Typically tens of thousands of euros per applicant and rarely more than €200,000, because the EU rules for financial support to third parties keep amounts per recipient modest. The exact maximum is in each call.

Can I combine it with other EU funding?

Yes, as long as the same costs are not funded twice. Many startups use a cascade grant to build evidence before applying to larger programmes such as the EIC Accelerator.

What this call funds

Applications must be submitted through the EIT Culture & Creativity online submission platform by 16 November 2026 at 17:00 CET.

Open Call for New Ventures in Creative Tech (Spark)

The project running this call: BP26-28 EITCC

Who runs it: the consortium

Other open calls from BP26-28 EITCC

Similar open calls from EU projects

Cascade funding: what to know before you apply

What this call funds

Official source

Track this call and plan your application.

Open Call for New Ventures in Creative Tech (Spark)

The project running this call: BP26-28 EITCC

Who runs it: the consortium

Other open calls from BP26-28 EITCC

Similar open calls from EU projects

Cascade funding: what to know before you apply

What this call funds

Official source

Track this call and plan your application.