Creative EuropeCREA Project Grants

Networks of European Cinemas

Deadline9 July 2026
Total budget€17.5M
Opens7 April 2026
Deadline modelsingle-stage
Call IDCREA-MEDIA-2026-CINNET

What this call funds

Objective

The aim of the support is to create and operate a network of cinemas with a view to:

  • Encourage cinema operators to screen a significant proportion of non- national European films through incentives and collaborative projects;
  • Contribute to raise and increase the interest of the audience for non-national films including through the development of activities for young cinema-goers;
  • Help those cinemas to adapt their strategy to the changing environment including by promoting innovative approaches in terms of audience reach and engagement, as well as partnerships with other film industry operators as well as with local cultural institutions;
  • Encourage exchange of best practices, knowledge sharing and other forms of cross border collaboration amongst members of the network

Contribute to the policy dialogue on the film industry by collecting data and disseminating the outcome of the activities of the network beyond its members.

Description of the activities to be funded under the call for proposals:

The action will support a network of European cinema operators, with a broad geographic coverage, screening a significant proportion of non-national European films for an increased audience and a renewed cinema going experience, fostering the role of European cinemas in the circulation of European works. The aim is to increase audiences for European works through incentives and collaborative projects. Funding will promote innovative approaches that combine visibility for European works and the widest audiences. Applications should present adequate strategies to ensure a more sustainable and more environmentally-respectful industry and to ensure gender balance, inclusion, diversity and representativeness.

Expected Impact

  • Increase the audience for non-national European films on the European market;
  • Reach new audiences for European films including young cinema-goers;
  • Reinforce and renew the ongoing cinema experience;
  • Adjust the business practices of European cinema theatres in terms of sustainability and inclusion;
  • Foster the innovation potential of European cinema theatres through enhanced collaboration.
Eligibility & conditions+

Conditions

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout

described in the call document

Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries

described in the call document.

3. Other Eligible Conditions

described in the call document.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion

described in the call document.

5a. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes

described in the call document.

5b. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds

Evaluation criteria, scoring, threshold and process are described in the call document.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement

described in the call document.

Publication of the call: 04 December 2025.

Call opening: 07 April 2026.

Deadline for submitting applications: 09 July 2026 17:00 (Brussels time).

Evaluation period: July - December 2026.

Information to applicants: January 2027.

Signature of grant agreement: April 2027.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants

described in the call document.

Call document and annexes:

call document.

Application form templates

Standard application form (CREA MEDIA) — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System

Model Grant Agreements (MGA)

CREA MGA

Additional documents:

CREA Annual Work Programmes

CREA Regulation 2021/818

EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509

Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment

EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement

Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual 

Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions 

Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal · synced 2026-06-30