Grants for Creative Tech Founders by EIT Culture & Creativity

The "New Ventures in Creative Tech (Spark)" open call is launched by EIT Culture & Creativity and co-funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme. The primary goal of the programme is to identify, select, and comprehensively support early-stage founders and multidisciplinary teams seeking to transform early-stage business concepts into scalable, commercially successful ventures. The programme combines financial support of up to EUR 30,000 with tailored venture creation education and professional mentorship.

This call focuses on technology-centric solutions (material innovation, hardware, or digital tools) in advanced and circular materials and built environment, specifically fashion and architecture, within the Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI). Participation is open to individuals and teams who have not yet incorporated a legal entity at the time of application; selected participants are required to officially establish a new legal entity by Month 3 of the programme.

Participant development follows a two-stage venture creation pathway, including an intensive 2–3-day Startup Sprint bootcamp for problem-solution fit validation, followed by the 9-month Spark Incubation Programme. Incubation includes 1-on-1 coaching with a designated coach, access to an international mentor pool, pitching and storytelling training, business modeling, and integration into the pan-European EIT innovation ecosystem.

• Eligible Applicants:
  • Individuals or multidisciplinary teams (early-stage founders) who have not yet registered a legal entity at the time of application.
  • Residents or individuals established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe associated countries (Pillar III, including Ukraine).
  • Teams demonstrating or planning to build complementary skills across creative, technical, and business areas.
  • At least one founder committing 10 to 15 hours per week to the programme and having at least 1 year of relevant domain experience (education, work, incubation programmes).
  • Business concept focused on a tech-centric solution (digital, hardware, or material innovation) in fashion or architecture.
• Ineligible Applicants & Restrictions:
  • Legally incorporated ventures at the time of application are NOT eligible.
  • Applicants established in or operating from Russia, Belarus, or non-government controlled territories of Ukraine are strictly excluded.
  • Entities linked to Hungarian public interest trusts under Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506 are ineligible for funding.
  • Individuals or entities subject to EU administrative sanctions, bankruptcy, liquidation, or tax defaults.

• Total Call Budget: up to EUR 1,050,000 per cohort.
• Maximum Grant Amount: up to EUR 30,000 per selected project.
• Funding Model: actual-cost reimbursement model.
• Reimbursement Rate: 100% of eligible costs (no co-funding required).
• Category-Level Eligibility Cap Ceilings (over 9 months):
  • Personnel: up to EUR 15,000;
  • Travel and Subsistence: up to EUR 7,500;
  • Subcontracting: up to EUR 5,000 and max 15% of total eligible project costs;
  • Cost of Other Goods and Services: up to EUR 7,500;
  • Indirect Costs: calculated at a flat rate of 25% of eligible direct costs, included within the overall EUR 30,000 maximum ceiling.
• Payment Arrangements and Prefinancing Instalments:
  • 1st Prefinancing Payment: EUR 12,000 paid at programme start (March 2027 / Month 0) upon signing the initial Subgrant Agreement.
  • 2nd Prefinancing Payment: EUR 12,000 paid at Month 3 (June 2027) following legal entity incorporation, PIC registration and validation in the EU portal, and contractual transition.
  • Final Settlement: remaining balance up to EUR 6,000 paid in April 2028 upon verification of actual accepted eligible costs.
• Rules and Restrictions: funded activities, costs, and results must not be funded by any other EU programme or EIT instrument (strict compliance with the double funding restriction).

• Participation in the intensive 2–3-day Startup Sprint bootcamp for problem-solution fit validation.
• Participation in the 9-month online Spark Incubation Programme (structured online sessions, 1-on-1 coaching with a designated coach, mentorship with international experts, founder community sessions).
• Pitching, presentation skills, and storytelling training.
• Market positioning and European ecosystem visibility activities, including participation in the Closing Event.
• Funded execution activities: development and testing of Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or Proof of Concept (PoC), customer validation and market testing, legal entity incorporation, and initial operational setup.

• October 06, 2026: official launch of the call and publication of documentation.
• October 20, 2026 (10:00 CET) and November 10, 2026 (10:00 CET): online info sessions for interested applicants.
• November 16, 2026 (23:59 CET): application submission deadline via the online platform.
• From November 17, 2026: admissibility and eligibility screening.
• November 2026 – January 2027: Step 1 evaluation — external quality evaluation by three independent expert evaluators.
• Beginning of February 2027: formal notification of evaluation results dispatched to applicants.
• Within 30 calendar days from notification: standstill period for potential appeal procedures.
• March 2027: publication of results and signature of initial Subgrant Agreements.
• March 2027 (Month 0): cohort start, participation in the 2–3-day Startup Sprint bootcamp, and 1st prefinancing payment (EUR 12,000).
• June 2027 (Month 3 / DEL2): mandatory legal entity incorporation, PIC registration in the EU portal, validation via EIT Community Onboarding Service, contractual transition, and 2nd prefinancing payment (EUR 12,000).
• December 2027 (Month 9 / DEL3): end of 9-month Spark Incubation Programme implementation, submission of final technical report, updated Pitch Deck, and participation in the closing event.
• January – March 2028: final financial review and assessment of actual reported costs.
• April 2028: final financial settlement and payment of remaining grant balance (up to EUR 6,000).

1. Review the official call guidelines on the webpage [https://eit-culture-creativity.eu/](https://eit-culture-creativity.eu/).
2. Create an account and complete the online application form (Part A) in English on the submission platform.
3. Fill out Part B (Technical Proposal / Annex III) template and save it in PDF format (filename: Part B_acronym.pdf).
4. Complete and upload the EIT Budget File in Excel format using the provided template (filename: Budget_acronym.xlsx).
5. Prepare and upload the Venture Execution Plan in PDF format, up to 7 pages (filename: Execution Plan_acronym.pdf).
6. Complete and upload the Lean Startup Canvas in PDF format (filename: LSC_acronym.pdf).
7. Provide a public link to a 1-minute pitch video (YouTube/Vimeo) with English subtitles.
8. Provide a public link with tangible evidence of the business idea/prototype (demo video max 3 min, MVP/PoC screenshots, working demo link, UX mock-ups, etc.).
9. Confirm legal declarations, review submission data, and submit the application by November 16, 2026, 23:59 CET.

Proposals are evaluated via a two-step framework with a maximum total score of 80 points:

• Step 1: External Quality Evaluation (max 50 points, evaluated by 3 independent experts):
  • Excellence (max 15 points):
    • A1. Problem & Solution Clarity: clarity and relevance of the problem addressed, coherence of the proposed solution (5 points).
    • A2. Innovation & Differentiation: degree of novelty, originality, and differentiation from existing solutions (5 points).
    • A3. Gender Mainstreaming & GEDI: integration of gender equality, diversity, and inclusion considerations into the business idea (5 points).
  • Impact (max 10 points):
    • B1. Relevance to CCSI & Use of Technology: clear connection to fashion or architecture and meaningful use of technology tools (5 points).
    • B2. Execution Plan & Use of Funds: quality, realism, and coherence of the execution plan and budget allocation (5 points).
  • Quality and Efficiency of Implementation (max 25 points):
    • C1. Commercial Logic & Venture Viability: understanding of value creation, monetization, and scaling potential (5 points).
    • C2. Founder/Team Capability & Commitment: skills, motivation, domain knowledge, and commitment of founders (5 points).
    • C3. Lean Business Canvas Quality: internal consistency of core elements and strength of key hypotheses (5 points).
    • C4. Prototype / Concept Evidence: quality of tangible evidence demonstrating solution stage (demo, MVP screenshots, mock-ups) (5 points).
    • C5. Entrepreneurial Spirit & Experience: founders' prior engagement in startups or incubation programmes (5 points). (Up to 35 highest-ranked proposals proceed to Step 2).
  • Step 2: Portfolio Selection / Online Interview (max 30 points, overall minimum threshold — 24/30):
    • Sub-criteria 1: Market Validation — max 10 points (5x2 scale, minimum threshold 3/5).
    • Sub-criteria 2: Growth Potential — max 10 points (5x2 scale, minimum threshold 4/5).
    • Sub-criteria 3: Financial Sustainability & Portfolio Alignment — max 10 points (5x2 scale, minimum threshold 3/5).

• At Application Stage:
  • Online Application Form (Part A): completed on the submission platform.
  • Technical Proposal (Part B / Annex III): completed form in PDF format (Part B_acronym.pdf).
  • Budget Plan: completed template in Excel format (Budget_acronym.xlsx).
  • Venture Execution Plan: in PDF format (max 7 pages).
  • Lean Startup Canvas: in PDF format (LSC_acronym.pdf).
  • Pitch Video: link to a 1-minute video with English subtitles.
  • Tangible Evidence: public link to prototype/concept evidence.
• At 2nd Prefinancing Stage (Month 3):
  • Official proof of legal entity incorporation in an eligible EU or Horizon Europe country.
  • Confirmation of Participant Identification Code (PIC) registration and validation in the EU portal.
  • Ownership structure documentation confirming at least 50% ownership retained by original founders.
  • Signed Declaration of Honour.
  • Signed updated Subgrant Agreement.

• Monitoring & Deliverables:
  • DEL1 (Month 0): participation in Startup Sprint, submission of refined Venture Execution Plan, signed Participation Agreement.
  • DEL2 (Month 3): proof of new legal entity incorporation, evidence of at least 50% ownership retained by original founders, validated PIC in the EU portal, EIT Community Onboarding Service validation, market testing evidence, contractual transition to the new company.
  • DEL3 (Month 9): final technical and performance report, tangible evidence of product/MVP, KPI proof, updated Pitch Deck, participation in end-of-programme survey and closing event.
• Key Performance Indicators (EIT KPIs):
  • EITHE03.1: Number of startups and scale-ups supported by the KIC for at least two months in the reporting year.
  • EITHE04.1: Number of startups established in the reporting year.
  • EITHE06.1: Total euro amount of private and public capital attracted within the year by supported startups.
• Compliance Checks & Audits:
  • Mandatory screening against EU sanctions lists and rule-of-law compliance.
  • Mandatory legal entity validation via EIT Community Onboarding Service.
  • Obligation to retain primary financial and accounting records (invoices, receipts, timesheets, contracts) for 5 years post-completion for potential audits by OLAF, EPPO, and the European Court of Auditors.
  • Compliance with EU standards on Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI).

• Regulatory Framework: governed by the EU legal framework, specifically the EIT Regulation (EU) 2021/819, EU Financial Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509, and Horizon Europe Regulation (EU) 2021/695. Implemented under the Partnership Agreement (PA2024/EIT/EIT CC) and Grant Agreement (No. 101264271) between EIT and EIT Culture & Creativity.
• Acceptance of Call Conditions & No Automatic Entitlement: application submission implies full acceptance of all call conditions. Applicants hold no legal entitlement to funding; submission does not establish any commitment until the Subgrant Agreement is bilaterally signed. Any activity prior to agreement signature is carried out at the applicant's own cost and risk.
• Amendments & Cancellation: EIT Culture & Creativity reserves the right to make reasonable amendments to call conditions prior to the submission deadline via public notice. The Organizer reserves the right to cancel the call at any time prior to agreement signature without obligation to compensate applicants.
• Intellectual Property Rights (IPR): applicants retain full and exclusive ownership of their background knowledge, materials, and IP under Article 16 of the Horizon Europe General MGA and Article 10 of the Subgrant Agreement. Applicants warrant ownership or legal rights to use all components of their product/service and agree to hold EIT Culture & Creativity harmless from any third-party IP infringement claims.
• Data Protection & Confidentiality: personal data processing complies with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR). Data is stored for 5 years post-announcement for non-selected applicants and 7 years for winners. Information explicitly marked as confidential is used solely for evaluation purposes and will not be disclosed to third parties without prior written consent.
• Ethics & Declaration of Honour: proposals must comply with EU ethical principles, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the European Convention on Human Rights. Selected applicants must sign a Declaration of Honour confirming data accuracy and absence of exclusion grounds (bankruptcy, fraud, corruption, tax default, sanctions).
• Recovery of Funds & Audits: EIT Culture & Creativity reserves the right to withdraw funding and recover payments in case of substantial errors, irregularities, false information, or breach of obligations. The European Commission, OLAF, EPPO, and the European Court of Auditors retain check and audit rights for 5 years post-completion.
• Applicable Law & Jurisdiction: governed by EU law, supplemented where necessary by national law of Belgium. All unresolved disputes shall be finally settled before the courts of Brussels, Belgium.