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S+T+ARTS is driven by the idea that science and technology combined with an artistic viewpoint delivers valuable perspectives for research and business. Recent STARTS projects address the use of AI-systems and High-Performance computing for use cases such as media, disinformation, XR environments, climate change, food security, urban development, factory automation etc. through a number of dedicated sub-projects. In light of the continuing digitalisation of society, STARTS provides a holistic and human-centred approach.

Through its different pillars, S+T+ARTS offers:

The New European Bauhaus initiative aims to develop a creative and interdisciplinary movement that connects the European Green Deal to the everyday life of the EU citizens. The initiative is being co-designed through the direct involvement of citizens, experts, businesses, and Institutions and it aims to:

AMIF has a specific focus on early-integration measures, with a possibility for higher than standard co-financing rate for local and regional authorities, and civil society. The new programme predominantly focuses on early stages of integration and the overall aims are the following:

The Social Investment and Skills window facilitates: development of skills and key competences; the matching, deployment and higher skills utilisation through education, training, including on-the-job training and related activities. The window also supports projects involving social innovation, health services, ageing and long-term care, access to prevention, innovative treatments and e-health options, inclusion and accessibility, and cultural and creative activities with a social goal.

Projects promote mobility activities for:

  • Learners: pupils, students, trainees, apprentices, young people, adult learners;
  • Staff: professors, teachers, trainers, youth workers, and people working in organisations active in the education, training and youth fields;

Projects mainly aim to support learners in the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes, including language competences.

The LIFE Clean Energy Transition sub-programme supports the transition towards an energy-efficient, renewable energy-based, climate-neutral and -resilient economy. It provides funding for coordination and support actions that have high EU added-value, which are targeted at breaking market barriers that hamper the socio-economic transition to sustainable energy. Projects will typically engage multiple small and medium-sized stakeholders, multiple actors including local and regional public authorities and non-profit organisations, as well as consumers.

The LIFE programme co-finances projects in the areas of: • urban adaptation and land-use planning; • the resilience of infrastructure; • the sustainable management of water in drought-prone areas; • flood and coastal management • resilience of the agricultural, forestry and tourism sectors; • support to the EU's outermost regions in their preparedness for extreme weather events, notably in coastal areas. The programme provides action grants for best practice, pilot and demonstration projects that contribute to increase resilience to climate change.

This funding opportunity supports projects within the cultural and creative sectors. A broad range of activities and initiatives, and a wide range of applicants can be supported. Support is for projects involving transnational cultural cooperation, and which contribute to strengthening the creation and circulation of European artworks and artists transnationally. There is also a focus on funding projects which support the European cultural and creative sectors to nurture talent to innovate, to prosper and to generate jobs and growth.

Every year, the European Commission implements Pilot Projects (PP) and Preparatory Actions (PA) at the request of the European Parliament. The list changes on an annual basis. These actions sometimes target the news media and creative sectors.

The following actions are expected to be launched in 2024 for support in 2025:

The Multimedia Actions aim to strengthen news reporting on EU affairs from European perspectives. They help ensure citizens are aware of the decisions taken by the EU institutions and other topics that affect them at European level. The supported media have their independence contractually guaranteed, so that they can work without interference.

The Commission publishes annual financing decisions, constituting the annual work programme for the implementation of Multimedia Actions. In 2024, three actions will be launched for support in 2025:

The objective of the MEDIA 360° support is to exploit synergies among existing ecosystems, to develop further cooperation potential, to reach economies of scale across different supported activities, create impact across the value-chain. The action shall support a package of activities related to facilitating the creation and promotion of European content, and/or the uptake of new technologies or business models for the audiovisual sector.

The objective of the Markets & networking support is to enhance the promotion of European content in the global market and to foster cooperation among all parts of the audiovisual value chain for the co-creation and promotion of European audiovisual works. Cooperation of audiovisual professionals and promotion of European works are pursued by supporting two types of projects and activities:
• Markets focusing on a specific type of films and innovative content, or networking of markets that present similar genre/topics or are located in the same region;

EU Missions are a coordinated effort by the Commission to pool the necessary resources in terms of funding programmes, policies and regulations, as well as other activities. They also aim to mobilise and activate public and private actors, such as EU Member States, regional and local authorities, research institutes, farmers and land managers, entrepreneurs and investors to create real and lasting impact. Missions will engage with citizens to boost societal uptake of new solutions and approaches.

As part of Horizon Europe, the European Innovation Ecosystems (EIE) programme aims to create more connected, inclusive, and efficient innovation ecosystems and support the scaling of companies, as laid out in the New European Innovation Agenda.

Innovation ecosystems

Media (re)presentation and visibility of vulnerable groups like migrants and refugees remains marginal in the mainstream social media across Europe and with a special consideration of the Ukraine situation. The objective remains to identify ways to promote inclusive social media in Europe, and to help these groups creating their own narratives about the place and role of the refugees and migrants in European societies and communities.

The following activities should be part of the expected actions of the project: 

Support will be given to European festivals programming a significant proportion of non-national European audiovisual works, aiming at year-long activities targeted to expand and renew audiences and implementing innovative audience outreach activities as well as initiatives for young audiences.

The “ACP-EU towards a viable cultural industry” Programme, aims to boost the potential of the cultural and creative sector and its contribution to the social and economic development of the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries. The programme aims to encourage entrepreneurship and cultural innovation, create new jobs and increase artists’ and cultural professionals’ revenues.

The Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) is a new EU funding programme focused on bringing digital technology to businesses, citizens and public administrations. It provides strategic funding to answer the many challenges we face today with regards to digital technologies and infrastructures. The programme aims to accelerate the economic recovery and shape the digital transformation of Europe’s society and economy, bringing benefits to everyone, but in particular to small and medium-sized enterprises.

The activities under the ‘Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area’ sub-programme are aimed at promoting the dissemination and exploitation of research results by reinforcing the interaction between education and research. Cultural and creative stakeholders can be involved as partners in research projects aimed at strengthening regional innovation excellence, involving ecosystems of different actors that can spread knowledge and widen participation in the research and innovation process.

Cluster 5, ‘Climate, Energy and Mobility’ supports the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Cultural and creative stakeholders can become involved in:

Cluster 3 projects 'Civil Security for Society', will support the implementation of EU policy priorities relating to security, including cybersecurity, and disaster risk reduction and resilience.

Cultural and creative stakeholders can become involved in:
• Research projects contributing to the fight against trafficking in cultural goods;
• The assessment of disaster risks and vulnerabilities in cultural heritage sites;
• Large cultural events.

Cluster 1, 'Health' aims to creating a stronger, more inclusive and democratic European society. It focuses on the development of key digital emerging technologies, sectors and value chains.

Calls for proposals under the destination ‘Staying healthy in a rapidly changing society’ can involve cultural stakeholders as partners contributing to promote healthier lifestyles and behaviours, and can support effective solutions for health promotion and disease prevention.

Cluster 2, ‘Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society’ aims to meet EU goals and priorities linked to: • Enhancing democratic governance and citizens participation; • Safeguarding and promoting cultural heritage; and • Responding to and shaping social, economic, technological and cultural transformations. Proposals can undertake innovative research on: • Democracy and Governance; • European Cultural Heritage and the Cultural and Creative Industries; • Social and Economic Transformations.

FARNET is the community of people implementing Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). This community brings together Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs), managing authorities, citizens and experts from across the EU, to work on the sustainable development of fisheries and coastal areas. In the past, projects related to arts and crafts, as well as cultural heritage have often been supported by this initiative.

The Just Transition Mechanism contributes to enabling regions and people to address the social, employment, economic and environmental impacts of the transition towards the Union’s 2030 targets for energy and climate and a climate-neutral economy of the Union by 2050, based on the Paris Agreement. The Fund is a key tool to support the territories most affected by the transition towards climate neutrality providing them with tailored support.

ERDF is part of the EU Cohesion policy and it aims to strengthen the economic, social and territorial cohesion in the European Union by correcting imbalances between its regions, by supporting economic recovery, job creation, competitiveness, innovation, and sustainability. It delivers on the Union’s political priorities, especially the green and digital transition.

Within ERDF, the Interreg programmes support cross-border (Interreg A and IPA), transnational (Interreg B), interregional (Interreg C) and outermost regions’ (Interreg D) cooperation.

The EAFRD facilitates investments in rural infrastructure. Many rural areas in the Union suffer from structural problems such as lack of attractive employment opportunities, skill shortages, underinvestment in connectivity, infrastructures and essential services, as well as youth drain. The support for cultural projects is not clearly mentioned in the programme, however the EAFRD facilitates investments in rural infrastructures which does not exclude cultural infrastructures.

The Alliances strengthen Europe’s innovation capacity by boosting innovation through cooperation and flow of knowledge among higher education, vocational education and training (both initial and continuous), and more broadly involving a socio-economic context, including research.

Programme guide available here.

Cooperation Partnerships allow organisations to

  • increase the quality and relevance of their activities
  • develop and reinforce their networks of partners
  • increase their capacity to operate jointly at a transnational level
  • boost the internationalisation of their activities
  • exchange and develop new practices and ideas

Projects aim to develop innovative practices, and implement joint initiatives promoting cooperation, along with peer learning and exchanges of experience at the European level.

The circular economy and quality of life sub-programme aims to facilitate the transition toward a sustainable, circular, toxic-free, energy-efficient and climate-resilient economy, and at protecting, restoring and improving the quality of the environment The sub-programme involves direct interventions, or can support the integration of those aims in other policies. Thus, LIFE will continue to co-finance projects in the environmental sector, in particular in the area of the circular economy.

The Creative Innovation Lab will incentivise players from all cultural and creative sectors to design and test innovative digital solutions with potential positive long-term impact on multiple cultural and creative sectors.

The Lab will facilitate the creation of innovative solutions (e.g. tools, models and methodologies) that can apply to the audiovisual sector and at least another creative and/or cultural sector. Solutions should be easily replicable and have potential for market penetration.

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