In brief
- European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) funds Creative Europe.
- The grant goes up to €1,000,000 and covers up to 70% of eligible costs.
- Applications run from Thursday 3 December 2026 to Thursday 8 April 2027, 17:00 (Brussels time).
Key facts
- Funder
- European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)
- Programme
- Creative Europe
- Who can apply
- Company
- Area
- European Union
- Instrument
-
Grant
In the official text
“6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants” (p. 1)
- Total budget
- €38,000,000
- Maximum grant
-
€1,000,000
In the official text
“Project budget (maximum grant amount): EUR 1.000.000 per project.” (p. 21)
- Funding rate
-
70%
In the official text
“The costs will be reimbursed at the funding rate fixed in the Grant Agreement (70%).” (p. 21)
- Minimum project cost
- not stated in the call
- Published on
- Wednesday 30 September 2026
- Opens
- Thursday 3 December 2026 (time not stated)
- Closes
-
Thursday 8 April 2027, 17:00 (Brussels time)
In the official text
“Deadline for submitting applications: 8 April 2027 17:00 (Brussels time).” (p. 1)
- Procedure
-
Ranking
In the official text
“and then ranked according to their” (p. 19)
- How to submit
-
EU Funding & Tenders portal
In the official text
“the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System” (p. 1)
- Application language
- Aragonese
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Chances
- Cannot be estimated
It suits you if…
- Your main activity is distributing films to cinemas.
- Your organisation is a legal entity established in an eligible country.
- You release European films that come from another country than yours.
- You can apply alone, without partners.
- Your national authority has certified your admissions for the reference year.
It is not for you if…
- You are a private individual: natural persons are excluded.
- You plan to apply together with partners: only single applicants are allowed.
- You are in an EU exclusion situation, such as bankruptcy or unpaid tax or social security.
How much you can get
The call pays 70% of the costs it accepts. The rest of the accepted costs is not covered by this grant. The most you can receive is €1,000,000. The total budget of the call is €38,000,000, shared by a ranking of applications. The call does not state a minimum grant or a cap on project cost. An advance payment is available.
- If you spend €800,000, you receive €560,000 and pay €240,000 yourself.
- If you spend €1,500,000, you receive €1,000,000 and pay €500,000 yourself.
What it pays and what it does not
Pays
- Investment in co-producing European films from other countries.
- Buying theatrical and online distribution rights to such films.
- Promotion, marketing and advertising for cinema releases.
- Promotion, marketing and advertising for online releases.
- A flat-rate share for indirect costs, calculated on the direct costs the call accepts.
- VAT you cannot deduct or get back.
Does not pay
- Staff work.
- Travel arrangements.
- Promotional material already developed under another European film marketing support scheme.
Key dates
- Published on
- Wednesday 30 September 2026
- Opens
- Thursday 3 December 2026 (time not stated)
- Closes
- Thursday 8 April 2027, 17:00 (Brussels time)
The call opens on Thursday 3 December 2026; the call does not state the opening time. It closes on Thursday 8 April 2027 at 17:00, Brussels time. The call depends on the final adoption of the EU budget for the year, and it may be modified or cancelled. Check the official call again before you submit.
What you need
- Registration of your organisation in the Participant Register, completed before you submit.
- Application Form Part B, the technical description of the project.
- PDF with information about the films, generated from the Creative Europe MEDIA Database.
- Declaration on Independence and Ownership control.
- Certified admissions of the eligible films, issued by the national authority.
How to apply
- Register your organisation in the Participant Register on the European Commission's online funding portal, where you also apply.
- Ask your national authority for the certified admissions of your eligible films.
- Generate the PDF on your films from the Creative Europe MEDIA Database.
- Fill in Part B of the application form and sign the declaration on independence and ownership control.
- Submit one application through the portal before Thursday 8 April 2027, 17:00 Brussels time.
Each step explained in more detail: “How to apply for a grant in 7 steps”
Mistakes that cost you the money
- Sending more than a single application under this call. Consequence: The call allows no more than one proposal per applicant.
- Applying with partners or as a group. Consequence: Only single applicants are allowed.
- Submitting before your Participant Register registration is done. Consequence: The registration is required before submission, so the proposal cannot go in.
- Counting admissions that fall outside the reference year or are not certified by the national authority. Consequence: The admissions would not count towards your application.
- Putting staff or travel costs in the budget. Consequence: These costs are not paid by the call.
- Ignoring the reinvestment rule after the award. Consequence: The fund your company generates must be reinvested in eligible uses.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply together with another distributor?
No. The call accepts only single applicants, and each applicant can send a single proposal.
Does the call pay for VAT?
Only VAT you cannot deduct or get back is accepted as a cost.
Do I get money before the project ends?
Yes: after the grant is signed you normally receive an advance payment (prefinancing). There are no interim payments.
What must I do with the money after the award?
The potential fund generated by each company must be reinvested in eligible uses.
Who can I ask for help?
Write to your local Creative Europe desk or to the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).
How to take part from your country
Applicants come from EU countries and from other countries taking part in the Creative Europe programme and fully in its MEDIA strand. The certified admissions come from the national authority of your country.
The call lists any official EU language for the application, but this is not fully confirmed: check the official call.
Public help desks in your country
Help desks in 27 countries
We'll help you with the application
We prepare free of charge the documents about our products: technical and project description, a quote split by the call's cost items, timing and data sheets to attach. For questions about the call, Creative Europe Desks, the public help desk for applicants, guides you.
For this call and your type of organisation we do not yet have a partner consultant who prepares the application.
In European calls a consultant's fee cannot be put in the project budget: it is paid with your own funds.
If your project includes the usual neXt solutions, you can buy them from us, with a quote split by the cost items of the call.
Public help desk for this call
- Creative Europe Desks ↗ Creative Europe Desk National desk of the Creative Europe programme: informs and assists applicants in culture and audiovisual.
Free check: can I apply?
Official source and checks
- Official act ↗
- Official page of the call ↗
- Funding & Tenders Portal, Search API
Official source rechecked automatically on Tuesday 20 October 2026, 15:21 (Brussels time).
Report an error
Every report starts an automatic check against the official act at once: the reported fact stays Under review until the check confirms or corrects it.
Similar calls
Closing soon · closes in 2 days
Grant call: €1,400,000 budget, closes Friday 23 October 2026
- Applications from
- Tuesday 23 June 2026
- Deadline
- Friday 23 October 2026
- Amount
- not stated in the call
Source rechecked on Tuesday 20 October 2026
Closing soon · closes in 5 days
Apply before Monday 26 October 2026, 14:00 (Brussels time)
A call with a total budget of €8,000. The call does not state the grant per project, so read the official text before you plan.
- Applications from
- Monday 12 October 2026
- Deadline
- Monday 26 October 2026
- Amount
- not stated in the call
Source rechecked on Tuesday 20 October 2026
Closing soon · closes in 13 days
EU money for organisations to protect children from violence
Pays for preventing violence against children, spotting abuse early and setting up one-stop support hubs. For non-profit organisations working with a public authority.
- Published
- Tuesday 7 July 2026
- Applications from
- Tuesday 7 July 2026
- Deadline
- Tuesday 3 November 2026
- Amount
- being checked · up to 90% of costs
Source rechecked on Tuesday 20 October 2026
Open · closes in 14 days
EU culture call: a total budget of €470,000
This EU call shares a total budget of €470,000 among the applications it selects. The call does not state the amount per project or who can apply.
- Applications from
- Tuesday 1 September 2026
- Deadline
- Wednesday 4 November 2026
- Amount
- not stated in the call
Source rechecked on Tuesday 20 October 2026
Open · closes in 33 days
EU Daphne call: total budget of €900,000 for projects
The EU Daphne call has a total budget of €900,000. The call does not state the amount per project or who may apply, so check the official text first.
- Applications from
- Friday 18 September 2026
- Deadline
- Monday 23 November 2026
- Amount
- not stated in the call
Source rechecked on Tuesday 20 October 2026
Open · closes in 41 days
EU money for independent producers to develop film and TV projects
Pays for developing a group of fiction, animation or creative documentary works before shooting. For independent production companies registered in Europe.
- Published
- Wednesday 30 September 2026
- Applications from
- Wednesday 30 September 2026
- Deadline
- Tuesday 1 December 2026
- Amount
- being checked
Who can apply: Film and TV producers
Source rechecked on Tuesday 20 October 2026