(BRUSSELS) – The European Commission published the first three calls for proposals under the Creative Europe MEDIA 2022 programme Thursday, with a total of EUR 226 million of EU funding available this year.
The programme aims to support recovery of the audiovisual industry and strengthen its competitiveness both within Europe and worldwide. More calls are due to be published in the coming weeks and months.
Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said the EU would be intensifying its support to Europe’s cultural and creative sectors, which have been heavily hit by the COVID-19 crisis.
“Today we announce the first of a long series of funding opportunities to stand by this crucial sector both through and beyond its recovery. Creative Europe will invest in innovation with digital technologies and in new types of content, from high-end TV series to virtual reality,” he said.
The Creative Europe MEDIA programme has been adapted to the challenges and opportunities driven by the developments in the audiovisual markets, says the EU executive. This year, it has introduced three new calls for proposals under: video games and immersive content development, networks of European festivals and MEDIA 360°tailored for supporting existing industries, new talents and markets as well as promoting cooperation among different sectors.
In addition to these initial calls representing 41 million under the MEDIA umbrella, a call focused on media literacy has also been published today within the programme’s cross-sectoral strand, representing 2.4 million in EU funds. Several other calls within the three strands of the Creative Europe Programme will be published in the Commission’s Funding and Tender opportunities Portal.
The budget for the 2022 Creative Europe is 385.6 million, an increase of about 30% compared to 2021.