Leveraging artificial intelligence for creativity-driven innovation
Horizon Europe Cluster 2: Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
Funding Amount
€4.0M - €5.0M
Deadline
16/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution
Trusted by
What is the Leveraging artificial intelligence for creativity-driven innovation Call?
Grant Description
This call supports research into the impact of artificial intelligence on the cultural and creative industries and cultural heritage sectors. It funds studies and pilots to generate insights on AI effects on creativity, markets and employment, and to develop evidence-based policy recommendations, case studies, tools and frameworks for ethical, transparent and inclusive AI integration. Projects will also propose mechanisms and platforms to foster collaboration among artists, AI specialists, cultu...
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
Projects should address at least three of the following outcomes:
• Stakeholders—including policy makers, CCI and others—gain deeper insights into AI’s (including generative AI) impacts on artists, creatives, cultural professionals, creative businesses, CCI markets and the future of creative work.
• Robust, evidence-based policy recommendations and concrete solutions are produced to promote a fair, transparent, non-discriminatory, diverse, accountable CCI-AI marketplace that respects artistic freedom.
• Case studies and best-practice guidance enable policy makers, CCI and stakeholders to harness the CCI’s potential for AI innovation and to adopt human-centric, unbiased AI applications.
• Frameworks, protocols and tools for managing intellectual property and personality rights in AI development, training and use are available to CCI and public authorities, addressing unauthorised data use and legal breaches.
• Mechanisms or platforms (e.g., CCI-led competence centres or hubs) are proposed or established to facilitate ongoing interaction among artists, creatives, AI specialists, cultural institutions and creative businesses, fostering knowledge exchange and the co-development of creativity-driven innovations.
• Stakeholders—including policy makers, CCI and others—gain deeper insights into AI’s (including generative AI) impacts on artists, creatives, cultural professionals, creative businesses, CCI markets and the future of creative work.
• Robust, evidence-based policy recommendations and concrete solutions are produced to promote a fair, transparent, non-discriminatory, diverse, accountable CCI-AI marketplace that respects artistic freedom.
• Case studies and best-practice guidance enable policy makers, CCI and stakeholders to harness the CCI’s potential for AI innovation and to adopt human-centric, unbiased AI applications.
• Frameworks, protocols and tools for managing intellectual property and personality rights in AI development, training and use are available to CCI and public authorities, addressing unauthorised data use and legal breaches.
• Mechanisms or platforms (e.g., CCI-led competence centres or hubs) are proposed or established to facilitate ongoing interaction among artists, creatives, AI specialists, cultural institutions and creative businesses, fostering knowledge exchange and the co-development of creativity-driven innovations.
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
Proposals must meet all of the following scope criteria:
• Contribute to at least three of the call’s expected outcomes.
• Focus on AI (including generative and emerging systems) impacts on CCI markets, audiences, processes, services, products, and creative work.
• Analyse the intersection of CCI and AI to drive innovation within CCI and across other sectors, fostering cultural diversity, discoverability of European content, and protection/reward of human creativity.
• Identify key challenges—bias, ethical dilemmas, employment shifts, skills needs, data access, transparency, creators’ rights—and propose measures to mitigate them (e.g., upskilling, reskilling, legal frameworks).
• Engage artists, creative professionals and AI specialists in co-designing trustworthy, user-friendly intelligent systems that meet societal and CCI needs.
• Develop concrete outputs (pilots, toolkits, algorithms, frameworks) that address CCI values, IP and personality rights, and support case study documentation.
• Establish or propose mechanisms/platforms (competence centres, hubs) for sustained collaboration, knowledge sharing and capacity building among CCI stakeholders and AI communities.
• Assess how cultural organisations can contribute to AI system training for multilingual and diverse cultural representation.
• Deliver strategic policy and practice recommendations for a mutually beneficial CCI-AI relationship, including fair rights management and employment/skills strategies.
• Involve CCI representatives (arts and cultural heritage) from project inception to ensure relevance and uptake.
• Optionally focus on a specific CCI sector for in-depth analysis, while building on existing EU-funded networks and seeking synergies with Horizon Europe clusters 2 and 4, Creative Europe, Digital Europe and relevant infrastructure (ESFRI, EOSC, Data Spaces, ALT-EDIC).
• Ensure all data produced are FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Re-usable).
• Contribute to at least three of the call’s expected outcomes.
• Focus on AI (including generative and emerging systems) impacts on CCI markets, audiences, processes, services, products, and creative work.
• Analyse the intersection of CCI and AI to drive innovation within CCI and across other sectors, fostering cultural diversity, discoverability of European content, and protection/reward of human creativity.
• Identify key challenges—bias, ethical dilemmas, employment shifts, skills needs, data access, transparency, creators’ rights—and propose measures to mitigate them (e.g., upskilling, reskilling, legal frameworks).
• Engage artists, creative professionals and AI specialists in co-designing trustworthy, user-friendly intelligent systems that meet societal and CCI needs.
• Develop concrete outputs (pilots, toolkits, algorithms, frameworks) that address CCI values, IP and personality rights, and support case study documentation.
• Establish or propose mechanisms/platforms (competence centres, hubs) for sustained collaboration, knowledge sharing and capacity building among CCI stakeholders and AI communities.
• Assess how cultural organisations can contribute to AI system training for multilingual and diverse cultural representation.
• Deliver strategic policy and practice recommendations for a mutually beneficial CCI-AI relationship, including fair rights management and employment/skills strategies.
• Involve CCI representatives (arts and cultural heritage) from project inception to ensure relevance and uptake.
• Optionally focus on a specific CCI sector for in-depth analysis, while building on existing EU-funded networks and seeking synergies with Horizon Europe clusters 2 and 4, Creative Europe, Digital Europe and relevant infrastructure (ESFRI, EOSC, Data Spaces, ALT-EDIC).
• Ensure all data produced are FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Re-usable).
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
Applications must comply with Horizon Europe General Annexes (eligibility, financial and operational capacity, exclusion, award criteria) and the following specific conditions:
• Lump sum grant modality: Part B page limit 50 pages; mandatory detailed budget table using the portal template.
• All developed software must be open source under CC0 or FSF/OSI-approved licenses; if non-open-source libraries are required, they must be licensed free of charge and unlimited use to the consortium and all ECCCH users.
• Deliverables (software, data models, guidelines) must comply with the data model and software development guidelines from the project under topic HORIZON-CL 2-2023-HERITAGE-ECCCH-01-01, and funded projects must participate in concertation activities with that project.
• Use open APIs to ensure interoperability and allow extension by third parties.
• Data produced must adhere to FAIR principles; where relevant, leverage ESFRI/EOSC infrastructures and Data Spaces for Cultural Heritage.
• Governance must engage representatives from Member States, Associated Countries and related EU initiatives to ensure inclusiveness and sustainability.
• Legal entities established in China are not eligible for Innovation Actions.
• Lump sum grant modality: Part B page limit 50 pages; mandatory detailed budget table using the portal template.
• All developed software must be open source under CC0 or FSF/OSI-approved licenses; if non-open-source libraries are required, they must be licensed free of charge and unlimited use to the consortium and all ECCCH users.
• Deliverables (software, data models, guidelines) must comply with the data model and software development guidelines from the project under topic HORIZON-CL 2-2023-HERITAGE-ECCCH-01-01, and funded projects must participate in concertation activities with that project.
• Use open APIs to ensure interoperability and allow extension by third parties.
• Data produced must adhere to FAIR principles; where relevant, leverage ESFRI/EOSC infrastructures and Data Spaces for Cultural Heritage.
• Governance must engage representatives from Member States, Associated Countries and related EU initiatives to ensure inclusiveness and sustainability.
• Legal entities established in China are not eligible for Innovation Actions.
Important dates
Open from: 15/05/2025
Deadline:16/09/2025
Application period has ended
Win your grant with Cogrant
How cogrant works
Smart Funding Fit Check
Instantly know if your project fits call criteria. Our system highlights strengths, gaps, and risks, so you only apply when your chances are real.
Intelligent Research Engine
Our research engine digs deeper than any founder could alone. It pulls data about your company, your market, and even your competitors - giving your proposal an edge backed by facts, not fluff.
Full Proposal Development
Our system builds your entire proposal from start to finish, ensuring every section is complete, coherent, and crafted to the highest quality. You focus on your vision — we deliver the winning document.
Expert Review
Our experts run a complete review before delivery, ensuring your draft proposal is accurate, well-structured, and polished. You’ll receive a high-quality draft that’s ready for your final touches before submission.
Our Numbers
Results that speak for themselves
70+
proposals prepared
€36.7M
total funding secured for clients
65%
win rate in highly competitive calls