Several EU funding programmes support cultural heritage under the current Multiannual Financial Framework, the EU’s multiannual budget covering the period between 2021 and 2027.
Anyone looking to apply for funding from these programmes can use the CulturEU funding guide. This user-friendly tool presents available funding opportunities for the cultural and creative sectors in EU programmes 2021-2027.
The CulturEU funding guide is available as an interactive online webtool and as a printable guidebook. It covers opportunities linked to around 20 EU funding programmes that can support projects with a cultural and creative dimension.
Creative Europe
The Creative Europe programme is the main source of EU funding for the culture and creative sectors.
Erasmus+
The Erasmus+ programme focuses on mobility projects and virtual exchanges, on organisational cooperation and partnerships as well as support to policy cooperation at European Union level.
The programme is open to individuals and organisations from EU Member States, third countries associated to the programme and other partner countries.
During the European Year of Cultural Heritage (2018), Erasmus+ awarded close to €92 million to 965 cooperation and mobility projects that focus on cultural heritage.
Highlighted projects
HeritagePRO is an Erasmus+ project on sharing good practices in cultural heritage preservation.
You can explore this and more Erasmus+ projects on cultural heritage on the Erasmus+ project results platform, or download the publication “Erasmus+: Enriching our cultural heritage”.
Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe is the continuation of Horizon 2020 as the EU’s main research and innovation programme with a budget of €95.5 billion.
Download a factsheet with an overview of the budget
The programme is built on 3 pillars:
- Excellent Science
- Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
- Innovative Europe
The promotion of cultural heritage falls under Cluster 2 of pillar 2 “Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society”. Research and Innovation activities in Cluster 2, among other objectives, aim to “improve protection, enhancement, conservation and more efficient restoration of European cultural heritage”.
Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV)
The CERV Programme contributes to citizens' understanding of the European Union, its history and diversity. It also encourages people to take part in EU level democratic processes.
An important part of the programme focuses on remembrance: keeping the memories of the past alive so that we are able to learn from the past and build on this experience for a better future. Cultural heritage plays and important role in this effort.
One example of funded projects under CERV are Town-twinning projects. These encompass activities related to cultural heritage, together with the promotion of civic participation and engagement at the EU level.
Cohesion Fund and European Regional Development Fund
Cohesion Fund, European Regional Development Fund – and within this Interreg Europe – are the main funding sources for EU regional development.
Local and regional authorities in charge of protecting and promoting cultural heritage can benefit from significant support from the European Regional Development Fund.
Within a €226 billion budget for the European Regional Development Fund, included €9 billion for the Interreg programme, around €4.7 billion are allocated to create local jobs at heritage sites and attract visitors to the specific cities and locations.
Interreg Europe are a series of programmes that aim at stimulating cooperation between regions in and outside of the EU. Cultural heritage is among the most popular topics within Interreg Europe.