Source: European Parliament
The launch of the Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) Culture and Creativity of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) was foreseen in the EIT strategic agenda 2021-2027 as confirmed by the Council and the European Parliament.
It is designed to strengthen Europe’s cultural and creative sectors and industries by increasing its innovation capacity and competitiveness.
The KIC will help address the current fragmentation of the sector and facilitate its access to finance. By creating a pan-European innovation ecosystem between education institutions, research organisations and businesses, it will train the next generation of entrepreneurs, identify innovative products and services, bring them to the market and provide access to investors.
In February 2023, the EIT signed a start-up grant agreement of EUR 6 million with the selected consortium to build the legal and operational readiness of the new KIC as well as to draft its long-term strategic agenda and its multi-annual business plan. The KIC experienced some delays during its start-up phase, including the cancellation of the 2023 calls for projects.
In March 2024, the EIT Governing Board endorsed the start-up phase. Later in 2024, the EIT signed with EIT Culture and Creativity the 7-year partnership agreement and the subsequent grant agreement of EUR 25 million with the first business plan 2024-2025. The first calls under this business plan were launched on 11 February 2025. Activities will now start in 2025.
The EIT is part of the Horizon Europe programme and has its own legal basis, the EIT Regulation, with its dedicated budget.
Therefore, the Commission confirms that the funding for EIT Culture and Creativity does not come at the expense of any other EU funding programme.