Acceleration and Post-Acceleration 2025
Supporting the growth of startups and scaleups in the Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI)
EIT Culture & Creativity launches its 2025 call for applications for two tailored business support programmes designed to accelerate the growth of promising startups and scaleups in Europe’s Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI). With a focus on five key sectors – fashion, architecture, cultural heritage, audio-visual media, and gaming – this call offers high-potential ventures the opportunity to scale their impact, compete for financial prizes, prepare to raise funds, and expand across international markets.
Timeline
- Call opening: 9 April 2025
- Application deadlines
- Cohort 1: 23 May 2025, 17:00 CET
- Cohort 2: 11 July 2025, 17:00 CET
- Programme start:
- Cohort 1: Mid-July 2025
- Cohort 2: Mid-September 2025
- Programme duration: 8–10 weeks
- Demo Days:
- Cohort 1: October 2025
- Cohort 2: December 2025
Financial Prizes
Top performing participants in each cohort may receive:
Shape Programme:
- 3 prizes of EUR 30 000
- 3 prizes of EUR 15 000
- 4 prizes of EUR 7 500
The total prize budget is EUR 330 000.
Scale Programme:
- 3 prizes of EUR 60 000
- 3 prizes of EUR 30 000
- 4 prizes of EUR 15 000
The total prize budget is EUR 660 000.
The maximum EIT funding for prizes in this call is EUR 990 000.
Who can apply?
Start-ups and scale-ups operating in one or more CCSI sectors, legally established in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe-associated country. Applicants must meet the SME criteria, have at least 2 years of operations, and a product or service on the market.
How to apply
- Read the full call guidelines and check eligibility.
- Submit your application via the EIT Culture & Creativity platform, here.
- If selected, participate fully in the programme and meet performance criteria to access the prize competition.
Scope and topics of the call
The call for Acceleration (Shape) and Post- Acceleration (Scale) programmes support startups, scaleups and SMEs in their growth plans through group training, expert coaching, investment readiness and more. It also provides beneficiaries with the opportunity to access financial prizes of up to EUR 60 000.
Projects must tackle challenges in at least one of EIT Culture & Creativity's priority areas: audio-visual media, fashion, architecture, gaming or cultural heritage.
The expected outcome is to provide advanced support, mentorship, and strategic guidance, ensuring that the selected companies can thrive, secure funding, and achieve significant market impact in the competitive landscape of the CCSI.
What does the call offer?
Selected companies will benefit from:
- Face-to-face and online training tailored to their maturity stage
- Personalised mentoring and strategic business coaching
- Access to industry events including a Demo Day
- Visibility and long-term support via the “100 to Watch” list
- Opportunities to connect with investors and industry leaders
- The chance to win financial prizes of up to EUR 60 000
Two programme segments, tailored to company maturity
- Shape (Acceleration): For startups with at least 2 years of operation, a market-tested product or business model and future plans to raise investment.
- Scale (Post-Acceleration): For scaleups with proven commercial success and presence in at least two eligible countries, actively seeking investment and international expansion.
Information sessions
To help applicants in preparing and submitting their proposals, EIT Culture & Creativity will host two information sessions covering the different aspects of the call. The webinars will ensure open, free, and fair access to all interested stakeholders.
- Webinar 1: Introduction to the call, focus & scope. 22 April 2025, from 15.00-16.30 CET. Register here.
- Webinar 2: Application demonstration. 22 April 2025, 16.30-17.30 CET. Register here.
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