• The agreement between two European powerhouses aims to mobilise public and private capital for culture and creative tech.
• It will explore joint funding, investment syndication, and deal flow opportunities.
• Targeted sectors include architecture, audiovisual media, cultural heritage, fashion and gaming.

EIT Culture & Creativity – the institutional partnership for Europe’s cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI) supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union – and French public investment bank Bpifrance, participating through its economic and cultural arm – La French Touch – are joining forces in a bold move to accelerate European investment and innovation in creative industries.

The culture and creative sectors and industries (CCSI) account for 5.3% of GDP and provide 8.7 million jobs in the EU, a potential that has so far remained largely untapped. But momentum is building: the creative economy is expected to reach nearly 10% of global GDP by 2030. The agreement between EIT Culture & Creativity and La French Touch represents a major step toward realising that growth.

“Across Europe, creative industries continue to face fragmented markets and limited access to the growth capital they need to scale. By establishing this collaboration with Bpifrance, we are creating a coordinated European investment vehicle that strengthens national ecosystems while enabling innovative creative ventures to expand confidently across borders,” stated Anette Schaefer, CEO of EIT Culture & Creativity.

The partnership brings together La French Touch’s proven track record – having distributed €10 billion in funding, including bank financing, equity investments, and grants, to over 20,000 creative businesses in France since 2020 – with the pan-European network of EIT Culture & Creativity, spanning 30 countries and uniting actors across business, academia, research, and culture. Together, they aim to significantly increase the flow of public and private capital into culture and creative tech.

Under the agreement, the two organisations will explore joint funding mechanisms, investment syndication opportunities, and promising dealflow, while also creating shared opportunities across key creative sectors including architecture, audiovisual media, fashion, cultural heritage and gaming.

“This partnership has the potential to change how creative businesses access funding in Europe. It opens faster and more cost-efficient pathways for high-potential ventures to reach the resources they need to grow,” said Javier Arias, Director of Business Creation at EIT Culture & Creativity.

The announcement was made at Bpifrance’s We Are French Touch conference in Paris, a major annual event dedicated to creative industries, bringing together nearly 5000 creative ventures, investors, and key players from across the sector.

“La French Touch is very pleased to develop this first European partnership with EIT Culture & Creativity, which embodies the ambition for international development of the businesses we support. These creative players must now, from their inception, envision their playing field on a European scale in order to remain relevant in the global geopolitical environment”, said Nicolas Parpex, Director of La French Touch.

The partnership comes at a pivotal moment, aligning with Europe’s ambition to unlock more scale-up funding. The EU Compass Framework, launched in November 2025, identifies cultural and creative industries as strategic infrastructure requiring private investment, while the AgoraEU Programme allocates €500 million of its €1.5 billion 2028–2034 budget specifically to support creative sectors. Together, these developments signal a renewed momentum for creativity as a driver of Europe’s economic future.

Download the press release here.