This call is now closed.
EIT Culture & Creativity invites you to submit proposals for Master’s and PhD modules, designed to upskill professionals in the cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI), address critical skills gaps and foster innovation in all EIT Culture & Creativity priority areas (Fashion, Architecture, Cultural Heritage, Audio-Visual Media, and Gaming) in support of Europe’s green, digital, and social transitions.
Milestones
Call opening
4 July 2025
Call closure
30 September 2025 at 17.00 CET
Eligibility & admissibility
October 2025
External evaluation
October 2025
Portfolio selection
November 2025
Results to applicants
November 2025
Publication of results
December 2025 (1 month standstill period)
Projects start date
1 January 2026
Who can apply?
Proposals must be submitted by a consortium consisting of at least 3 independent legal entities.
The consortium must include:
- One Higher Education Institution (HEI) as the project lead, with the legal capacity to award Master or PhD degrees. The HEI is responsible for the academic design, delivery, and accreditation of the proposed module, ensuring educational quality and alignment with skill needs across the CCSI.
- At least one business member, such as a start-up, scale-up, micro-enterprise, SME, or large company active in the CCSI. Business members are expected to contribute to the market relevance, scalability, and long-term sustainability of the course. Their involvement should facilitate hands-on learning opportunities for students – for example, through internships, mentoring, innovation challenges, or collaborative project-based activities integrated into the curriculum.
- A third member must be included to strengthen the learning and innovation impact of the project. This member may be another HEI (ideally adding international value to the student experience), a research or innovation centre, or a cultural institution with sectoral expertise. Additional eligible types of partners include public sector bodies, non-profit foundations, creative hubs or incubators, sectoral associations, or professional networks active in the CCSI. Their participation must clearly demonstrate added value in terms of entrepreneurial capacity building, cross-sectoral collaboration, and enhanced educational outcomes.
The Master’s & PhD Modules 2025 Call seeks proposals that focus on the development and implementation of up to six innovative Master’s or PhD Modules. A particular emphasis is placed on integrating entrepreneurship education and emerging technologies within the curricula of degree education Master’s or PhD programmes in Fashion, Architecture, Audio-Visual Media, Gaming, and Cultural Heritage.
Supported programmes do not have to receive the EIT Label certification before applying to this call, but are expected to apply for the EIT Label within two years of initiation of the supported programme.
EITHE07.1 – Graduates from EIT-labelled programmes: Minimum 30 graduates per module, including detailed reporting on participant demographics and programme details.
EITHE07.2 – EIT RIS Graduates [1] from EIT-labelled programmes: Minimum 9 RIS graduates, with similar reporting requirements.
EITHE09.1 – Students enrolled in EIT-labelled programmes: At least 40 students enrolled per module, tracked and reported.
CCSI02 – Students/professionals with new entrepreneurial skills: Minimum 30 participants demonstrating new entrepreneurial skills, with supporting data and evidence provided in reporting.
[1] A detailed list of EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) countries can be found on the EIT website.
The total project duration is maximum one year (starting after 1 January 2026 and concluding by 31 December 2026), and must include all phases of the project, including the following phases:
Preparation (2 to 3 months; estimated dates: Jan-Mar 2026): Module Concept, Development and Design, including e.g. outlining of the core focus, learning objectives, and intended learning outcomes, structuring of learning materials and resources, teaching and learning methods, credit allocation, assessment strategies.
- Module Launch and Pilot Delivery (3 to 4 months; estimated dates: Mar-June 2026), within an existing Master’s or PhD Programme.
- Evaluation and Improvement (1 to 2 months; estimated dates: Sept-Oct 2026), including e.g. participant and faculty feedback, module updates and enhancements.
- Post-course (1 month; estimated date: Nov 2026): evaluation, reporting, financial wrap-up, sustainability planning.
- Accreditation (if required for the integration of the new module into an existing Master’s or PhD programme), including e.g. preparation and launch of specific procedures needed within the HEI, for the accrediting body, or other steps related to the national context and regulations.
For the admissibility, eligibility, evaluation and portfolio selection criteria please see the call guidelines.
The application form will be available from 4 July 2025 until 30 September 2025 17:00 CET.
Please make sure you have a Participant Identification Code (PIC). If you lack a PIC, you will need to register first on the EU Funding & Tender Portal.
Apply here.
The following list of documents need to be submitted
- Online application form, available on Monday platform
- Budget plan and EIT funding request saved as .xlsx file
- Work plan and project timeline as Gantt chart saved as .pdf file
Key documents for your application
EDUCATION CALL
Call guidelines
EDUCATION CALL
Budget plan and EIT funding request template
EDUCATION CALL
Eligibility of expenditure
EDUCATION CALL
FAQ
Useful links to prepare your application:
PIC Registration Guidance
External link
EIT Culture & Creativity Strategic Agenda 2024-2027
External link
List of participating countries in Horizon Europe
External link
Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement (HE MGA)
External link
EU Financial Regulation (Article 61)
External link
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
External link
EIT Label Handbook for Quality system for non-degree education and training and EIT Competence Certification Model
External link
Ethics: Self-assessment
External link
To assist applicants, EIT Culture & Creativity will host an informative session, covering key aspects of the call on 14 July at 14:00 CET. The meeting details are available on the call guidelines. The session will be recorded and made available on the call’s webpage.
Find the recording of the information session here.
Contact
In addition to the information sessions, applicants may submit their inquiries via the official EIT Culture & Creativity Contact Form:
This form should be used for all questions related to call content, technical aspects, thematic focus, administrative, financial, or procedural matters.
The relevant team will review and respond accordingly to provide clear and aligned guidance throughout the application process.