Horizon Europe - Cluster 2 - Destination 2: Innovative research on the European cultural heritage and the cultural and creative industries

Parent program	Horizon Europe
Link to the program	ec.europa.eu

Content of program

short description

The activities in Cluster 2 "Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society" are primarily aimed at researchers and applicants from the humanities, social and cultural sciences and the arts. Projects on the various topics in this cluster make an innovative and application-oriented contribution to important and forward-looking research and social issues in Europe.

For an inclusive society, a better understanding of our cultural heritage and how it is perceived is hugely important. Within Europe and beyond, cultural heritage is a driving force of European, national, regional and local economies. It is also a powerful source of inspiration for creative and cultural industries.

program objectives

This cluster aims to strengthen European democratic values, including rule of law and fundamental rights, safeguarding our cultural heritage, and promoting socio-economic transformations that contribute to inclusion and growth.

Areas of intervention

Democracy and governance
Cultural heritage
Social and economic transformations

Expected effects and impacts

Proposals under this destination should consider and promote in a cross-cutting way, and whenever appropriate and applicable:

The use of digital and cutting-edge technologies;
An active and sustainable engagement with stakeholders, social innovators and citizens;
The active involvement of local, regional or national authorities and sectoral social partners, particularly in the uptake and implementation of research results and recommendations;
A clear strategy for the uptake of research outcomes, recommendations or results, in particular where CCIs are participating or are concerned;
Training and education activities for targeted groups of users and/or stakeholders;
A robust plan for how projects will use or build on outputs and results from research already undertaken and technology already available;
Increased participation of CCIs, SMEs and industry;
Lessons learnt from the COVID-19 crisis in view of a sustainable management of the post-crisis society;
Contribution to the European Green Deal, the New European Bauhaus as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.

Regions / countries for funding	Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT), EU Member States Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan), Belarus (Беларусь), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), Morocco (المغرب), New Zealand (Aotearoa), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entities Partners	International organization, Research Institution incl. University, Education and training institution, Other, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs)
Mandatory partnership	Yes
Project Partnership	To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries: the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States third countries associated to Horizon Europe - see list of particpating countries Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows: at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries. Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic. A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality. Specific cases: Affiliated entities — Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding. Associated partners — Associated partners (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any conditions regarding associated partners set out in the specific call conditions. Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons. EU bodies — Legal entities created under EU law including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act. Joint Research Centre (‘JRC’)— Where provided for in the specific call conditions, applicants may include in their proposals the possible contribution of the JRC but the JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Applicants will indicate the contribution that the JRC could bring to the project based on the scope of the topic text. After the evaluation process, the JRC and the consortium selected for funding may come to an agreement on the specific terms of the participation of the JRC. If an agreement is found, the JRC may accede to the grant agreement as beneficiary requesting zero funding or participate as an associated partner, and would accede to the consortium as a member. Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members (e.g. European research infrastructure consortia (ERICs)) may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. However, if the action is in practice implemented by the individual members, those members should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible.

Additional information

Topics	Administration & Governance, Institutional Capacity & Cooperation, Arts & Culture, Cultural Heritage, Tourism, Demographic Change, European Citizenship, Migration, Digitalisation, Digital Society, ICT, Education & Training, Children & Youth, Media, Equal Rights, Human Rights, People with Disabilities, Social Inclusion
Relevance for EU Macro-Region	EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
Program documents	HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 2, Destination 2 (487kB)
Contact	National Contact Points for Horizon Europe Website