Up to €120,000 in funding for innovative projects in cultural heritage.
Up to €60,000 for each SME in the project through the new CR.EU.IN. HERITAGE call.
CR.EU.IN Heritage is a European project that aims to foster innovation across the European Cultural Heritage Value Chain, contributing to Europe’s strategic autonomy and supporting the development of a more resilient, competitive and sustainable economy.
The project brings together partners from nine European countries and connects cultural heritage with sectors such as digital technologies, tourism, the social economy, and other complementary fields, transforming heritage into a genuine driver of economic development and innovation.
Project duration: 1 October 2025 – 31 March 2028
Funding programme: SMP-COSME-2024-CLUSTER
Total budget: €2,625,000.00
OpenHub acts as the national representative of the CR.EU.IN Heritage project in Romania, playing an active role in:
- national coordination and communication,
- supporting Romanian SMEs interested in applying to the project,
- facilitating access to funding and European partnerships,
- contributing to the implementation and dissemination of project results.
About the project
Cultural heritage is one of Europe’s fundamental assets, with significant potential for innovation, creativity, and economic growth. However, to remain relevant and competitive, the sector needs new solutions, stronger cross-sector collaboration, and greater integration of European technologies.
CR.EU.IN Heritage builds on the realities of the field and aims to support organisations and SMEs active in cultural heritage to innovate, collaborate, and strengthen their capacity to respond to current challenges. The project connects Cultural and Creative Industries with sectors such as digital and electronics, tourism, the social economy, construction, agribusiness, textiles, health, mobility, and transport, encouraging cross-sector collaboration.
Through this approach, cultural heritage is viewed not only as something to be preserved, but as a living ecosystem, capable of generating innovative solutions and long-term economic value.
Project objectives
General objective
To support cross-sectoral and multi-level innovation within the European Cultural Heritage Value Chain, strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy and supporting the transition towards a greener, more digital, and more resilient economy.
Specific objectives
- S.O.1 – Foster the identification and adoption of innovative EU-developed technologies to strengthen the cultural heritage value chain and reduce reliance on non-EU providers.
- S.O.2 – Support SMEs active in the cultural heritage sector in developing product and process innovations, with a focus on the green and digital transition.
- S.O.3 – Develop business, digital, and green skills through training activities, upskilling, and reskilling.
- S.O.4 – Establish a European strategic partnership among clusters to support cross-sectoral collaboration and strengthen the resilience of the cultural heritage sector.
- S.O.5 – Raise awareness of the cultural heritage sector’s potential in contributing to European economic growth.
Romanian SMEs can obtain funding of up to €120,000 per project under the new call launched through the CR.EU.IN. HERITAGE Eurocluster, dedicated to innovation in cultural heritage.
Fiecare IMM participant în proiect poate primi până la 60.000 € finanțare nerambursabilă, în cadrul unor proiecte dezvoltate în parteneriat cu alte firme europene. Apelul susține inițiative care aduc soluții noi, digitale și sustenabile, dezvoltate în zona patrimoniului cultural.
Proiectele pot fi depuse pe două direcții:
- Inovație de produs – grant de 120.000 € / proiect
- Inovație de proces – grant de 77.000 € / proiect
Cofinanțarea minimă este de 15%, iar finanțarea europeană poate acoperi până la 85% din bugetul total al proiectului. În total, vor fi finanțate cel puțin 20 de proiecte europene, implicând minimum 40 de IMM-uri.
Application Procedure – Two Mandatory Stages
The submission process follows a two-stage approach:
Stage 1 – Project Concept Submission
Applicants (individual SMEs or already formed groups) must submit a concise description of the project concept and select the strand they are applying for: Product Innovation or Process Innovation. At this stage, submitting an estimated budget is NOT required.
The application form for Stage 1 is available HERE. Deadline: April 20, 2026.
Selection in Stage 1 does NOT imply the award of funding. Only SMEs selected in Stage 2 will receive the grant.
Stage 2 – Full Collaborative Project
Stage 2 involves the submission of a detailed collaborative project proposal. The call for Stage 2 will open in June 2026.
Deadline for Stage 2: August 31, 2026.
Full information regarding the requirements for Stage 2 is available in the official call document.
Call Budget
The total budget allocated to this call is €1,970,000, distributed as follows:
-
€1,200,000 for projects with product innovation as the main objective
-
€770,000 for projects with process innovation as the main objective
Funding is awarded as a fixed grant per project, and selection will be carried out through a competitive two-stage process.
The application forms are available HERE, and after completion, they must be uploaded to the official application platform available HERE. Interested SMEs can consult the call guidelines HERE.
Who Can Apply?
The call is open to SMEs from Romania and other European countries that wish to develop innovative projects in the field of cultural heritage.
Partnerships between companies from different sectors are encouraged, especially those that can bring technological, digital, or sustainable expertise to projects with real impact.
Projects must clearly demonstrate added value, an innovative character, and their contribution to the development of the sector, including cultural heritage.
Eligibility criteria, full documentation, and the application form are available HERE.
Apply to be an innovation leader!
Are you an expert in innovation and want to get involved in European projects with a real impact? Through the dedicated call under CR.EU.IN. HERITAGE, you have the opportunity to collaborate directly with SMEs across Europe and contribute to the development of innovative solutions in the field of cultural heritage. You’ll work alongside international teams, apply your expertise in real-world contexts, and be part of an ecosystem that connects technology, creativity, and business. If you want to expand your work at the European level and work on relevant projects, now is the right time to get involved.
Apply to be an investor!
Are you an investor looking for opportunities in innovative projects with a European impact? Through the open call under CR.EU.IN. HERITAGE, you have the opportunity to connect with SMEs and innovative solutions in the field of cultural heritage that are currently in the development phase. The initiative facilitates access to projects with growth potential within a European ecosystem that combines technology, creativity, and sustainability. It is an opportunity to identify promising ideas early on and help transform them into scalable solutions with a real impact on the economy.
European partnership
CR.EU.IN Heritage is implemented by a European consortium of 10 organisations from 9 countries, with strong expertise in cluster development, innovation, Cultural and Creative Industries, digitalisation, and European cooperation. The project is coordinated by Venetian Cluster (Italy) and brings together partners from Italy, Hungary, Belgium, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, France, Spain, and Germany.
The consortium includes Venetian Cluster, Basilicata Creativa, Innoskart Digital Cluster, TWIST Cluster, Corallia, Baltic Film & Creative Tech Cluster, OpenHub (Romania), France Clusters, Clúster Audiovisual de Catalunya, and ITALCAM – Italian-German Chamber of Commerce. Together, these partners contribute to building a European ecosystem dedicated to innovation in cultural heritage and cross-sector collaboration.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however, those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
