New call invites education providers and media organisations to develop practical courses in AI, intellectual property and digital storytelling.

Today EIT Culture & Creativity opens a EUR 600,000 call to fund the development of new professional training for Europe's audiovisual media sector.

Europe's audiovisual media sector is evolving faster than traditional training can follow. This call funds a different approach: short, targeted courses that can be designed and deployed quickly, reaching working professionals where the skills gap is most acute.

"Closing the skills gap in AI, intellectual property and digital storytelling is not just a workforce issue; it is a question of whether Europe's creative industries can remain competitive, sovereign and culturally distinctive in the decade ahead," said Anette Schaefer, CEO, EIT Culture & Creativity.

What the call funds

With a total budget of EUR 600,000 and up to EUR 75,000 available per project, the call supports the design and delivery of short, practical CPD courses across three areas where the need is most acute:

• Intellectual Property, Rights & Content Exploitation: Advanced rights management, licensing and value creation in platform-driven and AI-mediated environments

• Artificial Intelligence in Audiovisual Production & Workflows: Applied skills for integrating AI into content development, production, post-production and distribution in responsible and competitive ways

• Storytelling for Digital, Interactive and Cross-Media Environments: Advanced narrative approaches for immersive, interactive and platform-based formats

The call is open to education providers, industry bodies, research institutions and media organisations with strong sector roots and the capacity to design and deploy high-quality training quickly, whether applying independently or as part of a small consortium. Up to eight projects will be funded. 

Today's announcement is part of EIT Culture & Creativity's most ambitious funding cycle to date. The call follows two NEB Academy calls for circular fashion and skills for sustainable built environments. Together, these initiatives make over €6.6 million available to innovators, educators and entrepreneurs across Europe's cultural and creative sectors in the first half of 2026.

The deadline to apply is 14 September 2026, 10:00 CEST. Full details are available here. 

A dedicated information session will take place on 30 July, offering prospective applicants the opportunity to learn more and ask questions directly to the team. Register here.