Horizon Europe Cluster 2 Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society 2026-2027

Cluster 2, ‘Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society’ aims to meet EU goals and priorities on enhancing democratic governance and citizens participation, on the safeguarding and promotion of cultural heritage, and to respond to and shape multifaceted social, economic, technological and cultural transformations. Cluster 2 mobilises multidisciplinary expertise of European social sciences and humanities (SSH) for understanding fundamental contemporary transformations of society, economy, politics and culture. It aims to provide evidence-based policy options for a socially just and inclusive European green and digital transition and recovery.

The EU is strongly committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), many of which have an important impact on culture, creativity, and inclusive society, notably: SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), with their specific targets to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.Proposals are invited against the following three (3) destinations:Activities contributing to the destination "Innovative Research on Democracy and Governance", will provide knowledge, data and scientifically robust recommendations to reinvigorate and strengthen democratic governance, improve critical thinking and trust in democratic institutions. In the long-term, this will contribute to help safeguard fundamental rights to empower active and inclusive citizenship. Research will contribute to understanding current challenges and threats and mapping future pathways for innovative solutions to issues such as addressing the impact of AI and the digital transformation of democracy, reinforcing democratic resilience and civic preparedness and preserving the role of free and plural media as key tenets of democracy. Projects will develop a robust evidence base on which to build effective, relevant and sensible policies that bolster the resilience of democratic systems and protect them from threats, while contributing at the same time to rebuilding citizens’ trust in democracy, its institutions, and the sense of political participation in its widest possible sense.

Activities contributing to the destination "Innovative Research on the European Cultural Heritage and the Cultural and Creative Industries", will support research and innovation to boost sustainable growth and job creation through the cultural and creative industries. They will contribute to Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness by boosting the innovation-driving role of the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs), and by focusing in areas such as creative startups, the impact of artificial intelligence technologies on creativity and CCIs and promoting a circular economy and global partnerships in cultural policies and CCIs. They will help supporting people and strengthen our societies and our social model by boosting the role of culture, the arts and creative industries for well-being, the social economy and society. R&I actions will explore and strengthen the role of culture, heritage and CCIs in shaping the technologies of the future and focus on safeguarding intangible heritage and Horizon Europe - Work Programme 2026-2027 Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society linguistic diversity, on sustainable cultural tourism and on countering illicit trafficking of cultural goods, among others. At the same time, through the destination "Innovative Research on Social and Economic Transformations", actions will help tackle social, economic and political inequalities, support human capital development and contribute to a comprehensive European strategy for inclusive growth. Activities will improve the understanding of how technological, climate, economic and demographic changes impact society. They will inform the design of policies addressing existing and emerging challenges, harnessing new opportunities (particularly in the areas of employment, education, mental health and well-being) and contributing to reaching the objectives set out by the Action Plan of the European Pillar of Social Rights. A key focus of the activities will be to boost sustainability and inclusion, by supporting vulnerable groups and protecting individuals from discrimination (based on sex, gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation).

A new European Partnership on Social Transformations and Resilience, focused on the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), will be launched under the Cluster 2 work programme part. The partnership will fund research and innovation activities in the areas of the future of work, modernisation of social protection and essential services, education and skills development and a fair transition towards climate neutrality. Horizon Europe is the research and innovation programme in a system of European and national funding programmes which share policy objectives. Through the programme, special attention will be given to ensuring cooperation between universities, scientific communities and industry, including small and medium enterprises, and citizens and their representatives, to bridge gaps between territories, generations and regional cultures, especially caring for the needs of the young in shaping Europe’s future. Funded projects could be EU Synergies grants, meaning that as such, they have the possibility to also receive funding under other EU programmes. To enable synergies by design in this context, project proposers should consider and actively seek strategic combinations with, and where appropriate possibilities for further funding from, other R&I-relevant EU, national or regional and cross-border programmes (such as ERDF including Interreg, ESF+, JTF, EMFF, EAFRD and InvestEU), as well as private funds or financial instruments.

The EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) aims at financing projects that directly tackle the economic and social impacts from the Coronavirus crisis and support the green and digital transition. For project ideas that directly contribute to these objectives and that have a strong focus in one Member State it is advisable to check access to the RRF for a fast and targeted support. Synergies with relevant Union programmes will be sought, regarding the take-up of research results and innovative solutions developed under Horizon Europe, for example via the following programmes:

• Creative Europe: it improves the safeguarding and valorisation of cultural heritage and further supports the cultural and creative sector. Creative Europe can improve sectorial networking and cooperation of Member States and non-EU Participating Countries in the Creative Europe Programme to apply the latest technologies, stimulate new scientific approaches and boost innovation potential stemming from Horizon Europe.

• Erasmus+: it supports efforts to efficiently use the potential of Europe’s talent and social assets in a lifelong learning perspective throughout the education, training and youth fields. It promotes measures for the inclusion of people with fewer opportunities, including newly arrived migrants, and supports skills development and citizens’ participation and engagement, encouraging young people to engage and learn to participate in civic society and democratic life, raising awareness about EU values, including via online platforms and tools for virtual cooperation. As regards Cluster 2,,Erasmus+ projects could benefit for instance from the use of innovative practices for migrant integration in education, up-take of innovative methods for citizen engagement and education for fostering EU values and democracy stemming from Horizon Europe.

• Global Europe, the EU’s Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument: it supports and consolidates democracy, rule of law and human rights, supports civil society organisations outside the EU, furthers stability and peace and addresses other global challenges including migration and mobility. The actions can benefit from drawing on the findings of H2020 and Horizon Europe projects regarding trust in governance, countering disinformation and citizens’ participation and engagement.

• Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL): while Horizon Europe supports research and development of digital technologies, DIGITAL supports the wide uptake and deployment of innovative digital polutions in areas of public interest (including public administration, justice and education), by setting up and making accessible Europe-wide data spaces and platforms and providing SMEs and public administrations access to the latest digital technologies, for example via Digital Innovation Hubs. Priority actions for the first four years of DIGITAL include “Safer internet for kids”, a “Platform for combating disinformation”, supporting the EU language technology industry in developing and deploying latest AI-based technologies in all EU languages, contributing to the skills and employment of ICT professionals (including women and girls) and the EU digital platform for cultural heritage, Europeana, which supports the digital transformation of cultural heritage institutions.

• Technical Support Instrument (TSI): by supporting the efforts of the national authorities in improving their administrative capacity to design, develop and implement reforms, the TSI can benefit from the good practices, innovative processes and methodologies identified or developed in H2020 and Horizon Europe projects, and get access to the expertise in research bodies participating to such projects.

• Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme (CERV): the programme can draw on the results of H2020 and Horizon Europe projects in the field of citizens’ engagement, to support civil society organisations in encouraging and facilitating active participation in the construction of a more democratic Union and awareness raising of EU rights and values.

• European Social Fund Plus (ESF+): The programme aims to promote social cohesion and equip people with the skills needed for the evolving demands of the labour market. Member States and regions can use the ESF+ to mainstream and upscale innovative technologies and solutions in the areas of employment, social inclusion, education and training, including successful models and practices developed under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. In addition, the ESF+ can support operations and researchers granted a Seal of Excellence under Horizon Europe.

• European Regional Development Fund: ERDF focuses, among others, on the development and strengthening of regional and local research and innovation ecosystems and smart economic transformation, in line with regional/national smart specialisation strategies. It can support investment in research infrastructures, activities for applied research and innovation (including industrial research), experimental development and feasibility studies, building research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies and roll-out of innovative solutions from the Framework Programmes for research and innovation through the ERDF. It helps governments reap the benefits of digitisation and encourages investments in social and cultural infrastructure, the development of cultural services and the conservation of cultural heritage. Interreg is a main instrument of ERDF to support cooperation across regions and countries. Support to the protection and development of cultural heritage, to SMEs, to social innovation in culture and creative industries is central to Interreg. Interreg can also complement Horizon Europe’s initiatives by supporting policy learning and regional cooperation.

• European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD): relevant stakeholders can benefit from the dissemination and take-up of R&I results in the field of cultural heritage, in particular in rural and remote areas.• The InvestEU Programme can fund the uptake of R&I results related to Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) and cultural heritage.

• The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) supports the EU migration policy to strengthen and develop all aspects of the common European asylum system, support legal migration to the Member States and effective integration policies. It contributes to countering irregular migration. Horizon Europe contributes to the implementation of the AMIF providing an evidence base for policies and projects, as regards asylum protection, legal and irregular migration management and migrant integration.

To increase the impact of EU investments under Horizon Europe, the European Commission encourages collaboration between EU-funded projects to build on complementarities through networking, joint workshops, knowledge exchange, best practices, and joint communication activities. Complementarities can be explored between projects funded under the same or different topics, Clusters or pillars of Horizon Europe. This includes collaborations between projects funded under Cluster 1 and Cluster 2 for complementary actions, such as promoting social inclusion, health equity (including gender equality and support for marginalised groups), and mental health initiatives in education, work, and daily life (including through culture and the arts). The cross-cluster complementarities are set out in detail in the Strategic Plan of Horizon Europe for 2025-2027.

In line with the EU’s Global Approach to Research and Innovation, and similarly to the previous Work Programmes, the Work Programme 2026-27 will remain almost completely open to the participation of non-associated third countries to all Research and Innovation Action (RIA) and Innovation Action (IA) topics. In support of the Global Gateway Strategy, projects involving nternational partners should lead to increased scientific knowledge and transfer of technology among partner countries allowing to address global challenges across the world and create sustainable growth and jobs. Cooperation should take place in a value-based way, creating linkages, not dependencies.

Applicants are encouraged to consider, where appropriate, interweaving in the methodology of their proposals open science practices beyond the mandatory requirements of Horizon Europe, such as early and open sharing of research (e.g. through preprints), measures to ensure reproducibility of research outputs, open access to research outputs other than publications or data, participation in open peer-review.Applicants are encouraged to consider, where relevant, the services offered by the current and future EU-funded European Research Infrastructures, particularly those in the social sciences and humanities domain.

Eligibility to participate is subject to the ‘Participation of Chinese universities linked to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)’ eligibility condition (see General Annex B of the General Annexes). Furthermore, legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in Innovation Actions in any capacity. Please refer to the Annex B of the General Annexes of this Work Programme for further details.The topics in this cluster require the effective and extensive contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.