EIT Culture & Creativity has opened the New Ventures in Creative Tech (Spark) call, offering up to €30,000 per team alongside a nine-month venture-creation programme for early-stage founders
The first cohort focuses on tech-centric ventures in Materials & Built Environment, spanning fashion, architecture, and advanced and circular materials. The programme is aimed at founders who are already testing, building and validating a creative tech concept and are ready to turn it into a viable venture.
Selected founders kick off with an in-person CreaTech Startup Sprint, a bootcamp hosted in a European city where they work on problem-solution fit alongside international experts, coaches and peer founders. This is followed by a nine-month online venture-creation journey, with coaching, mentoring, and topic workshops led by international industry and business experts. Exclusive technology partnerships support venture development, while access to major European events provides visibility.
The call is open to early-stage founders – individuals and small multidisciplinary teams – with an innovative business concept and no registered company, and the ambition to build for-profit, scalable, tech-centric ventures within the CCSI. Applicants must be based in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe associated country.
Future programmes will expand to additional sectors, with details to follow.
A dedicated information session will take place on 20 October and 10 November to walk applicants through the call and address any questions. Register here.
Applications close on 16 November 2026 at 17:00 CEST. Full eligibility criteria, timelines and application details are available here.