HORIZONCulture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
Cluster II Calls 2027
HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-HERITAGE-08
Safeguarding & transmission of intangible cultural heritage
A Research and Innovation Action on keeping Europe’s living heritage alive: the practices, knowledge and skills that communities pass on from generation to generation.
Destination Innovative Research on European Cultural Heritage and Cultural and Creative Industries
Deadline
23 September 2027Single-stage, opens 13 May 2027
Topic budget
€12 millionAbout 3 projects funded
Per project
€3.0–4.0 millionLump sum grant
Type of action
RIAResearch and Innovation Action
Key data
Topic identifier
HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-HERITAGE-08
Type of action
HORIZON-RIA – Research and Innovation Action
Call
HORIZON-CL2-2027-01 – Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society – 2027
Programme
Horizon Europe, Cluster 2 (Culture, creativity and inclusive society), Cultural Heritage
Funding model
HORIZON Lump Sum Grant (HORIZON-AG-LS)
Status
Forthcoming
Planned opening
13 May 2027
Deadline
23 September 2027, 17:00 Brussels time (single-stage)
Topic budget
EUR 12,000,000 (2027), for about 3 grants
EU contribution per project
EUR 3,000,000 – 4,000,000
Rationale
DestinationInnovative Research on European Cultural Heritage and Cultural and Creative Industries (2026-27)
Europe’s rich cultural heritage and strong creative industries not only reflect our past but also shape our future, helping us face the great challenges of our time with confidence.
Cultural heritage originates from the interaction between people and places and is constantly evolving1. Every citizen has a right to engage with the heritage of their choice, as part of the right to participate freely in cultural life2.
Tangible and intangible heritage and the CCIs are strategic assets for social cohesion, resilience and a sense of belonging. They employ more people than the automotive industry and drive innovation across the whole economy, creating jobs especially for young people.
Adopting a people-centred perspective aligned with the Culture Compass for Europe, R&I under this destination will strengthen cultural heritage and the CCIs along the following lines:
The Culture Compass for Europe establishes a vision based on the strengths of European culture: our shared values, our freedoms, our identity. It sets the key directions for EU policymaking on culture and the creative sectors.
“Europe for Culture”
The Compass is transversal and supports culture across strategies, sectors, policies and funding tools by:
safeguarding the fundamental freedom of artistic expression,
ensuring everyone’s right to create and participate in culture,
empowering and protecting artists and cultural professionals,
promoting the cultural sectors to thrive, innovate, and compete globally,
addressing specific challenges of individual sectors.
“Culture for Europe”
The EU will leverage Europe’s rich cultural diversity, cultural heritage and creativity to:
boost people’s well-being,
strengthen democratic and societal resilience,
help regions grow and bring communities together,
drive economic progress and enhance Europe’s competitiveness,
strengthen Europe’s global leadership.
Four key directions
A Union that upholds and strengthens European values and cultural rights.
A Union that empowers artists and cultural professionals and supports people.
A Union that draws on culture and cultural heritage to become more competitive, resilient and cohesive.
A Union that champions international cultural relations and partnerships.
The Joint Declaration links to its text on EUR-Lex; the other three tools are still planned and link to the Commission’s timetable of Culture Compass actions.
Investment. The Compass mobilises existing and forthcoming funding instruments at every level, in parallel with private investment and philanthropy: simpler access to EU funding for culture, an updated CulturEU funding guide and EU guidelines on strategic investment in culture.
Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness
Unlocking the innovative power of cultural heritage and the CCIs is key to Europe’s future prosperity and competitiveness. The CCIs drive innovation in their own sector and across the economy, shape new technologies and feed user-driven, open and cross-sectoral innovation, while adding cultural wealth, social cohesion and resilience.
R&I actions under this area will focus on boosting the innovation-driving role of the CCIs, on creative startups, on the impact of artificial intelligence technologies on creativity and CCIs, while ensuring that new technologies are fairly deployed, along with the contributions of artistic intelligence and soft skills, boosting a circular economy and global partnerships in cultural policies and CCIs, among other things.
Supporting people, strengthening our societies and our social model
Cultural heritage, the arts and the CCIs have a crucial role to play for resilient and socially sustainable societies, shaping and strengthening the values that hold us together and give meaning and a sense of belonging.
R&I actions under this area will focus on boosting the role of culture, the arts and creative industries in contributing to well-being, to the social economy and in general the societal impact of cultural heritage. 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 linguistic diversity, on sustainable cultural tourism and on countering illicit trafficking of cultural goods, among others.
Some actions funded under this Destination will need access to and/or generate data. Where appropriate, actions should leverage the data and services available through European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud or included in the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) and the ESFRI roadmap, as well as data from relevant European Data Spaces. In particular, projects that produce data or digital tools of potential interest to cultural heritage institutions or researchers should, as appropriate, establish links to and/or consider integrating their results in the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH)4. Particular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of actions under this Destination is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).
The innovation ecosystems created and nurtured by the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), in particular the KIC “EIT Culture and Creativity”, may contribute to actions under this destination, and may as appropriate be considered by applicants.
R&I actions under this Destination will help ensure Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness, support people, strengthening our societies and our social model, contribute to protecting our democracy, upholding our values and boosting a global Europe, leveraging our power and partnerships. They will contribute to reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals and to building a stronger, more participatory and crisis-resilient society and economy. They will support the realisation of the full potential of cultural heritage, arts and cultural and creative industries as drivers of sustainable innovation and a European sense of belonging.
To maximise the impacts of R&I under this Destination in line with EU priorities, international cooperation is encouraged whenever relevant in the proposed topics.
Scope
Living heritage
Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) refers to ‘the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills—as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces’ that are ‘transmitted from generation to generation’ and are ‘constantly recreated’ – as defined by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH Convention)5. ICH is an essential part of a community's identity and is a vital component of its cultural and biological diversity.
The ICH Convention was adopted in 2003, by 148 countries and it recognizes the importance of ICH as a driving force for social cohesion, cultural diversity, and sustainable development.
A heritage that is hard to keep alive
However, the nature of ICH, as living heritage, to continually transform and evolve, makes it particularly challenging to keep alive. Therefore, safeguarding ICH encounters very different challenges than the built heritage sector. ICH is rooted in territories and communities and is essential for identity building and maintaining social cohesion and a harmonious relation to the natural environment. It is a source for creativity and innovation, and a critical factor for new competitive scenarios.
Transmission and intergenerational dialogue
Transmission, education and intergenerational dialogue play a key role in this context, and there is an urgent need to research and foster participatory approaches, especially involving oral cultures and transmission. Different case-studies should explore various approaches to the safeguarding of ICH, considering the specific nature of competences, knowledge and cultural practices of creators and knowledge holders, with a focus on intergenerational transmission.
Rethinking cultural policies
Proposals should contribute to defining the specificities of intangible cultural heritage. Additionally, they could examine and quantify the contribution of ICH to creativity, innovation, cultural and biological diversity, and economic benefits. Proposals should also contribute to the rethinking of cultural policies for the safeguarding of ICH including exploring links and correlations between cultural and biological diversity.
Proposed research projects could address in depth the following research questions:
What is the state of play of the safeguarding of ICH in Europe, following the UNESCO 2003 Convention?
What are the main threats and challenges to the erosion and loss of ICH in Europe?
What are the most effective strategies for securing ICH safeguarding initiatives?
How can advanced digital technologies be leveraged for the safeguarding & transmission of ICH?
How can ICH provide inspiration for innovative approaches to existing societal challenges (e.g. competitiveness, intergenerational dialogue democratic values, biodiversity protection and restoration6)
What role can community-led initiatives play in safeguarding ICH, and how can communities be supported and empowered to safeguard it?
All proposalsRequirements common to all proposals
The role of advanced digital technologies to support ICH safeguarding and transmission should be considered, as appropriately.
The proposals should comprise transdisciplinary scientific collaborations involving, for instance and not exhaustive, heritage and museum studies, cultural anthropology, ethnology, media studies, theatre studies, literary studies, musicology etc. Available results of existing research on intangible cultural heritage should be taken into consideration, while identification of needs for further research in the field should be promoted.
Proposals should build on existing knowledge, activities, networks and platforms, notably the ones funded by the EU, for example paying attention to the future digital tools and platforms provided by the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH), and the Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage.
Furthermore, links should be established and complementarities sought with closely related actions, such as relevant R&I actions funded by Horizon Europe or Horizon 2020. In particular, proposals should establish links to, and where appropriate build on findings from, projects funded under the topics HORIZON-CL2-2025-HERITAGE-02: Innovative approaches to intangible cultural heritage for societal resilience.
Expected outcome
Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes
Enhanced understanding of the state of play of the safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), in the Context set by the 2003 UNESCO Convention, and an overview of successful methods for documenting and ensuring the transmission of ICH, including digital, audio-visual, and advanced technologies.
Recognition of the significance and value of ICH in different social, cultural and economic contexts, and with attention to biodiversity preservation and links between ICH and the natural environment.
Empowered communities take ownership and responsibility for safeguarding their ICH, with a focus on how inter-generational transmission is ensured, and on youth involvement and informal education.
Innovative policy solutions are available, for the safeguarding of ICH and for mobilising ICH as a resource for fostering social and economic innovation, biodiversity protection and restoration.
Expected impact
Proposals for topics under this Destination should set out a credible pathway to contributing to the following expected impact of the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan:
The full potential of cultural heritage, arts and cultural and creative industries and sectors as drivers of both sustainable innovation and a European sense of belonging is realised through a continuous engagement with society, citizens and economic sectors.
Key Reference
The Faro Convention
Council of Europe Treaty Series – No. 199 · Faro, 27 October 2005
Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society2
The Faro Convention puts people and human values at the centre of an enlarged and cross-disciplinary concept of cultural heritage. It recognises that rights relating to cultural heritage are inherent in the right to participate in cultural life, and it recognises individual and collective responsibility towards cultural heritage.
“a group of resources inherited from the past which people identify, independently of ownership, as a reflection and expression of their constantly evolving values, beliefs, knowledge and traditions. It includes all aspects of the environment resulting from the interaction between people and places through time;”
Heritage community
“consists of people who value specific aspects of cultural heritage which they wish, within the framework of public action, to sustain and transmit to future generations.”
Rights and responsibilities (Article 4)
Everyone, alone or collectively, has the right to benefit from the cultural heritage and to contribute towards its enrichment.
Everyone, alone or collectively, has the responsibility to respect the cultural heritage of others as much as their own heritage, and consequently the common heritage of Europe.
Faro and the themes of this call
Articles of the Convention that speak directly to the expected outcomes and scope of HERITAGE-08:
Transmission and education
Article 7 (d)Cultural heritage and dialogue
“…integrate these approaches into all aspects of lifelong education and training.”
Cultural and biological diversity
Article 8 (b)Environment, heritage and quality of life
“…promote an integrated approach to policies concerning cultural, biological, geological and landscape diversity to achieve a balance between these elements;”
Traditional knowledge and innovation
Article 9 (d)Sustainable use of the cultural heritage
“…promote the use of materials, techniques and skills based on tradition, and explore their potential for contemporary applications;”
Community ownership
Article 12 (b)Access to cultural heritage and democratic participation
“…take into consideration the value attached by each heritage community to the cultural heritage with which it identifies;”
Youth involvement
Article 12 (d)Access to cultural heritage and democratic participation
“…take steps to improve access to the heritage, especially among young people and the disadvantaged, in order to raise awareness about its value, the need to maintain and preserve it, and the benefits which may be derived from it.”
Transdisciplinary research
Article 13 (c)Cultural heritage and knowledge
“…encourage interdisciplinary research on cultural heritage, heritage communities, the environment and their inter-relationship;”
Advanced digital technologies
Article 14Cultural heritage and the information society
“…develop the use of digital technology to enhance access to cultural heritage and the benefits which derive from it”
Faro’s “heritage communities” and the UNESCO 2003 Convention5 meet on the same ground: intangible cultural heritage is what “communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage”, transmitted from generation to generation.
Capitalization
HERITAGE-08 asks proposals to build on existing knowledge, activities, networks and platforms, notably those funded by the EU. Two European digital infrastructures are named in the topic: the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH) and the Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage.
The difference in a nutshell
The Data Space is where Europe’s digitised heritage is shared, accessed and reused. The ECCCH is where heritage professionals and researchers work on that heritage together, with advanced tools for digital twins.
A collaborative digital infrastructure and workspace for cultural heritage research and innovation
A data-sharing infrastructure and community for digitised cultural heritage, accessible through Europeana
Main purpose
Working with digital objects and “digital twins”: digitisation, analysis, documentation, conservation and joint research
Opening up access to heritage data and enabling its reuse across sectors
Main users
Heritage institutions, research organisations and professionals
Data providers (institutions and aggregators) and reusers: creatives, educators, researchers, innovators and citizens
EU funding
Horizon Europe (research and innovation calls, 2023–2025)
Digital Europe programme
Run by
Built by Horizon Europe projects, with ECHOES designing its architecture and governance
A consortium led by the Europeana Foundation, since September 2022
Roots
New initiative, first call under Work Programme 2023
The Europeana Initiative, since 2008, and Recommendation (EU) 2021/1970
The two are complementary: the ECCCH joins forces with the Data Space, the European Open Science Cloud and research infrastructures such as CLARIN, DARIAH and E-RIHS. A HERITAGE-08 project can use the ECCCH to document and study intangible heritage, and the Data Space to share the results for wide reuse.
European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH)
The goal is to help cultural heritage institutions, research organisations and other professionals of all sizes and types to work with their digital objects – virtual replicas of their heritage objects, also known as “digital twins” – in a more interconnected, harmonised and informed way, allowing them to navigate the digital transition and conduct research together.
Funded under Horizon Europe, the Cultural Heritage Cloud – or “European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage” (ECCCH) – is an initiative for the creation of a digital infrastructure that will serve cultural heritage institutions and professionals across the EU, facilitating their collaboration7.
ECHOES designs and implements the basic architecture, data model and governance of the Cloud. AUTOMATA (archaeological ceramics and lithics), TEXTaiLES (textile objects, non-destructive methods) and HERITALISE (heritage buildings and diverse objects) develop digitisation tools for its users.
2024EUR 48 million
Research and development of basic tools that make the platform practical and user friendly: ten new projects in five domains.
2025EUR 26 million
Developing and testing real-world use cases of the platform together with stakeholders. The call closed on 16 September 2025.
Five domains of the 2024 tools
1
Dynamic processes, objects and combined data
Digitising dynamic objects, processes and practices and monitoring heritage over time.
KINETIKA 4D digital twins of objects with mechanical parts
2
Advanced data enrichment
Annotated bibliographies and documentation of fieldwork and collection processes.
HERITAGE-08 asks proposals to pay attention to the future digital tools and platforms of the ECCCH. Projects marked ICH already work with intangible heritage.
“Common European Data Spaces will make more data available for access and reuse” in a trustworthy and secure environment8.
Set out by the European strategy for data (February 2020), the data spaces are sector-based environments built on shared data infrastructures and governance frameworks for pooling, accessing and sharing data. They are open to all organisations and individuals, and data holders stay in control of their data. Over time they will interconnect to form a single market for data.
Fourteen sectors and domains
The highlighted data spaces are the closest to intangible cultural heritage research. Cultural Heritage and Research and Innovation (EOSC) are covered in their own sections on this page.
The Destination asks actions to leverage data from relevant European Data Spaces. Beyond cultural heritage, the language, media and tourism data spaces can feed HERITAGE-08 research on oral traditions, audiovisual archives and living heritage in its places.
Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage
A European Union flagship to accelerate the digital transformation of the cultural heritage sector.
The data space is funded by the Digital Europe programme and has been operated since September 2022 by a consortium led by the Europeana Foundation, under a service contract with the European Commission. It builds on the Europeana Initiative, supported by the Commission and the Member States since 2008, and on the Commission Recommendation (EU) 2021/1970 on a common European data space for cultural heritage9.
A common European data space for cultural heritage that
continues to open up and democratise access to cultural heritage
improves the flow of data to support value creation, innovation and competitiveness in Europe
adapts to the needs of participants and technological developments
engages a diverse community and serves the digital transformation of the sector with a trusted governance model and attention to ethical considerations and human-centred digital practices.
Three core priorities
1
Provide a robust, interoperable data space infrastructure while increasing the diversity and quality of data.
2
Facilitate access to cultural heritage data and enable its reuse across sectors.
3
Support the digital transformation of the cultural heritage sector through capacity building, networking and innovation.
Cross-cutting themes
Artificial Intelligence
Leveraging the potential of AI for cultural heritage data and applications and, vice versa, the potential of cultural heritage data for the European AI economy.
3D and extended reality
3D digitisation is key for preserving and restoring Europe’s cultural heritage in case of damage and, together with XR, for immersive applications that bring it to life.
Multilingualism
Upholding Europe’s cultural and linguistic diversity and enabling access to all elements of the data space in everyone’s own language.
FAIR
Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable
CARE
Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics
The data space strategy requires both FAIR and CARE data principles to be observed. CARE matters especially for intangible heritage, where the data belongs to living communities and knowledge holders.
HERITAGE-08 asks proposals to build on existing EU-funded platforms, paying attention to the future digital tools of the ECCCH and the Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage.
European Open Science Cloud (EOSC)
EOSC gives researchers in Europe “an open and trusted multi-disciplinary environment where they can publish, find and reuse data, tools and services”: a web of FAIR data and services for science10.
It is meant to serve as the common European research and innovation data space, alongside other sectoral data spaces such as the Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage, and it is a priority action of the European Research Area policy agenda.
What EOSC aims to do
Speed up open science, raise research productivity and improve reproducibility and trust in science.
Pool and align resources across Europe.
Make data and other digital objects, such as software and publications, machine-actionable and linked with tools and services.
Follow the FAIR principles: data that are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable.
Tripartite governance
European Commission
Represents the EU and implements EOSC through the EOSC European co-programmed partnership, guided by a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) developed with the community.
EOSC Steering Board
EU Member States and countries associated to Horizon Europe; advises the Commission and helps monitor EOSC’s development.
An international non-profit association under Belgian law, giving the stakeholder community a single voice.
A federation of nodes
EOSC is being built as “a federated system of systems for sharing of research data and digital resources across Europe”. Data repositories, research infrastructures, e-infrastructures and other service providers join it as nodes.
Oct 2024
The EOSC EU Node, procured by the Commission, is launched as the first and reference node of the federation.
Apr 2026
Fourteen new candidate nodes are announced to strengthen the EOSC Federation.
Jul 2026
28 EOSC Nodes and 34 Horizon Europe EOSC projects meet to review progress.
The Destination asks actions that need or generate data to leverage the data and services of European Research Infrastructures federated under EOSC, and the ECCCH joins forces with EOSC. For HERITAGE-08, EOSC is the route to make research data on intangible heritage FAIR and reusable across disciplines.
ESFRI Roadmap 2026
The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) maintains a European Roadmap for new or major-upgrade research infrastructures of pan-European interest, with a 10–20 year horizon11.
First published in 2006 with 35 projects, the Roadmap was updated in 2008, 2010, 2016, 2018 and 2021, bringing the number of research infrastructures of pan-European relevance to 63. Their progress is followed through ESFRI-MOS, the central online platform for information on ESFRI Projects and ESFRI Landmarks.
The 2026 update
Oct 2024
ESFRI launches the Roadmap 2026 process, open to proposals for new research infrastructure projects and major upgrades.
2025–26
Evaluation over one and a half years by the Strategy Working Groups and the Implementation Group, with more than 80 experts.
Jun 2026
The 96th ESFRI plenary in Nicosia selects six new proposals for the Roadmap 202612.
FOREST Fiber-based Optical netwoRk for European Science and Technology
IN-SYLVA Europe Forest ecosystem adaptation to global changes
JERICO-RI Coastal observation
MEDem Monitoring Electoral Democracy
Microscopy Europe Advanced electron microscopy for materials
NFFA2050 NANO Foundries and Fine Analysis
Social and Cultural Innovation infrastructures
The research infrastructures of the Social and Cultural Innovation domain in the current Roadmap (2021). Those most relevant to intangible heritage are highlighted.
ESFRI Projects
E-RIHS Heritage Science
EHRI Holocaust research
GGP Generations and Gender
GUIDE EuroCohort
OPERAS Open scholarly communication in SSH
RESILIENCE Religious studies
ESFRI Landmarks
CESSDA ERIC Social science data
CLARIN ERIC Language resources
DARIAH ERIC Digital arts and humanities
ESS ERIC European Social Survey
SHARE ERIC Health, ageing and retirement
E-RIHS supports research on heritage interpretation, preservation, documentation and management; CLARIN, DARIAH and E-RIHS are also the infrastructures the ECCCH joins forces with.
The European Commission and ESFRI urge Member States and Associated Countries to develop national research infrastructure roadmaps, “vital blueprints which enable countries to set national priorities”, aligned with regional smart specialisation strategies as a precondition for using the European Structural and Investment Funds. ESFRI lists the national roadmaps of 36 countries:
The Destination asks actions to leverage the data and services of research infrastructures included in ESFRI and the ESFRI roadmap. HERITAGE-08 projects can draw on E-RIHS, DARIAH and CLARIN, and check their own country’s national roadmap for partners and facilities.
Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs)
One of the 14 industrial ecosystems of the EU Industrial Strategy13.
The EU defines the CCI ecosystem broadly to include:13,14
Architecture
Archives, libraries, and museums
Artistic crafts
Audiovisual (film, television, video games, multimedia, radio)
Tangible and intangible cultural heritage
Design (including fashion design)
Music, performing arts (theatre, dance), and festivals
Literature, books, and publishing
Visual arts
Highlighted: the sub-sectors where intangible cultural heritage lives and is transmitted.
Key Economic and Employment Impact
~3.95%
Economic Value
The CCI ecosystem accounts for approximately 3.95% of EU value added (roughly €477 billion).14
~8 million
Employment
The sector employs around 8 million people (with some estimates citing up to 8.7 million), comparable in size to the agricultural sector.15,14
99.9%+
Enterprise Structure
Comprises over 1.2 to 2 million cultural enterprises, where over 99.9% are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), micro-enterprises, or start-ups.16,17,14,15
Spill-overs
Cross-Sector Spill-overs
CCIs act as innovation catalysts, driving growth in tech, tourism, urban regeneration, and sustainability goals under the EU Green Deal.13
Supports design-driven business ideas in lifestyle industries with an incubation programme worth about €60,000, plus €10,000 to 20,000 in financial support.
The flagship EU funding program with a budget of €2.4 billion, divided into the Culture strand, the MEDIA strand (audiovisual/film/games), and a Cross-sectoral strand. You can explore open calls via the Ministry of Culture Creative Europe Page.18,19
A strategic approach to upskilling a specific sector. Cultural heritage was one of the 2021 focus areas.
Digital and green skills
A taxonomy of green-transition skills, a European competence framework on climate and sustainability, and the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition.
Entrepreneurial and leadership skills
Support for transversal and entrepreneurial skills, especially for people combining technical, business and leadership abilities.
For HERITAGE-08, the transmission of intangible heritage is itself a question of skills: the knowledge of craftspeople, musicians and performers passed between generations, through formal, informal and vocational learning.
HERITAGE-08 invites proposals to examine and quantify the contribution of ICH to creativity, innovation and economic benefits. Craftspeople, musicians, performers and festival organisers are both knowledge holders of intangible heritage and part of the CCI ecosystem, so these EU tools can help carry research results into living practice.
Key Results
State of play and documentation
State of play of ICH safeguarding in Europe, following the UNESCO 2003 Convention
Overview of successful methods for documenting and transmitting ICH, including digital, audio-visual and advanced technologies
Main threats and challenges leading to the erosion and loss of ICH in Europe
Defining the specificities of intangible cultural heritage
Most effective strategies for securing ICH safeguarding initiatives
Value, nature and biodiversity
Recognition of the significance and value of ICH in different social, cultural and economic contexts
Contribution of ICH to creativity, innovation, cultural and biological diversity and economic benefits examined and quantified
Links and correlations between cultural and biological diversity, and between ICH and the natural environment
ICH as a resource for biodiversity protection and restoration
Communities and transmission
Communities empowered to take ownership and responsibility for safeguarding their ICH
Inter-generational transmission, youth involvement and informal education
Participatory approaches, especially involving oral cultures and transmission
Case studies on the competences, knowledge and cultural practices of creators and knowledge holders
Role and support of community-led safeguarding initiatives
Methods and approach
Transdisciplinary collaboration: heritage and museum studies, cultural anthropology, ethnology, media, theatre and literary studies, musicology
Case studies exploring different approaches to safeguarding ICH
Advanced digital technologies for the safeguarding and transmission of ICH
Build on available research results and identify needs for further research
Policy and synergies
Innovative policy solutions for safeguarding ICH and mobilising it for social and economic innovation
Rethinking cultural policies for the safeguarding of ICH
Use the future digital tools of the ECCCH and the Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage
Links to projects under HORIZON-CL2-2025-HERITAGE-02 and related Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020 actions
Conditions
Admissibility, page limits and layoutAnnexes A and E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes; page limits in Part B of the Application Form in the Submission System.
Eligible countriesAnnex B of the General Annexes. Some non-EU/non-Associated Countries not automatically eligible have made specific provisions to fund their participants (see the Horizon Europe Programme Guide).
Other eligibility conditionsAs described in Annex B of the General Annexes.
Financial and operational capacityAnnex C of the General Annexes, including exclusion criteria.
Award criteria and evaluationScoring and thresholds in Annex D; submission and evaluation process and indicative timeline in Annex F of the General Annexes and the Funding & Tenders Online Manual.
Legal and financial set-upLump sum contributions under the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising lump sums in Horizon Europe, and Annex G of the General Annexes. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties, in the form of grants only, up to EUR 60 000 per third party. The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or the exclusive licensing of results (Annex 5).
Specific conditionsAs described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.
1Council conclusions of 21 May 2014 on cultural heritage as a strategic resource for a sustainable Europe (2014/C 183/08). eur-lex.europa.eu – CELEX:52014XG0614(08)
2CETS 199 – Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (Faro Convention). coe.int – CETS 199
7European Commission: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, The Cultural Heritage Cloud – Advancing with new tools, Publications Office of the European Union, 2026, data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/3302898
9European Commission: Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, Common European data space for cultural heritage – Strategy 2025-2030, 2025, data.europa.eu/doi/10.2759/9497280
27European Commission: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Driving a green, digital and innovative European cultural heritage – EU-funded research and innovation projects from the 2024 call for proposals of Horizon Europe’s cluster 2 “Culture, creativity and inclusive society”, Publications Office of the European Union, 2026, data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/7071497
28European Commission: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, Culture Compass for Europe, Publications Office of the European Union, 2026, data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/6314060
29UNESCO, Basic Texts of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2024 Edition, Living Heritage Entity, Culture Sector, UNESCO, Paris, 2024. ich.unesco.org – Basic Texts
30European Commission: Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, Common European data space for cultural heritage – Annual Report 2024/2025, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, data.europa.eu/doi/10.2759/7414295
31European Commission: Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, The future of Europe’s past – Why Member States must do more to advance digitisation of our cultural heritage. Implementation of the 2021 Commission Recommendation on a common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage, Progress Report 2021-2023, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024, data.europa.eu/doi/10.2759/6974290
32European Commission: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, R&I Facts & Figures: Cultural and Creative Industries, Publications Office of the European Union, July 2026, data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/6632547
33European Commission: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Unleashing the Potential of the Cultural and Creative Industries, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/0306127
34Izsak, K., Moreno, C. and Vuijlsteke, C., Monitoring industrial ecosystems – Cultural and creative industries: Analytical report, 2024 edition, European Commission, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs and European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, data.europa.eu/doi/10.2826/5020731
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