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Strategic Analysis
A winning proposal under HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-HERITAGE-04 must bridge the cultural/creative sectors (CHIs/CCSI) with validated healthcare, clinical, or public mental health outcomes through robust implementation research and pilot trials. To stand out, consortia should articulate a clear operational focus (e.g., arts-based interventions for youth mental health or crisis societal resilience) combined with a structured lump-sum work plan, explicit synergies with projects funded under @HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-09, and concrete collaboration mechanisms with the Joint Research Centre (JRC SciArt).
TRL 2 → 6
Based on programme defaults
Develop evidence-based and validated practices that can be understood and used by CHIs and CCSI as well as other key stakeholders to develop cultural experiences that effectively support health and well-being, choosing a focused approach with potential for strong impact (e.g., arts and culture-based experiences as a societal support kit in crises, mobilising specific industries such as video games, or implementation research exploring obstacles to uptake).
Involve stakeholders from cultural heritage institutions (CHIs) and/or cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI) as well as other targeted key actors to ensure practices are understandable and usable.
Validate practices through appropriate methods, such as launching small scale pilot trials or other validation methods suited to the chosen focus.
Properly take the gender dimension into account as appropriate for the focus chosen, such as gender differences in cultural participation and its consequences.
Build on previous research, innovation, and established methods, including establishing links where appropriate to the project funded under call topic ‘HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-09 Impacts of Culture and the Arts on Health and Well-being’.
Consider the involvement of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) where appropriate, based on its experience with initiatives like SciArt and artist-in-residency programmes to interface research and policymaking.
Deepened knowledge of the potential positive effects of cultural experiences on health and well-being [1] is developed and made available to relevant stakeholders, along with validated scalable and replicable practices to reinforce these effects
Key industrial, health, cultural, educational and/or civil society actors are aware of validated systemic approaches to make cultural experiences improve health and well-being and are engaged in producing or supporting such cultural experiences
Competitive European cultural and creative sectors and industries systematically contribute to improve health and well-being
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.
Council conclusions of 21 May 2014 on cultural heritage as a strategic resource for a sustainable Europe (2014/C 183/08)
highThese Council conclusions recognise cultural heritage as a major strategic resource for smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth in Europe. They emphasize heritage's cross-cutting value, spanning economic, social, environmental, and health/well-being dimensions.
Evaluators expect proposals to frame cultural heritage not merely as preservation targets, but as active assets that foster social cohesion, mental and physical well-being, and community resilience through participatory approaches.
Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (CETS 199)
highKnown as the Faro Convention (2005), this framework positions cultural heritage as a human-centred resource essential to human development, quality of life, and democratic participation. It asserts the right of everyone to engage with cultural heritage and underlines collective responsibility toward the heritage environment.
Evaluators expect proposals to incorporate principles of citizen participation, heritage communities, and rights-based access, demonstrating how engagement with cultural heritage directly improves personal and collective well-being.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
highThe UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a 'blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.' Adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, they address global challenges including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice.
Proposals should clearly articulate which specific SDGs their project contributes to and how. This involves demonstrating a tangible impact on sustainable development, whether through environmental, social, or economic dimensions, and aligning with the EU's commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Culture Compass for Europe
mediumThe Culture Compass for Europe is a strategic framework developed by the European Commission to guide EU action in the cultural sector. It aims to foster a more coherent and impactful approach to culture, addressing key challenges and opportunities. It typically outlines priorities such as promoting cultural diversity, strengthening the cultural and creative sectors, fostering cultural participation, and leveraging culture for external relations.
Proposals should demonstrate how they align with the strategic directions and priorities outlined in the Culture Compass, particularly regarding the role of culture in societal development, innovation, and European identity. Evaluators will look for projects that contribute to the overarching goals of strengthening the cultural and creative sectors, enhancing cultural participation, and promoting European values through culture.
Specific requirements
EU space data infrastructures
If the project uses satellite-based Earth observation, positioning, navigation or timing data/services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. Other sources may be added but not substitute EU infrastructures.
Civil applications only
Horizon Europe funds exclusively civil applications. Research with exclusive military or dual-use application is excluded.
Gender Equality Plan
Having a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) is an eligibility criterion for public bodies, research organisations, and higher education institutions from Member States and Associated Countries.
Open Science
Mandatory open access to peer-reviewed scientific publications and responsible management of research data (FAIR principles, DMP required).
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As described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner. The JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal - see General Annex B.
As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
As described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
As described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
As described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
As described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5.
Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties. The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60 000
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025) [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].
In addition, as described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
As described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.
Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)
Guidance
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
Call-specific instructions
Information on financial support to third parties (HE)
Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?"
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 5. Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
HE Framework Programme 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Evaluators will rigorously assess:
Everything the call asks for, seen from the call's point of view. Each line shows what answers it, and which partner carries it.
This matrix lists everything the call asks for: outcomes, impacts, scope, the requirements buried in the call text, and policy alignment. Sign up free and GrantForge tracks each line against the concept you build.
| Requirement | Covered by | Carried | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope activities | |||
| SC1Develop evidence-based and validated practices that can be understood and used by CHIs and CCSI as well as other key stakeholders to develop cultural experiences that effectively support health and well-being, choosing a focused approach with potential for strong impact (e.g., arts and culture-based experiences as a societal support kit in crises, mobilising specific industries such as video games, or implementation research exploring obstacles to uptake). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC2Involve stakeholders from cultural heritage institutions (CHIs) and/or cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI) as well as other targeted key actors to ensure practices are understandable and usable. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC3Validate practices through appropriate methods, such as launching small scale pilot trials or other validation methods suited to the chosen focus. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC4Properly take the gender dimension into account as appropriate for the focus chosen, such as gender differences in cultural participation and its consequences. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC5Build on previous research, innovation, and established methods, including establishing links where appropriate to the project funded under call topic ‘HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-09 Impacts of Culture and the Arts on Health and Well-being’. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| SC6Consider the involvement of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) where appropriate, based on its experience with initiatives like SciArt and artist-in-residency programmes to interface research and policymaking. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected outcomes | |||
| EO1Deepened knowledge of the potential positive effects of cultural experiences on health and well-being [1] is developed and made available to relevant stakeholders, along with validated scalable and replicable practices to reinforce these effects | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO2Key industrial, health, cultural, educational and/or civil society actors are aware of validated systemic approaches to make cultural experiences improve health and well-being and are engaged in producing or supporting such cultural experiences | · | · | Sign up to track |
| EO3Competitive European cultural and creative sectors and industries systematically contribute to improve health and well-being | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Other requirements | |||
| REQ1Involvement of CHIs, CCSI, and targeted key actorsIn order to achieve evidence-based and validated practices, projects should involve stakeholders from cultural heritage institutions (CHIs) and/or cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI) as well as other targeted key actors and stakeholders. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ2Gender dimension in research contentProjects should properly take the gender dimension into account as appropriate for the chosen focus, such as gender differences in cultural participation and its consequences. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ3Links with project funded under HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-09Projects should build on previous research and innovation, in particular establishing links where appropriate to the project funded under call topic 'HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-09 Impacts of Culture and the Arts on Health and Well-being'. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ4Involvement of the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC)Proposals may consider the involvement of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), drawing on its experience with SciArt and artist-in-residency programmes to bridge research and policymaking. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ5FAIR data complianceParticular 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). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ6Synergies with EOSC, ESFRI infrastructures, and European Data SpacesWhere appropriate, actions should leverage the data and services available through European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) or included in the ESFRI roadmap, as well as data from relevant European Data Spaces. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ7Integration with the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH)Projects producing 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). | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ8Contribution of EIT Culture and Creativity KICThe innovation ecosystems created and nurtured by the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) of the EIT, particularly 'EIT Culture and Creativity', may contribute to actions under this destination and may be considered by applicants. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| REQ9Financial support to third parties for CHIs and CCSI involvementProjects may award financial support to third parties in the form of grants to involve entities such as CCSI, CHIs, or other important stakeholders not part of the consortium, capped at EUR 60 000 per third party. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Expected impacts | |||
| EI1The 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. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| Underlying policies | |||
| POL1council conclusions of 21 may 2014 on cultural heritage as a strategic resource for a sustainable europeThese Council conclusions recognise cultural heritage as a major strategic resource for smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth in Europe. They emphasize heritage's cross-cutting value, spanning economic, social, environmental, and health/well-being dimensions. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| POL2council of europe framework convention on the value of cultural heritage for societyKnown as the Faro Convention (2005), this framework positions cultural heritage as a human-centred resource essential to human development, quality of life, and democratic participation. It asserts the right of everyone to engage with cultural heritage and underlines collective responsibility toward the heritage environment. | · | · | Sign up to track |
| POL3un sustainable development goalsThe UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a 'blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.' Adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, they address global challenges including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice. | · | · | Sign up to track |
The binding rules of this call. Items marked auto are verified by GrantForge from the call and the template. The others are yours to confirm.
LMIC entities auto-eligible
Low/middle-income country entities are automatically eligible for funding.
EU space data infrastructures
If the project uses satellite-based Earth observation, positioning, navigation or timing data/services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. Other sources may be added but not substitute EU infrastructures.
Civil applications only
Horizon Europe funds exclusively civil applications. Research with exclusive military or dual-use application is excluded.
Gender Equality Plan
Having a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) is an eligibility criterion for public bodies, research organisations, and higher education institutions from Member States and Associated Countries.
Open Science
Mandatory open access to peer-reviewed scientific publications and responsible management of research data (FAIR principles, DMP required).
5 key insights you must internalise before writing. Each is grounded in the call text and tells you what evaluators will actually look for. Share these with your consortium before drafting.
Because this is a lump sum grant, the work breakdown structure dictates the payment schedule. If your consortium uses Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) to engage local cultural or creative entities for pilot trials, you must strictly cap this at €60,000 per third party and align these cascading grants with clear lump sum deliverables.
Source: eligibility
Evaluators will look for concrete pathways translating your pilot results into policy, specifically expecting proactive engagement with the JRC SciArt residency models. The Joint Research Centre must be integrated as a zero-funding beneficiary or as an associated partner to fulfill this policy synergy requirement without consuming your budget.
Source: evaluation_pre_award
Your proposal cannot operate in a vacuum; it must build upon established methods by establishing direct links to the project funded under HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-HERITAGE-09. Consortia must allocate specific tasks and resources to ensure methodological continuity and avoid duplicating previous research on the impacts of culture on health.
Source: scope
The call explicitly requires proposals to delimit their focus to ensure thorough, systematic research rather than broad, scattered approaches. Whether you choose crisis resilience, video games, or implementation bottlenecks, your consortium must justify why this specific, narrow focus offers the highest potential for measurable clinical or public health validation.
Source: scope
Addressing the gender dimension is not a generic checkbox for this call. Evaluators will rigorously assess the deep integration of gender-differentiated cultural participation patterns and how these specific differences translate into distinct mental health and well-being outcomes during your pilot trials.
Source: evaluation_pre_award
Talk to the Grant Coach to build your concept. There is no set order: start wherever your project starts. The sections below mirror what the conversation produces, and your coverage tracks the progress. You can refine everything once your project workspace is created.
The problems this call frames, and who they affect. Your concept and plan address them.
Cultural interventions frequently lack rigorous clinical, psychological, and epidemiological validation, preventing healthcare providers from systematically integrating them into formal mental health or preventive care pathways.
Creative and cultural industries lack viable business and operational models to develop sustainable, health-oriented cultural services, often operating on short-term project funding without systemic healthcare integration.
Cultural access and health-seeking behaviours exhibit significant socio-demographic and gender disparities, which are rarely addressed systematically during the design of cultural health experiences.
Museums, galleries, performing arts organisations, creative digital studios, and video game developers seeking evidence-based frameworks to design health-supportive experiences.
Clinical practitioners, mental health organisations, public health authorities, and social prescription link workers responsible for non-clinical patient support pathways.
Citizens, particularly vulnerable groups experiencing mental distress, social isolation, or crisis-related trauma, participating in pilot cultural interventions.
Regional, national, and European policy bodies (including the JRC) defining health promotion strategies and funding allocations for cultural innovation.
Researchers across SSH, medical sciences, neuroaesthetics, cultural economics, and public health researching social prescribing and arts-in-health efficacy.
The long-term impacts your project should drive, and the policies they serve.
Measurable improvements in psychological well-being, social cohesion, and resilience among participating populations through evidence-validated arts and heritage experiences.
Adoption of arts-on-prescription frameworks and systemic multi-sectoral strategies by local, regional, and European health and cultural administrations.
Creation of novel cross-sectoral market opportunities and revenue models for European cultural institutions and creative SMEs in the health and wellness economy.