Creative Europe’s 2027 media literacy call gives priority to audiences that existing programmes rarely reach. Applications close on 20 January 2027.

The European Commission’s 2027 call for cross-border media literacy projects (CREA-CROSS-2027-MEDIALITERACY) opened on 22 October 2026 under the Cross-sectoral strand of the Creative Europe programme. The European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) manages the call, and it held an online information session for prospective applicants on 29 October.

The budget is €3.5 million, up from €3 million in the 2026 edition. Each project may request up to €500,000 and should normally run for no more than 24 months. The EU covers at most 70% of eligible costs, so partners have to fund the remaining 30% themselves.

Who the call wants to reach. Priority goes to initiatives that can reach a broad audience, or groups that current media literacy programmes serve poorly, “with a focus on (groups within) the adult population outside the education system”. The call asks for work in non-educational settings in particular. It wants tools, training, campaigns and events that help people understand today’s information ecosystem: social media, influencers, algorithms and AI-generated content. These activities should also give people practical skills to find their way through it safely.

Who can apply. Applicants must form a consortium of at least three independent organisations from three different countries taking part in Creative Europe. Public and private bodies are eligible, whether for-profit or not. That includes media literacy organisations, national, regional and local authorities, universities, media outlets, information-integrity organisations, and research and technology institutions. Applicants are encouraged to work with the regional hubs of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO).

Why it matters. Much media literacy work has traditionally gone through schools. Yet most of the people facing disinformation, manipulated content and opaque algorithms left the classroom long ago. This call puts adults outside the education system at its centre. That strengthens the case for libraries, community associations, local media, municipalities and civil-society organisations as places of learning in their own right. This is a priority of this particular call. Whether it signals a wider shift in EU policy is a question MIL Magazine will examine in a forthcoming analysis, Media literacy beyond the school.

Key facts

• Call: CREA-CROSS-2027-MEDIALITERACY (Creative Europe, Cross-sectoral strand)
• Budget: €3.5 million
• Maximum grant: €500,000 per project, normally up to 24 months
• EU co-financing: up to 70% of eligible costs
• Consortium: at least 3 independent entities from 3 eligible countries
• Deadline: 20 January 2027, 17:00 Brussels time
• Results: expected July 2027; grant agreements around October 2027

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