On April 1, 2024, the long-awaited applications for the allocation of non-repayable funds ‘Transformation and Strengthening the Competitiveness of Cultural and Creative Industries’ will commence, for which more than 33 million euros is available. Project proposals will be accepted until May 31, 2024, after which evaluation and ranking will follow, ultimately leading to the contracting of the most successful projects.
This is a call from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPOO), the announcement of which entrepreneurs have been expecting since the beginning of 2023. HUP Association of Professionals for EU Funds (HUP EUPRO) welcomes the opening of the call aimed at creative and cultural industries, whose competitiveness has been significantly shaken due to the inability to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Entrepreneurs, associations, and citizens from the fields of architecture, design, electronic media, film production and distribution, audiovisual activities, musicians, museums, and publishers will compete for the funds.
HUP EUPRO, as well as the HUP Coordination of Creative and Cultural Industries, actively participated in shaping the Call itself, but it has gone through several changes since the first drafts, so applicants and experts in project documentation preparation now face the challenge of carefully studying the final version of the Guidelines for Applicants. The main difference between the call and the first drafts advocated by HUP, which was not taken into account in the final version, is the possibility of construction that is not acceptable. However, the association considers it positive that the cost of renovation or modernization of a building, i.e., business premises, and equipping has remained in the eligible costs.
